Kousa Dogwood Plants

Another dogwood variety with big curb appeal, kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) provides multi-season interest. "The kousa dogwood offers a stunning display of delicate pink or white flowers in spring, complemented with late summer fruit and reddish-purple foliage during the fall season," says Hesseltine. "This tree is a disease-resistant alternative to the flowering dogwood, ensuring its longevity and beauty for years." Water newly planted kousa dogwood deeply and regularly to promote healthy root growth.

Sprinter Boxwood Plant

Think of a sprinter boxwood (Buxus Microphylla) as a consistent crowd-pleaser—one that can adapt to a range of different climates and needs. “Sprinter boxwoods are exceptionally versatile, able to thrive in diverse light conditions,” Niemann says. “They are hardy, forgiving, and long-lived, making them a great choice for both formal and informal gardens.” Though sprinter boxwoods are slow-growing shrubs—it can typically take three to five years for them to reach maturity—their smaller, denser leaves create a full look that can be trimmed into a bevy of shapes and sizes. In other words, it’s art al fresco.

Bollywood Azalea Flowers

Some small shrubs make a splash with their leaves,  while others “wow” with their flowers. However, if you want to lean into the “more is more” aesthetic, you can’t go wrong with a Bollywood azalea (Rhododendron ‘Farrow’).  This option might be small—it only grows to be about 3 feet tall—but it has variegated leaves and bright pink flowers that command attention. Another thing to love about this semi-evergreen? It’s a total magnet for bees and butterflies, which will give your space an idyllic edge.

Boxwood plant

Beautiful boxwood (Buxus) contains alkaloids that are distasteful to deer. The stuff of hedges and elaborate topiaries, boxwood also makes a great foundation shrub because it stays green all year round, remains compact, and likes full shade, says Tegland. In her region, USDA Zone 4, keeping these broadleaf evergreens close to the house also helps protect them from winter sun and wind.

Dogwood white flowers tree

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) boats beautiful white, yellow, or pink flowers in early spring. Native to eastern North America, the blooms on this understory tree will attract butterflies and bees to your yard, while songbirds come to snack on its red fruits, which appear from fall throughout winter. Commonly found in woodland margins, flowering dogwood can be challenging to grow in a landscape setting, but its beauty is well worth the extra effort.

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 15 to 25 feet tall x 15 to 30 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

White Dogwood (Cornus Florida)

No matter the season, the white dogwood is ready to put on a show. "In spring, it produces white flowers," says Shah. The blooms, which are a mainstay from March through May, are actually "bracts" or modified leaves featuring small blooms at the center. These are a thick, creamy white with a golden-green bud; pink spots tend to appear on the tips of each petal.

Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, USA

These gardens cover an impressive 1,077 acres, woodlands and meadows. The gardens came to fruition after Pierre S. du Pont purchased them in 1906 and have been wow-ing visitors ever since.

Populus deltoides Cottonwood Siouxland

Selection from South Dakota State University. A large, vigorous, cottonless male tree to 70 feet in height on favorable sites, spreading crown in open areas but with a tall, central trunk when crowded.  Selected for leaf rust resistance.

Populus deltoides Cottonwood Native Plains

A large spreading tree reaching 60 to 90 feet in height and 40 to 60 feet in spread. This native specie occurs along waterways and wet meadows throughout the Plains states. Greater drought and alkalinity tolerance than many of the euramericana hybrid poplar cultivars.  Produces seed in tufts of "cotton".