The Scoop on 33 Perfect Flowering Shrubs for Central and Western Ohio
I’ve done the work for you. Now see the results: the best 33 types of flowering shrubs for areas with neutral to alkaline lime-based loam and clay soils with average moisture in Zones 6 or lower, like in my home state areas of Dayton and Columbus, Ohio.
Shrubs that prefer acid soil, need dry or wet soil, or have USDA Hardiness Zones of 6 or higher are excluded (Zone 6 shrubs vary in hardiness in Ohio), as are ones that are invasive in Ohio.
Find shrubs that like sun, partial sun, or shade. Find ones with fragrant flowers with different seasons of bloom, which have fall color, or with special cold hardiness. Find how big each one gets and the ones which have something unique (italics).
These 33 types (or species) come from 17 categories (or Genera) of shrubs that are in 9 Families.
The Rose Family (Rosaceae) has 8 of our categories and 17 of our types:
Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier)
1. Large-Flowered Serviceberry
— It likes full sun
— Fragrant, early spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows to 20 feet tall
2. Saskatoon Serviceberry, Dwarf Shadbush
— It likes full sun
— Fragrant, early spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows to only 4–5 feet tall
— Very cold hardy
3. Coastal Serviceberry, Juneberry
— Sun or partial sun, drier soil
— Fragrant, early spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows to 3–5 feet, Western Canada native
4. Dwarf Garden Serviceberry, European Serviceberry
— Sun or partial sun
— Fragrant early spring flowers
— Fall Color
— Grows to 10–16 feet.
Chokeberry (Aronia)
5. Purple Chokeberry
— Full or partial sun
— Non-fragrant mid-spring flowers
— Fall color
— 8–12 feet, N. American native
6. Black Chokeberry (above)
— Prefers Partial Sun
— Non-fragrant mid-spring flowers
— Great fall color
— Grows only to 2–3 feet tall
Flowering or Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles)
7. Japanese Quince
— Full sun
— Likes drier soil
— Fragrant early spring flowers before leaves
— No fall color
— Grows 3–8 feet tall
—Has thorns
8. Japanese or Maule’s Quince
— Full sun
— Likes drier soil
— Fragrant early spring flowers with leaves
— No fall color
— Dwarf to 2–3 feet tall
— has thorns
9. Flowering or Chinese Quince
— Full sun
— Likes drier soil
— Non-fragrant early spring flowers with leaves
— No fall color
— Grows 3–8 feet tall
— Some with thorns, some without
— Prune after flowering
Pearl Bush (Exochorda)
10. Pearlbush
— Likes full sun
— Late spring and early summer flowers
— Flowers are prone to fungal disease
— Grows to 3–10 feet tall
— Photo accurately shows the profuse chains of pearl-like white flowers
Kerria (Kerria)
11. Japanese Marigold Bush, Bachelor’s Buttons, Easter Rose, Yellow Rose of Texas (above)
— Full sun, partial sun, and tolerates shade
— Non-fragrant, sterile yellow or yellow-orange single or double flowers mid-spring through summer to zone 9
— Grows 3–9 feet tall and wide.
Ninebark (Physocarpis)
12. Common or Eastern or Atlantic Ninebark (above)
— Prefers partial sun
— Non-fragrant late spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows 3–9 feet tall.
