Standout Shrubs for Nonstop Color: 20 Dazzling Full Sun Perennials

There are many kinds of shrubs, from the classic beauty of roses to the exotic beauty of hibiscus.

Flowering shrubs that flourish in full sun are the cornerstones of any vibrant garden. These plants that love the sun are not only tough, but they also add color, scent, and life to any outdoor space.

When picking shrubs for places that get a lot of sun—usually six hours or more a day—it’s important to pick species that can not only survive but also do well in the heat.

These sunbathers offer a range of benefits. They attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, adding to the ecological health of your garden. Additionally, many of these shrubs are drought-tolerant, making them ideal for water-efficient landscaping. Full-sun flowering shrubs can make your garden more lively and interesting, whether you’re planning a new garden or fixing up an old one.

There are many kinds of shrubs, from the classic beauty of roses to the exotic beauty of hibiscus. These plants come in a range of sizes, bloom times, and color schemes, so every gardener can find the right one for them. You can use them as focal points, to make borders, or as part of a mixed garden that looks nice all year.

Now, let’s explore a list of flowering shrubs that will bring your sun-drenched garden to life:

Philadelphus coronarius (Mock Orange) is a robust, rounded shrub known for its stiff, upward branches and dense growth. In late spring, it showcases fragrant, white, cup-shaped flowers in abundant clusters, set against dark green, serrated leaves. Its bark peels in strips, revealing pale brown underneath. While it’s mostly noticeable when it blooms, this plant is worth adding because of its lovely scent and large number of flowers. It’s especially nice to have near patios for the scent.

Native to the southeastern U. S. Mountain Witch Alder, or Fothergilla major, is a slow-growing, deciduous shrub that is loved for its lovely, fragrant, bottlebrush-like white flowers in the spring, its leathery blue-green summer leaves, its amazing fall color (leaves turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red-purple), and its high resistance to disease. With an upright spreading habit, this deciduous shrub spreads slowly by suckers.

Physocarpus opulifolius, or Common Ninebark, is a fast-growing shrub with a unique fountain shape and stunning exfoliating bark. Late spring sees clusters of creamy-white, pink-tinged flowers, evolving into red fruits in fall. These nectar-rich blossoms draw beneficial insects and stand out against maple-like green leaves that turn yellow in fall. The peeling bark, hidden in summer, becomes a winter showpiece, revealing reddish-brown layers. Hardy, disease-resistant, and drought-tolerant, it’s excellent for screening and hedges.

Rhus typhina, or Staghorn Sumac, is a beautiful deciduous shrub or small tree with velvety branches and bright orange, yellow, and scarlet fall leaves. It features large, pinnate leaves and cone-shaped flower panicles, attracting honeybees. Female plants bear crimson berries, providing winter sustenance for wildlife. Fast-growing and drought-tolerant, it’s ideal for erosion control but may spread aggressively. The plant’s bare winter twigs resemble a stag’s velvety horns, inspiring its name.

Rock Cotoneaster, or Cotoneaster horizontalis, is a spreading, deciduous shrub with flat, stiff, regularly branching sprays that form a strict herringbone pattern. It grows slowly. The branches are studded with small, glossy leaves that turn orange and red in fall. Small, 5-petaled, pink-tinged white flowers are produced in late spring. Bees like them, and then there are bright red berries that ripen in late summer to fall and are one of the best things to see in the garden.

Spiraea japonica (Japanese Spirea) is a lush, mounded shrub, boasting oval, sharply-toothed green leaves. It has dome-shaped sprays of white to pink flowers from late spring to midsummer that stand out against its dark green leaves. Post-bloom, it produces smooth capsules dispersing hundreds of seeds. Heat and drought-resistant, this popular ornamental is ideal for hedges, screens, or foundation plantings.

Shrubby Cinquefoil, or Potentilla fruticosa, is a hardy, compact shrub that is known for its many yellow flowers that bloom from late spring to frost. The blooms, covering the shrub, beautifully contrast with its blue-green, pinnate leaves. It blooms for a long time and can handle drought and cold. It’s easy to care for and works well for informal hedging or sunny borders.

Anisodontea capensis, or African Mallow, is a beautiful evergreen sub-shrub with bright pink flowers and raspberry red centers that look like small hibiscus. Blooming profusely from spring to frost, it attracts bees and butterflies. With slender, sparsely leafed branches, it’s low-maintenance, drought and heat-tolerant, perfect for Mediterranean gardens or patio containers.

Carolina Allspice, or Calycanthus floridus, is a dense, round shrub that is loved for its dark red flowers that smell sweet and look like magnolia blossoms. Blooming from mid-spring to mid-summer, their fruity fragrance blends notes of melons, strawberries, pineapples, and bananas. Urn-shaped fruits follow, persisting into winter. Its shiny, dark green leaves turn golden-yellow in fall. This disease-resistant shrub adapts to various soils and conditions, thriving even in shaded areas.

Choisya ternata, or Mexican Orange Blossom, is a beautiful, round, evergreen, dense shrub with fragrant, glossy, medium-green leaves made up of three leaflets. A lot of fragrant, star-shaped, pure white flowers bloom from late spring to early summer, and sometimes in the summer and/or fall as well. Both flowers and leaves have the divine fragrance of orange blossoms.

Enkianthus campanulatus (Redvein Enkianthus) is a stunning upright shrub that offers a beautiful display throughout the seasons. It has groups of bell-shaped flowers that nod and have red veins that range in color from creamy yellow to whitish pink from late spring to midsummer. The elliptical blue-green leaves gather at the ends of the branches and turn beautiful shades of orange and red in the fall. This shrub is generally resilient against pests and diseases.

Rose of Sharon, or Hibiscus syriacus, is a strong and exotic deciduous shrub that has big flowers that look like hollyhocks from midsummer to fall. These beautiful blue, red, pink, and white flowers have big stamen tubes and stay on the bush well into the fall. Its ovate, veined leaves emerge pale yellow-green, turning medium green, adding prolonged garden interest.

Plumbago auriculata (Cape Leadwort) is a versatile evergreen, functioning as a vine or mounding shrub. It has lots of sky-blue, trumpet-shaped flowers on racemes that bloom from spring to summer or all year in places that don’t get frost. Its thin stems and light green leaves form a bush-like mass that looks great on trellises, as groundcover, in containers, or overhanging walls. The unique blue flowers stand out against these structures.

Santolina chamaecyparissus, also known as Lavender Cotton, is a stunning evergreen shrub that thrives in Mediterranean gardens. Its dense, silver-gray foliage remains attractive year-round, and it is highly drought-tolerant. While it produces small, yellow button-like flowers in summer, Santolina is primarily cultivated for its beautiful foliage.

Smoketree, or Cotinus coggygria, is admired for its beautiful leaves and big, airy flower plumes that change from yellowish-pink to purple in the spring and stay that color all summer, making “smoky” puffs. This shrub grows straight up and has many branches. It comes from southern Europe and central China, and its round leaves are a rich purple or green color. Its small flowers, in clustered panicles, have pink or purple hairs, giving a fluffy cloud effect.

Lavandula angustifolia, commonly known as English Lavender, is a versatile and aromatic perennial herb. It makes gardens look nice and smell great with its thin, gray-green leaves and spikes of fragrant purple flowers. People like it because it makes them feel calm, and it’s used in aromatherapy, cooking, and as a decoration.

Roses are beloved for their stunning blooms, captivating fragrance, and wide variety of colors and forms. With proper care, they can be long-lived and bring beauty and elegance to any garden. There is a rose type for every gardener’s taste and style, from classic hybrid teas to cute shrub roses.

With its delightful fragrance, Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac) is a springtime favorite in colder climates. These easy-to-grow shrubs are tough, deer-resistant, and relatively pest-free. Prized for their abundant flowers, Common Lilacs are a top choice for adding beauty to any landscape.

The California Lilac, or Ceanothus, is a shrub that has almost everything a gardener could want in a plant: it flowers freely, has beautiful leaves, is easy to grow, and can handle drought and salt. Fast-growing, these desirable shrubs draw attention with their stunning flowers. When a California Lilac bursts into bloom, it is a breathtaking sight to behold.

Forsythia is a deciduous shrub that is famous for its bright yellow flowers that bloom in large numbers in early spring, often before the leaves show up. The flowers densely cover the bare branches, presenting a striking appearance.

The Crepe Myrtle is a popular ornamental shrub or tree that is known for its bright, ruffled summer flowers and beautiful, peeling bark. It does best in warm climates and has beautiful color changes in the fall. Its elegant, multi-stemmed shape makes it a year-round focal point in gardens and landscapes.

Hamamelis, or Witch Hazel, is a beautiful deciduous shrub or small tree that is hardy and easy to take care of. Pests don’t seem to bother it much. Its flowers, which are fragrant and bright, really show off its stunning beauty, making it a great choice for any garden.

The Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii, is a small, deciduous shrub with branches that arch gracefully and are covered with spines and clusters of wedge-shaped leaves that range in color from light green to dark reddish purple. It makes the landscape more colorful and interesting all year long, which makes it a beautiful choice for any garden.

Chaenomeles, which is also called Flowering Quince, is a deciduous shrub that is loved for its pretty flowers and fruits in early spring. This versatile plant makes gardens look nice and brings in pollinators with its bright red, pink, and white flowers. It thrives in a variety of soil conditions and is low-maintenance.

