As the nights get cooler and the sun goes down earlier each day, your garden will lose a lot of its color and cheer.
A lot of people say that autumn is their favorite time of the year because of the beautiful changes that happen to trees, bushes, and shrubs when the leaves turn red, mauve, and deep burgundy.
Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly says, “When I use red-leaved shrubs, I try to make sure that the effect isn’t lost by using too many compared to green-leaved shrubs and trees.”
Many of the following shrubs have red leaves from January to December, so your outdoor display will always have some fire and effervescence.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the nine best (mostly) evergreen (or “ever-red”) shrubs to make your garden look better:
Looking to add some visual pop and year-round color to your yard? Red leaf bushes with pink blooms are a fantastic option. The striking foliage provides unique texture and interest, while the cheerful pink flowers attract pollinators and brighten up the landscape.
Red bushes come in a wide range of sizes, growth habits, and hardiness zones to work in any garden. When paired with pink blooms, it makes for an eye-catching combination. Here is an overview of some top choices:
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
The purple leaf sand cherry (Prunus x cistena) is a compact multi-season beauty. Its leaves emerge reddish-purple in spring mature to deeper maroon in summer, and turn bright red in fall. Clusters of light pink flowers bloom in spring, followed by dark red-purple cherries. This deciduous bush grows just 4-7 feet tall and wide. Hardy in zones 3-8.
Plant in full sun for best color Prune as needed right after flowering. Avoid constant shearing Purple leaf sand cherry makes a striking focal point, hedge, or foundation planting. It works nicely in combination with yellow and chartreuse plants.
Rose Glow Barberry
Rose glow barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’) offers red foliage and rosy pink blooms. The leaves start out burgundy-red and fade to reddish-purple. Light pink flowers appear in late spring. This compact bush matures at just 3-4 feet tall and wide. Grow it in full sun to light shade in zones 4-8.
Little care is needed beyond occasional pruning to shape it. Deer tend to avoid this prickly beauty. Use rose glow barberry as an accent plant, low hedge, or in borders and rock gardens. It pairs well with blue, silver and white plants.
Red Dragon Contorted Filbert
For delightfully twisted red foliage, look no further than red dragon contorted filbert (Corylus avellana ‘Red Dragon’). Its contorted stems and narrowly cut leaves emerge bright red in spring, soften to reddish-purple in summer, and turn ruby red again in fall.
Light pink catkins dangle from the branches in early spring. This large deciduous shrub grows 8-10 feet tall with an 8 foot spread. Provide full sun to part shade in zones 4-8. Prune as needed to shape after flowering.
Double Play Doozie® Spiraea
Double Play Doozie® spiraea (Spiraea japonica ‘Jonbella’) combines colorful foliage with months of pink blooms. The green leaves have red edges, giving a showy two-tone effect. Deep pink flower clusters cover the plant from late spring into fall.
At just 3 feet tall and wide, it’s perfect for borders and containers. This hardy, low maintenance shrub thrives in full sun and zones 4-8. For best leaf color, give it morning sun and afternoon shade. Prune in late winter to shape and rejuvenate.
Crimson Pygmy Barberry
For a petite pop of red, grow crimson pygmy barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’). This dwarf beauty grows just 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It boasts tiny crimson leaves that retain their color all season. Pale pink flowers bloom in late spring but aren’t the main attraction.
Use this tough, drought-tolerant shrub in borders, rock gardens, containers or as edging. Provide full sun to part shade and well-drained soil. Hardy in zones 4-8. Little pruning is required. Watch for birds nesting in its thorny interior.
Japanese Bloodgrass
Add some grassy texture with red Japanese bloodgrass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’). Named for its striking red leaf blades, this ornamental grass thrives in zones 5-9. It forms a tidy clump 18-24 inches tall and wide. Feathery pink plumes appear in late summer if you’re lucky.
Japanese bloodgrass needs full sun, good drainage, and moderate water to keep its vibrant coloring. Cut it back in late winter before new growth emerges. Use it as an edging plant, in masses, or in containers. It also pairs beautifully with water features.
Cardinal Flower
The brilliant red leaves of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) make a dramatic backdrop for its spikes of scarlet blooms. This hardy perennial provides color from midsummer into fall. It grows 2-4 feet tall on leafy green stems. Plant it in full sun to part shade in zones 2-9.
Give cardinal flower moist, rich soil. Once established, it can handle some drought. Mulch the roots to keep them cool and prevent the foliage from scorching in hot, dry weather. Divide clumps every 2-3 years in spring to maintain vigor.
