Fast-Growing Shrubs for Your Garden

by | Jun 26, 2024 | Uncategorized

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Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 10 to 15 feet tall and wide
  • Bloom time: Spring and summer
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

Want something that looks like it comes from a Doctor Seuss book? Give the smoke bush a try. “It’s a wonderful choice with its airy, cloud-like plumes that add a flair of uniqueness to the garden,” Wright says.

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Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

  • Annual growth: More than 2 feet per year
  • Final size: 3 to 12 feet tall, and 3 to 8 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Summer
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

The aptly named butterfly bush features dramatic, cone-shaped blooms that’ll bring all the butterflies to your yard all summer long. It’s become a popular pick also because it requires minimal care—so you can just let it grow and enjoy.

Some butterfly bush varietals are considered invasive in some areas of the country, including the east and west coasts. Look for varietals that are bred to avoid spreading, such as Blue Chip, Pink Micro, and Asian Moon.

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Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
  • Bloom time: Spring and summer, with berries in the fall
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 6 to 10

Wright considers this pretty shrub an underrated pick for your garden. “The beautyberry really stands out with its clusters of vivid purple berries in the fall.”

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Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)

  • Annual growth: 2 or more feet
  • Final size: 2 to 20 feet tall, 2 to 6 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Summer and fall
  • Sun: Partial sun
  • Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

Garden stalwart hydrangea can grow up to two feet every year, making them a bush that’s perfect for filling in your garden quickly. They thrive in partial sun, and create big, long-lasting blooms.

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Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 8 to 20 feet tall, 5 to 20 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Spring and summer
  • Sun: Full sun to part shade
  • Hardiness zones: 7 to 8

If you’re looking for an easy-to-grow shrub that’s a little off the beaten path, the chaste tree may be just what you were seeking. It’s also a favorite of pollinators, as butterflies like the early-season blooms, and birds the late summer berries.

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Kaleidoscope Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’)

  • Annual growth: 1 foot
  • Final size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
  • Bloom time: Summer
  • Sun: Full to partial sun
  • Hardiness zones: 6 to 9

Wright considers the Kaleidoscope Abelia a favorite. “Its variegated glossy leaves boast lemony yellow and green leaves in the summer months, but the show is in the fall when it displays a beautiful ruby red color—creating some eye-catching late fall, early winter interest.”

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Red Twig Dogwood

  • Annual growth: Up to 2 feet
  • Final size: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide
  • Bloom time: Spring
  • Sun: Full to partial shade
  • Hardiness zones: 2 to 8

This intriguing plant puts on a show all year long, with tiny white blooms in the spring, green foliage in the summer, and most intriguingly, bold red stems in the winter.  “It provides both year-round interest and rapid growth,” Wright says.

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Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

  • Annual growth: More than 2 feet per year
  • Final size: 6 to 25 feet tall, 6 to 20 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Summer to fall
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 6 to 9

If you’re looking for a (very) tall shrub to anchor your landscape, the crape myrtle may be just what you desire. It’s an easy-care option, with bold, long-lasting flowers that’ll brighten your landscape all summer long.

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Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 3 to 20 feet tall, 3 to 12 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Spring
  • Sun: Full to partial sun
  • Hardiness zones: 2 to 9

For pretty spring blooms, viburnum may be just what you were seeking in a fast-growing shrub. Pretty white and pink blooms arrive in spring or early summer, depending on the varietal.

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Weigela (Weigela florida)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 6 to 10 feet tall, 9 to 12 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Spring and early summer
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 4 to 8

This pollinator-friendly bush is an under-the-radar choice for your garden. They also are great for adding privacy to your garden—plant a few of them together and they’ll grow to keep your yard undercover.

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Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris)

  • Annual growth: 1 to 2 feet
  • Final size: 8 to 15 feet tall, 6 to 12 feet wide
  • Bloom time: Spring
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Hardiness zones: 3 to 7

This classic shrub is famous for its super-fragrant, dramatic springtime blooms, but its bright green foliage is beautiful, too.

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Forsythia (Forsythia spp.)

  • Annual growth: 2 feet
  • Final size: 2 to 10 feet tall and wide
  • Bloom time: Spring
  • Sun: Full to partial sun
  • Hardiness zones: 5 to 8

“Forsythia is another favorite, offering a big splash of golden yellow blooms each spring that brightens any garden,” Wright says. In the fall, expect the bright green leaves to turn shades of yellow or purple, for another bit of garden interest.

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Pussy Willow (Salix spp.)

  • Annual growth: 2 or more feet
  • Final size: 6 to 25
  • Bloom time: Spring
  • Sun: Full to partial sun
  • Hardiness zones: 4 to 8

Pussy willows add a beautiful touch to your garden year-round. The furry buds that appear in early spring (and give the plant its name) give way to blossoms, and the foliage turns a pretty gold in the fall. Pussy willows need plenty of water, so they’re ideal for rain gardens.