— Known for its non-green leaf colors
Cinquefoil (Potentilla or Dasiphora)
13. Shrubby or Bush Cinquefoil
— Full sun
— Non-fragrant late spring flowers
— grows 2–3 feet tall
— very cold hardy
— fruit and leaves resemble strawberries
Spirea or Meadowsweet (Spiraea)
14. Meadowsweet
— Prefers partial sun
— Non-fragrant spring flowers
— fall color
— grows 3–4 feet tall
15. Spirea
— Full sun
— Non-fragrant spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 2–5 feet tall
16. Spirea, Japanese Spirea
— Full sun
— Non-fragrant spring flowers
— Some fall color
— Grows 2–6 feet tall
17. Van Houtte Spirea or Bridal Wreath (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Non-fragrant white spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 5–8 feet tall
The Hydrangea Family (Hydrangeacea) gives us 2 categories with 1 type each:
Deutzia (Deutzia)
18. Deutzia or Slender Deutzia (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Fragrant spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 2–5 feet tall
Mockorange (Philadelphus)
19. Sweet Mockorange or English Dogwood (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Fragrant late spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 10–12 feet high
The Honeysuckle Family (Caprifoliaceae) has 2 categories with one type each:
Diervilla or Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla)
20. Northern or Low Bush Honeysuckle
— Full or partial sun
— likes average to dry soil
— Non-fragrant early summer blooms
— Grows to 2–3 feet tall
— Very cold hardy
Weigelia (Weigela)
21. Florida Weigelia
— Full sun
— Non-fragrant late spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 6–10 feet tall and wide
The Muskroot or Moschatel Family (Adoxaceae) has 1 category with 6 types:
Viburnum (Viburnum)
22. Judd or Fragrant Snowball Viburnum
— Full or partial sun
— Fragrant spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows 6–8 feet tall
23. Lantanaphyllum Viburnum
— Full or partial sun
— Fragrant spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 8–10 feet tall
24. Koreaspice Viburnum, Arrowwood
— Full or partial sun
— Fragrant early spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows 4–6 feet tall
— Naturalized in Ohio
25. Wayfaringtree Viburnum (above)
— Prefers Partial Sun
— Prefers neutral to alkaline soils
— Non-fragrant spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 7–8 feet tall
26. Blackhaw or Stagbush or Smooth Viburnum
— Full sun or partial sun
— Fragrant spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows 12–15 feet tall
— Very cold hardy
27. Leather Leaf Viburnum
— Full sun or partial shade
— Non-fragrant late spring flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 6–10 feet tall
The Dogwood Family (Cornaceae) has 1 category with 2 species:
Dogwood (Cornus)
28. Rough Leaf or Drummond’s Dogwood
— Full or partial sun, tolerates shade
— Non-fragrant spring and late spring flowers
— Fall color
— Grows 6–15 feet tall
29. Red Twig Dogwood, Red-Osier Dogwood (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Non-fragrant late spring flowers
— Prefers neutral to alkaline, average to moist, clay or loam soils
— Fall color
— Grows to 6–10 feet tall
— Comes in a Yellow Twig form also
The Legume or Pea and Bean Family (Fabaceae) has 1 category and 1 type:
Scotch Broom (Cystisus)
30. Scotch or Common Broom (above)
— Full sun
— Fragrant spring flowers
— No fall color
— Prefers average to drier soils
— Grows 4–8 feet tall
The Mallow Family (Malvaceae) has 1 category and 1 type:
Hibiscus or Rose Mallow (Hibiscus)
31. Rose of Sharon, Althea, Easter Tree (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Non-fragrant summer and early fall flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 8–12 feet tall
The St. John’s Wort Family (Hypericaceae) has 1 category and 1 type:
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum)
32. Shrubby St. John’s Wort (above)
— Full or partial sun
— Non-fragrant summer flowers
— No fall color
— Grows 1–5 feet tall
— Very cold hardy
The Mint or Sage or Deadnettle Family (Lamiaceae) has 1 category and 1 type:
Bluebeard (Caryopteris)
33. Bluebeard or Blue Mist Spirea
— Full sun
— Non-fragrant rare blue late summer and fall flowers
— Fall color, contrasting yellow-green leaves
— Grows to 1–4 feet
— My personal favorite in this group of all 33 shrubs!
Photos either public domain or non-royalty with author attribution; the Medium editor does not allow proper italicization of plant names.
Information Sources
Chicago Botanic Garden, Classic Viburnums, Gardenia.net, Missouri Botanical Garden, Morton Arboretum, Native Plant Trust, Nature Hills Nursery, New York Botanical Garden, North Carolina State University Extension, Portland Nursery, Prairie Nursery, Proven Winners, Sooner Plant Farm, spring Meadow Nursery, University of Minnesota Extension, USDA-NRCS, Wikipedia, Wikipedia Commons
