Because more people are living in cities with less space, smaller plant varieties have become more popular in recent years. Shrubs are an important part of any landscape because they add color, texture, and structure to beds, borders, and foundation plantings.
Small shrubs that flower can add a welcome splash of color almost all year, depending on where they grow and what kind of shrub they are. These reliable plants can be also used in containers, as hedging or in mass plantings. Here are some of the best flowering small shrubs to grow.
The Best Bushes for Small Home Landscapes: Discover Top Performing Shrubs Under 5 Feet
When planning and designing small-space gardens one of the most useful plants are compact shrubs. Ranging from 2-5 feet tall at maturity, small shrubs allow you to add structure, texture, color and interest while working within tight dimensions. They serve as low hedges accents, foliage contrasts and more.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best compact shrubs that reach under 5 feet tall. From evergreens to flowering varieties, these plants punch above their petite stature with versatility, durability, and often vivid colors Read on to discover some outstanding options for small gardens and urban plots where space is at a premium
Evergreen Favorites Under 5 Feet
Small evergreen shrubs provide year-round bones structure and foliage. They hold their leaves in winter, offer shelter for birds, and give continuity through the seasons. Some top picks include:
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Dwarf Nandina – A bamboo-like shrub with vivid red foliage in fall and winter Grows 2-4 feet tall Deer resistant and drought tolerant.
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Dwarf Hinoki Cypress – A dwarf conifer with fans of soft green foliage. Grows 3-4 feet tall. Easy to shape by pruning. Tolerates sun or partial shade.
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Dwarf Alberta Spruce – Mini evergreen conifer perfect for rock gardens and containers. Slow growth to 4 feet tall. Retains a neat conical form without pruning.
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Heavenly Bamboo – A compact nandina cultivar prized for its red and pink variegated leaves. Grows 3-4 feet tall. Thrives in sun or shade.
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Black Dragon Cryptomeria – Striking evergreen shrub with dense, ferny foliage that emerges bronze, matures to green. Grows 3-5 feet tall. Easy care, deer resistant.
Flowering Finds Under 5 Feet
While petite in size, many compact flowering shrubs offer oversized floral shows through the seasons. Some beauties include:
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Dwarf Spirea – A novice-friendly, spring-blooming shrub that grows just 1-3 feet tall. Cloud-like white or pink flower clusters. Prune after flowering.
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Dwarf Buddleia – Compact butterfly bush cultivars like Blue Chip that grow 3-4 feet tall. Fragrant purple-blue flower spikes attract pollinators. Deadhead to encourage reblooming.
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Dwarf Forsythia – An early spring charmer known for abundant yellow bell-shaped flowers. Grows 3-5 feet tall. Prune after flowering. Tolerates various soil types.
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Dwarf Rhododendron – Evergreen shrubs prized for vibrant, ruffled blooms in shades like fuchsia, purple, red or white. Grow 2-5 feet tall. Prefer acidic, well-drained soil.
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Flowering Quince – Cheerful spring-bloomer with Camellia-like flowers in white, pink or red hues. Grows 3-4 feet tall. Prune after flowering to shape and encourage blooms.
Versatile Performers Under 5 Feet
Some compact shrubs shine not just for flowers or foliage but for their diverse uses in the landscape. Versatile picks include:
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Boxwood – Classic broadleaf evergreen shrubs perfect for low hedges, borders, topiary and more. Grow 2-4 feet tall. Available in green or golden foliage. Deer resistant.
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Compact Holly – Evergreen shrubs like Dwarf Burford or Carissa that work well as low screens and accents. Glossy leaves, red berries. Grows 3-5 feet tall.
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Dwarf Hydrangea – Heat-tolerant cultivars like Little Lime that produce vivid blue or pink mophead blooms. Grows 3-5 feet tall. Prune judiciously, protect from wind.
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Dwarf Ninebark – Adaptable, low-maintenance shrub valued for interesting peeling bark. White spring flowers, red fall foliage. Grows 3-4 feet tall. Drought tolerant once established.
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Dwarf Chaenomeles – Compact flowering quince cultivars perfect for borders and rock gardens. White, pink or red spring blooms. Grows 2-4 feet tall.
Ready to welcome petite but powerful shrubs into your small-space landscape? When thoughtfully selected and sited, compact shrubs allow you to pack more visual interest into modest garden dimensions. With this diverse range of top-performing picks under 5 feet tall, you’re sure to find long-lasting, low-maintenance beauties to enhance your landscape.
‘LITTLE JOHN’ DWARF BOTTLEBRUSH
It grows in full sun and has a bushy, spreading habit. It is 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. It blooms from spring to summer, or almost all year in temperate climates.
Wide, blue-green leaves and bright red bottlebrush flowers on ‘Little John’ are grown because they attract hummingbirds. Use this slow growing dwarf evergreen shrub as hedging, in a foundation planting, waterwise border, or mass planting. Plants are heat and drought tolerant, and adaptable to poor soils.
Low Scape Mound® chokeberry. Photo by: Proven Winners
PERFECTO MUNDO® REBLOOMING AZALEA
Perfecto Mundo® reblooming azaleas — Buy now from Proven Winners (Rhododendron hybrid)
Zones 6–9: Full sun to partial shade; bushy, spreading growth; 30 inches tall; 36–48 inches wide; blooms from spring to frost.
Clusters of brilliant flowers appear in spring. After a brief respite, plants bloom again from mid-summer until fall. This short, evergreen bush can be used as low fencing, base plantings, or a mass of plants in a bed or border. Learn more about growing azaleas.
Sunshine Blue® II bluebeard. Photo by: Proven Winners
FAST GROWING SHRUBS AND BUSHES FOR CREATING PRIVACY
FAQ
What plant grows tall but not wide?
What is the best small shrub?
What are the best small flowering bushes?
Combinations of low-growing flowering shrubs and evergreen bushes at the front of the house can significantly enhance curb appeal. Some of the best small flowering bushes are dwarf rhododendrons, small honeysuckle shrubs, miniature spirea plants, compact hydrangea shrubs, and small flowering potentilla shrubs.
What shrub is best for a small space garden?
A fireside ninebark shrub is another perfect choice for a small-space garden. Itea virginica, Zones 5 to 9 Popular with pollinators, Little Henry delights in spring or summer with white, fragrant flower panicles and again in fall when leaves turn to hues of orange and red. It’ll reach 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
What is the best evergreen shrub?
Sprinter ® boxwood is one of the best fast-growing evergreen shrubs, with glossy foliage that stays attractive year-round. The compact rounded habit is suitable for low hedging, containers and for edging pathways and borders. 2. Gold Splash ® Wintercreeper ( Euonymus fortunei) Wintercreeper is a broadleaf evergreen with a shrubby vining habit.
What is a small evergreen shrub?
Small, low-growing evergreen shrubs are ideal in any landscape. They can be added as an accent border, grown in a container, or scattered as ground covers—the possibilities are limitless. These compact shrubs grow only a few feet in height and spread, but they can sport bright blooms and interesting foliage.