Lavender flowers

Lavender is a beautiful and fragrant addition to your drought-resistant plant collection. Found naturally in the dry sandy soil of the Mediterranean, lavender has naturally evolved to grow with minimal water, says Awot. "Lavender can easily be grown in containers both outdoors and indoors, meaning you can bring it indoors during cold winter months to prevent damage and prolong the life and your enjoyment of the plant," she says. "Lavender is also pollinator-friendly, while helping to repel pests such as mosquitos, fleas, and ticks."

The Yucca Leaf Tree

Evergreen, drought-tolerant yucca hangs tough all year round. While deer do savor its flowers, they avoid the sharp-tipped leaves—not a problem for most people, who value this superstar for its striking foliage, anyway.

English Thyme, Flowers

Thyme is an easy, practical, and drought-resistant herb to grow that has an inviting scent and is delicious in recipes. English thyme grows well in southern climates and does best in full sun to partial shade conditions.

For outdoor growing, English thyme should be planted in the spring or fall, 12 to 15 inches apart, either in the ground, a raised bed, or in containers, says Amy Enfield, Ph.D., a senior scientist for Live Goods at Scotts Miracle Grow. Because it is low-growing, has thin stems, and a wiry habit, avoid crowding because vigorous neighboring plants might choke it out.

Little Bluestem

Kevin Lenhart, the designer director at Yardzen, describes this upright grass plant as a powerhouse—and for a good reason. Not only is it native to half of the United States, but it has a complex root system that buries deep into the ground to access moisture that other plants cannot reach. "Little Bluestem begins blue-green, but transforms to a bold bronze by fall that endures through the winter," he says. "It is commonly found in prairies, meadows, and open woodlands across the country."

Lenhart says Little Bluestem prefers full sun and well-drained soils. It can tolerate a wide range of soil types, from sandy to clay soils, and is also adapted to a range of soil pH levels.

Hybrid Spicebush, Flowers

A mix between Calycanthus floridus and Calycanthus chinensis, this variety is about as quick growing as they come. Hybrid spicebush easily reaches 5 feet tall in just two to three years, while some unpruned specimens can get even taller. "Large waxy green leaves adorn the plant in the growing season, taking on a yellow color in fall," says Jon Roethling. "'Hartlage Wine' and 'Aphrodite' are more easily found selections, both with maroon colored flower with a yellow center."

Holly flowers

Holly (Ilex) is a fast-growing shrub that gives growers a wide range of choices. "Almost any evergreen selection has dark green foliage ranging from extremely spiny to some selections tending towards being spineless," says Jon Roethling. "Their fruit are a great food source to birds in winter and you can have your pick from straight native Ilex opaca (American holly) to any number of hybrids."

Beautyberry flowers

This deciduous shrub emerges in late spring with green leaves that give rise to white flowers in summer followed by a show of bright purple berries. Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) can grow up to 6 feet tall, but in favorable conditions the shrub can grow an extra 2 to 3 feet. Come early fall, expect to see birds visit your beautyberry shrub in droves.

Chaste Tree

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a deciduous shrub that forms spikes of lilac blue or pink flowers in late May and will continue to flower for several months. It is a great shrub to plant if your goal is to bring more pollinators to your yard. A fast-spreading plant, chaste tree can reach maturity in three years, producing 2 feet of growth annually, Adrienne Roethling says.

Chinese Fringe Flower

Ideal if you're looking for a shrub that grows to be relatively tall, Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense) reaches maturity in three to five years and can grow up to 18 inches per year. "The most common form of Chinese fringe flowers has green leaves with white flowers or burgundy leaves with rich pink flowers," says Adrienne Roethling. The shrub responds well to pruning, so some may want to grow as a hedge or you can climb them up to provide a canopy of shade for other plants growing beneath it.

Weigela, flowers, trees

A fast-growing shrub that's available in a range of colors, weigela (Weigela florida) offers a showy quality of blooms. "Bare stems give rise to 3 inch long by 1 inch wide leaves in spring followed by a burst of color from the flowers," says Adrienne Roethling. "Numerous, tubular shaped flowers are born at every leaf."

