One way to make the most of the space in a small garden is to plant shrubs that do not grow too large. And you’re in luck because there is a great variety of species that do not exceed four meters in heightand practically all of them recover well from pruning.
So if you need to know which are the best shrubs for a small garden, take a look at the selection we have prepared for you.
Evergreen shrubs
Are you interested in having leaves all year round? If so, then we show you the most recommended:
Evonimo (Euonymus japonicus)
Image – Flickr / Leonora (Ellie) Enking
El eponymous is a plant that reaches a height of 2 to 8 metersalthough you can prune it to keep it smaller: with 1 meter or even less; You can even give it the shape of a tree or a ball. The leaves are oval, green or variegated (green and yellow), depending on the variety or cultivar. Withstands frosts down to -14ºC.
Have (dull beautiful)
Image – Flickr / Andres Bertens
The hebe, sometimes called veronica, reaches a height of 1 to 2 meters. It has elongated leaves, of a glossy dark green color, and with a length of 5 centimeters. In spring and summer it produces flowers grouped in pink or magenta inflorescences that are 8 centimeters long. It is a plant that is very good in small gardens, for example, planted near trees that give it shade. It can withstand cold and frost down to -10ºC.
Pipe cleaners (Callistemon citrinus)
Image – Wikimedia Commons / DirkHoffmann
El pipe cleaner or brush tree is a shrub or small tree that does not usually exceed 4 meters in heightbut even when it does, it has a thin trunk, about 20 centimeters, and a narrow crown of 3 meters at most. For all this it is on this list. And it is that, in addition, it produces inflorescences of a striking red color in spring. It supports the cold and, also, the frosts, up to -4ºC.
Mahonia (Berberis aquifoliumbefore Mahonia aquifolium)
La mahonia or Oregon grape grows 1,8 meters tall by 1,5 meters in diameter. It has pinnate leaves, made up of 5-9 dark green leaflets, although when they are young they are bronze in color, and with the arrival of cold they all turn bronze-purple. In spring it produces clusters of yellow flowers. Also, you should know that it holds up to -18ºC.
Rhododendron (rhododendron ferrugineum)
El rhododendron it is a small bush, which grows between 50 centimeters and one and a half meters tall. It has elliptical leaves, dark green on the upper side and with scales on the underside. Its flowers appear in summer, at the end of the stems, and are pink. Withstands moderate frosts, down to -18ºC.
Deciduous shrubs
If, on the other hand, you want it to have the deciduous leaf, running out of them in winter, then we advise you the following:
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)
Image – Wikimedia / Ptelea
El butterfly bush is a plant that reaches 2-3 meters in heightwith greyish-green lanceolate leaves. It blooms in spring and summer, and it does so by producing long inflorescences composed of numerous lilac, purple, pink, white, or blue flowers that, yes, attract butterflies, but also other pollinating insects, such as bees. Resists up to -18ºC.
Coluta (colutea arborescens)
Image – Wikimedia / White eyes
La colute or wolf scare grows between 1 and 3 meters tall. It has odd-pinnate leaves, composed of 5-11 green leaflets with the entire margin. Its flowers are yellow, butterfly-shaped, and are grouped in clusters that hang from the branches. Withstands frosts down to -18ºC.
Forsythia (Forsythia)
La forsythia it is a bush that grows between 1 and 3 meters tall. It has simple or trifoliate leaves with the margin that can be serrated or whole. It blooms very early in spring, often before other plants resume growth. Therefore, it is interesting to plant it in the garden, since this way you will know when winter is finally over. It supports low temperatures very well, down to -20ºC.
William (Amelanchier ovalis)
Image – Flickr / Joan Simon
El guillomo is a plant that grows between 1 and 4 meters tall. It has flexible branches, from which oval-shaped leaves sprout. These are green, but in autumn they turn orange before falling. Its flowers, which are grouped in panicles, are white and sprout in spring. In addition, it produces edible fruits, bluish or black in color. It resists frosts down to -18ºC.
Rose of Castile (Rosa x damascena)
The pink x damasceneknown as Damascus rose or Castilla rose, is a hybrid from the cross between Gallic roses y Rose moschata. Reaches a height of 2 metersand its branches are strongly protected by thorns. The leaves are pinnate, composed of 5 or 7 pinnae or leaflets. Their roses are pink or soft red, fragrant, and four inches wide. Resists up to -18ºC.
Which of these shrubs for a small garden did you like the most? We hope that you can soon have it in your little green area.