Brugmansia, also known as Angel’s Trumpets, are highly valued for their tropical appearance and striking trumpet-shaped blossoms. These small trees or shrubs that stay green all year are both beautiful and fragrant. Their strong scent comes out mostly in the evenings. Long-lived and decorative, they bring dramatic flair to gardens and containers with relative ease.

Caryopteris, also called Bluebeard, Blue Mist, or Blue Spirea, is an easy-to-care-for shrub that is known for its true blue flowers that smell great and bloom in late summer to fall. Attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects, it offers color when most shrubs don’t. Aromatic leaves from spring to frost make it perfect for sunny gardens, small spaces, and containers. Plant multiple for a spectacular fall display.

Loropetalum, which is also called Chinese fringe flower, is a lively, evergreen shrub that is known for its ribbon-like flowers and bright leaves. It blooms in late winter to early spring and has colors that range from deep green to rich purple. Pollinators are drawn to it. It’s versatile in landscaping, ideal for hedges or specimen planting.

The redbud, which can be a large shrub or a small tree that loses its leaves in the fall, has bright pink flowers that make spring scenes more beautiful. It grows well in a wide range of soils, which makes gardeners love it. Its heart-shaped leaves and unique, irregular branching make it very appealing to them. Its early spring flowers also serve as an essential nectar source for pollinators.

Penstemon, known as beardtongue, is a North American native plant celebrated for its vibrant, tubular flowers and resilience. It grows well in a wide range of landscapes and attracts pollinators. It is also low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and non-invasive, which makes it a gardener’s favorite for both environmental and aesthetic reasons.

Hawthorn, a versatile tree or shrub, offers ornamental beauty and ecological benefits. Its white or pink flowers, red berries, and dense foliage add charm to landscapes. It’s also used in herbal medicine and is good for wildlife, so gardens and natural areas should have it.

Serviceberry, a versatile shrub or tree, offers year-round beauty. In spring, it blooms with delicate white flowers, followed by edible berries. Its vibrant fall foliage adds to its charm, and it maintains an attractive winter silhouette. Serviceberry is a valued addition to landscapes, providing beauty throughout the seasons.

Viburnum is a versatile genus of shrubs known for their beautiful foliage, fragrant flowers, and colorful berries. Native to various global regions, they’re hardy and attract pollinators. Often used in hedges, borders, and wildlife gardens, they offer year-round interest. Some species also provide drought tolerance and deer resistance.

Dogwoods are a large group of plants that are loved for their beautiful spring flowers, which often have white, pink, or red petals or bracts. These plants are native to many places, like North America and Asia. They can be tall trees, low-growing shrubs, or ground covers. They are often used in landscaping because of their pretty flowers, leaves, and sometimes bright stems. Some species also produce berries that wildlife likes.

The Oak Leaf Hydrangea, or Hydrangea quercifolia, is a beautiful and hardy deciduous shrub that blooms all year. It is native to the United States. Its name comes from its unique leaves, and in late spring and early summer, it blooms with lots of creamy-white flower clusters that can be up to 12 inches long. As fall approaches, the flower clusters gradually transform into a lovely pink hue.

Native to China and Japan, Hydrangea paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea) is a deservedly popular deciduous shrub. Tough, cold-hardy, easy-care, long-lived, it is laden with large, conical, snowy flowers from midsummer to fall. Each lacy flower cluster has small fertile flowers and larger, showy sterile flowers that are supported by showy sepals that look like petals. As an added bonus, they change color as fall approaches, gradually turning pink, and ultimately brown.

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FAQ

What flowering bush grows best in full sun?

Is there a shrub that blooms all summer?

Is there a perennial flower that blooms all summer?

What flowering bush blooms the longest?

What plants grow well in full sun?

From the classic beauty of roses to the exotic allure of hibiscus, there’s a wide variety of shrubs to choose from Flowering shrubs that flourish in full sun are the cornerstones of any vibrant garden. These sun-loving plants are not just resilient; they are the bringers of color, fragrance, and life to any outdoor space.

What is a full sun perennial?

Next on my list of full sun perennials is Creeping Phlox or Moss Phlox ( Phlox subulata ). It is a low-growing ground cover that is easy to grow and looks beautiful at the front of your sunny border or spilling over stones in a rock garden.

Can shrubs grow in full sun?

Add some color to your yard’s sunny areas with low-maintenance shrubs that thrive in full sun. A sun-splashed yard delivers big color when you fill it with easy-growing flowering shrubs that thrive in full sun.

Can a perennial plant grow in full sun?

It is just so hot in the summer that many plants don’t do well, even if they are deemed to be full sun perennials elsewhere. After a lot of trial and error, I have come up with this list of my favorite perennial plants that thrive in full sun, are low maintenance, and still look good in the middle of the summer.