Typically the flowers are pink or white, but newer varieties come in red, magenta, or white and change to pink. This plant should reach maturity in about three years, growing up to 12 inches tall in 12 months.

Izu Tree

Izu tree (Distylium) is a fast-growing shrub that has become increasingly popular over the last decade. "Its adaptability and ease of care moved it into the spotlight as it can handle wet but not flooded soils to drier conditions and part shade to full sun," says Jon Roethling, the director of Reynolda Gardens. "Leaves can range from a blue-green to lustrous dark green and typically tend to be narrower in appearance."

Viburnum flowers trees

A low-maintenance shrub with fragrant white flowers, viburnum blooms from spring to fall. Coppertop Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum 'BRANT01') is a fast-growing variety that's commonly grown as a privacy hedge, but can also be grown as an accent shrub. "This has quickly become one of my favorite screening plants," says Jim Putnam from Southern Living Plant Collection. "It's a very fast-growing evergreen shrub and all of the new growth is a beautiful coppery color that matures to a striking dark green. Mine have tripled in size in one year since I planted them."

Panicled Hydrangea, Flowers

Hydrangeas are widely recognized for their beautiful, showy blooms, but they're also a great plant to grow if you're looking for something that grows fast. "Panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is a deciduous shrub that produces medium to large, elliptical to oval shaped, bright green leaves in mid-spring," says Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden.

Shortly after, panicles of flowers appear in a cone-shaped inflorescence. "Flowers last well throughout the summer months and turn a red or cinnamon color in fall," says Adrienne Roethling. Expect the shrub to reach maturity within three years, growing 12 inches or more a year if conditions are ideal.

Heucherella flowers

Play up the sense of drama in the shaded areas of your yard with Twilight' Heucherella (Heucherella hybrid 'Twilight' PP25723), which has dark foliage in shades of purple, burgundy, and silver tones. It's also a great shrub to plant if you're looking for something to complement the colors of surrounding plants. “The top of each leaf is a charcoal green that is accented by a bright purple underside," says Putnam. "With that pop of contrast, it’s an absolutely stunning plant.”

Bottlebrush Buckeye, Flowers

Although bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) produce more flowers in locations with greater sunlight, the shrub can still grow and thrive in shade. "Tubular white flowers arranged in breathtaking candlestick-like panicles make bottlebrush buckeye a great summer-flowering shrub for shady areas." The panicles, which can grow up to 1 foot in length, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Maple-Leaved Viburnum, White Flowers

Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) is more shade tolerant than most other viburnums, making it a great addition to the dimly lit patches of your yard. "Small, white lace-cap flowers in spring give way to berries loved by birds that grace the maple-like leaves of Maple-leaved Viburnum," says Young "Its bright green foliage becomes a distinctive bright red, pink, or purple in the fall."

Mahonia flowers

Mahonia is an evergreen shrub with intricate leaf texture that infuses movement into shady spaces. For a thorn-free variety, try 'Soft Caress' Mahonia (Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' PP20183). It has deep green foliage that shines year-round and bright yellow flowers that provide a pop of color in early winter. “This variety of Mahonia has a beautifully compact growing habit with foliage that mimics bamboo, without the aggressive spreading habit," says Janet Sluis of Sunset Plant Collection.

Rattlesnake Master, White Flowers

Balls of tiny flowers sit atop the tall spikes of the perennial rattlesnake master, a drought-tolerant plant with pale green summer blooms. Though it looks like a thistle, this plant is a member of the carrot family—crush the leaves to catch the familiar scent.

Mountain Mint, Flowers

Another member of the mint family that draws pollinators is mountain mint, a low-maintenance herbaceous perennial  with pink-speckled blooms that open in midsummer. "The crushed foliage has a minty aroma, different from the mint types grown as common herbs, but still minty overall," says Talabac. "It's popular with a lot of other pollinators, like native bees, solitary wasps, and honeybees, teeming with activity when a clump is in peak bloom."

Summersweet flowers

Summersweet, a deciduous shrub, gives off a sweet scent from its off-white or light pink blooms in the later part of the summer, drawing pollinators after other plants have stopped flowering. "It's later to leaf-out in spring than most flowering shrubs, so don't be alarmed if branches are still bare when other garden plants start regrowing," says Talabac.