Keeping your shrubs looking healthy and tidy can require a considerable amount of effort. But not all shrubs are created equal when it comes to required maintenance. If you’d like to minimize the amount of pruning, fertilizing, and watering you need to do, consider planting one of these low-maintenance shrub varieties that tend to grow well in the Denver area.
Alleghany Viburnum
This variety of viburnum shrub has thicker, more leathery leaves than most viburnum species. In the fall, the shrub develops deep red fruit that eventually ripens to a blue-black, and in the spring, it develops puffy white flowers. Alleghany viburnum shrubs reach about 10 feet tall when mature, and they make a great border along the side of a house or garage. They thrive in well-drained soil, and they’ll even survive if you plant them in partial shade.
Alleghany viburnum shrubs need to be fertilized and watered in well during the first growing season, but after this first year, they only need to be fertilized each spring and watered weekly. They’re fast-growing and will attract birds to your yard.
Fernbush
If your soil is quite clay-like, as is common in Colorado, consider planting a fernbush. These shrubs do well in most any soil type, from clay to sand. They’re also quite drought tolerant, so you won’t have to worry about watering your fernbush very often, if at all. Fernbushes do, however, require full sunlight to thrive.
With a mature height of six to eight feet, fernbushes are often planted in a row to create a barrier or decorative edge. They have small, green leaves that resemble those of ferns, and in the summer, they become covered with little white flowers that resemble daisies with yellow centers. The flowers attract bees, so planting a fernbush in your yard is a good way to help support the native bee population. You’ll also notice plenty of butterflies flitting around the bush.
Black Chokeberry
Black chokeberry plants are extremely adaptable. They’ll do just as well in dry, sandy soil as they do in moist, rich soil. They also tolerate a wide range of soil pH levels, making them a good choice if you’ve struggled to find shrubs that grow well in your alkaline Colorado soil. You won’t have to worry about frequent watering or fertilization, though you will need to clean up the fallen berries to prevent a mess in the late fall.
These shrubs are named for their berries, which are deep purple-black in color and grow in bunches. The leaves are a medium green, and in the spring, clusters of white flowers appear. Black chokeberry shrubs reach up to six feet in height when mature, and they take on a broad, sprawling shape.
Shrub Roses
Many rose varieties won’t grow well in nutrient-poor Denver soil, but shrub roses are the exception. There are several species of roses that fall into this category, from the Ballerina rose, which has rosy pink and white flowers, to the Carefree Spirit rose, known for its cherry-red blooms.
Most varieties of shrub rose bushes mature to between one and eight feet tall. Their branches tend to be short and sparse, so not a lot of pruning is required. You may need to water the shrubs during periods of low rainfall, but they are somewhat drought tolerant and will survive with little fertilization—though the blooms will be brighter if you do fertilize in the spring.
Note that even with these low-maintenance shrub varieties, it is generally best to have them pruned once a year in the spring. This will help the shrub maintain an attractive shape while also ensuring that old, dead branches don’t keep leeching vital nutrients away from the rest of the shrub. To set up your pruning appointment, contact Schulhoff Tree & Lawn Care today.