Flowering Tobacco
Add some tropical flair with flowering tobacco (Nicotiana). This warm weather annual comes in a range of flower colors and leaf hues, including green-red varieties. Hybrid ‘Lime Green’ has rich reddish-purple leaves and tubular flowers in shades of pink, red, and white.
This heat-loving plant grows 3-4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost date. Move it outside after danger of frost has passed. Plant in full sun to part shade. Pinch off flowers to prolong bloom time.
Coral Bells
For versatile red foliage and pink blooms, plant coral bells (Heuchera). The ruffled leaves come in a rainbow of hues like burgundy, purple, orange and lime green. Variety ‘Caramel’ has maple-shaped leaves that transition from amber to deep red. Airy flower spikes appear in summer.
These carefree perennials grow just 1-2 feet tall and wide in zones 4-8. Partial shade and average moisture is ideal. Use them in borders, rock gardens, containers or as edging. Deadhead blooms and cut back foliage in late fall to keep coral bells looking fresh.
The combination of red and pink is always eye-catching. Add long-lasting color and beauty to your garden by incorporating a few of these vibrant red leaf bushes with cheery pink blooms. Visit your local nursery to explore the possibilities and find new favorites for your landscape!
Smoke Bush
- BOTANICAL NAME: Cotinus coggygria
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FOLIAGE: DECIDUOUS
- RED COLOUR SEASONS: AUTUMN
The name “Smoke Bush” comes from the soft pink flower clouds that really do look like smoke in the summer. But the real attraction of this plant is its foliage.
There are many different cultivars with a wide range of leaf colors, but they are all very beautiful in the fall anyway.
For more year-round red appeal, try ‘Grace’, ‘Royal Purple’ or ‘Golden Spirit’.
The first two have purple leaves that turn red in the summer, while the third has yellow leaves with red spots on them.
Whichever one you opt for in the end, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacularly colourful display regardless.
Most types of Smoke Bush grow to be 4 meters tall and 4 meters wide, which is another reason why they’re often used to make bushes, hedges, and other natural boundaries around a property.
You should mulch it once a year and leave it in full or partial sun. To keep its shape, you don’t need to prune it.
Red Robin
- BOTANICAL NAME: Photinia x fraseri
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FOLIAGE: EVERGREEN
- RED COLOUR SEASONS: SPRING
This beautiful plant’s leaves start out a deep red color, which is how it got its common name.
But as they get older, they do tend to soften into a lusher green. You can always make sure you have plenty of red in your display by cutting back the stems of the ones that have changed color.
In addition to the nice contrast between the red and green of Red Robin, it has small clusters of white flowers in the spring that add to the Christmassy look.
It’s often used as a hedge because it can grow up to 4 meters tall and wide.
This plant doesn’t need much care, so you won’t have to do much to keep it healthy.
In the British climate, it shouldn’t need much more water than what falls naturally, but if you do water it, make sure you focus on the soil instead of the leaves.
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FAQ
What plant has red leaves and pink flowers?
What is a burgundy bush with pink flowers?
What is the bush with red leaves?
How do you care for a Loropetalum bush?
What shrubs have red leaves?
Examples of the best shrubs with red leaves for landscaping include Chinese fringe flowers, Japanese barberry, common ninebark, and ornamental maples. Some shrubs, like Japanese pieris or photinia, have red leaves that emerge in spring before turning green. In contrast, crape myrtle shrub foliage turns red in the fall.
What are red flower bushes?
The first entry on our list of red flower bushes is the Aphrodite sweetshrub, a popular option that thrives in most climates. It can grow up to six feet wide and tall with a rounded appearance. The large, rusty-red blooms last from summer through fall and make a stark contrast to the glossy, green leaves. Plus, the flowers smell heavenly.
Are red flowering shrubs good landscaping plants?
Red flowering shrubs are excellent landscaping plants for adding bright, vibrant, dramatic colors to your yard. Shrubs with red blooms can range in color from shades of deep wine-red and burgundy to dark pink, crimson, and light coral. The hues of reds from flowering shrubs help create beautiful, colorful landscape designs.
What plants have pink flowers?
Typically, pink peonies, hydrangeas, hibiscus, and shrub roses are the most popular bushy plants with pink flowers. Many pink-flowering azaleas are ideal for landscaping a shaded garden. However, popular pink shrubs like butterfly bush, bougainvillea, and crape myrtle are ideal for planting in full sun.