Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - May 29, 2010
From: Fort Branch, IN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Flowering and evergreen shrubs for landscape in Indiana
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live in Southern Indiana and we are getting ready to redesign our front landscape. Currently, we have some yews and other shrubs that are unruly and require a lot of pruning and care. My husband hates to trim the bushes and I prefer flowering plants. We are wanting to know of some possibilities for low maintenance, flowering shrubs and evergreens or both in one plant. All I can find are azaleas and rhodos. Also if I chose mainly azaleas, what other greens would complement them? I'm even considering a dwarf tree of some kind as accent if it didn't get too large. Thank you for your help!ANSWER:
On our Native Plant Database you can do a COMBINATION SEARCH by selecting Indiana from the Select State or Province box and then 'Shrub' under Habit (general appearance) to find shrubs native to Indiana. We don't really have a way to search for evergreen plants in the database and Indiana doesn't really have a lot of native evergreen shrubs, but here are a few I found by looking at the different species pages of the Indiana native shrubs.
Chamaedaphne calyculata (leatherleaf) is evergreen and flowering, and here are more photos and information.
Juniperus communis var. depressa (common juniper) is evergreen, but not flowering, and here are photos and more information.
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) is evergreen and flowering
Mahonia repens (creeping barberry) is evergreen and flowering
For native Indiana flowering shrubs that aren't evergreen, you can find quite a few on our Indiana Recommended list. On this list are commercially available plants native to Indiana that are suitable for landscaping. You can use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option in the side bar to select characteristics important to you. For instance. you can choose 'Shrub' in the GENERAL APPEARANCE to narrow the list. You could also limit the results by making a choice in LIGHT REQUIREMENT and/or SOIL MOISTURE. Here are a few flowering plants from that list that aren't evergreen:
Cornus alternifolia (alternateleaf dogwood)
Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (shrubby cinquefoil) This shrub can be evergreen in some locations.
Physocarpus opulifolius (common ninebark)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)
You can do a similar search for trees in the Indiana Recommended list. Here are three smaller flowering trees from the list:
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) has blossoms, showy red fruit and spectacular autumn leaf color.
Prunus americana (American plum)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Here are photos from our Image Gallery:
More Shrubs Questions
Plants that smell like chocolate from Coral Gables FL
July 12, 2012 - I am looking for plants that smell like chocolate. I live in south Florida. We are currently growing and testing Berlandiera lyrata. Do you know of other plants whose flowers smell like chocolate?
view the full question and answer
Covering dead arborvitae with non-native ivy from Niles MI
April 14, 2013 - I have a severely thinning arborvitae hedge. It is probably too shady, but I want the privacy. I'm thinking of planting something like ivy to fill the gaps. I know it will probably kill the hedge, bu...
view the full question and answer
Chlorotic Texas Mountain Laurel in Benson, Arizona
May 04, 2014 - I've planted a Texas Mountain Laurel in heavy clay soil in Arizona. It's been in place for 3 years and flowers each spring. However it's leaves are a shade of medium, yellowish green nothing like t...
view the full question and answer
Non-native red-tip photinias dying in San Antonio
August 20, 2009 - A 17 year old Red tip Photinia in a hedge shows signs of dying. The main stalks are quite large and offshoots from two of the stalks have brittle, drooping leaves. The center of the plant looks norm...
view the full question and answer
Shrubs that non-toxic to horses but that they won't eat
October 29, 2011 - I am looking for a low maintenance, low water, green shrub that horses won't eat and will not be toxic to them. I want to hide my neighbors corral and keep down dust on my side. The horses have "l...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |