Short to Medium Shrubs

The following is a wide selection of short to medium-sized shrubs recommended for the St. Louis area. Some are nativars (cultivars of Missouri native shrubs). Others are excellent, non-invasive exotics. All should perform well in St. Louis if planted in a suitable location. These shrubs should mature at roughly 3 to 6 feet. The width varies; some are much wider than they are tall. Expected size is listed with each shrub. 

 

 

 

Deciduous

 

 

 

Aronia melanocarpa 'Autumn Magic'
Black chokeberry
Nativar, Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-6' tall, 4-7' wide
Flowers: Clusters of showy white flowers in May
Fruit: Black autumn berries
Fall color: Purple-red
Other notable characteristics: Attracts birds

 

Hypericum frondosum 'Sunburst'
St. John's wort

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 3-4' wide
Flowers: Bright yellow flowers with a dense bushy center
Fruit: Reddish-brown capsules
Foliage:  Blue green leaves  
Other notable characteristics: Attractive exfoliating reddish-brown to purplish bark develops on mature stems.

Buddleja davidii 'Nanho Purple'
Butterfly bush

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 3-5' tall, 3-5' wide
Flowers: Fragrant, lavender-purple, June to September
Foliage:  Gray-green
Other notable characteristics: Attracts butterflies

 

Ilex verticillata 'Afterglow'
Winterberry holly
Nativar, Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-6' tall, 3-6' wide
Fruit: Orange-red berries attract birds
Other notable characteristics: 'Afterglow' is a female cultivar and requires a male pollinator (such as, 'Jim Dandy') to produce berries.

Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst'
Beautyberry
Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 4-5' wide
Fruit: Glossy, amethyst-purple fruits in late summer, early fall

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Seward' SUMMER WINE
Ninebark
Nativar

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-6' tall, 4-6' wide
Flowers: Flattened clusters of pinkish white
Foliage:  Deeply cut, wine-red foliage
Other notable characteristics: Exfoliating bark on mature branches peels in strips to reveal several layers of reddish to light brown inner bark in winter.

Chaenomeles × superba 'Texas Scarlet'
Flowering quince

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 4-5' wide
Flowers: Watermelon red
Fruit: Showy, edible
Foliage:  Glossy dark green leaves

Rhododendron 'Delaware Valley White'
Evergreen azalea

Sun: Part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 3-4' wide
Flowers: Clusters of white
Foliage:  Yellow in winter

Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird'
Sweet pepperbush or summersweet

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 2-4' tall, 3-5' wide
Flowers: Sweetly fragrant white flowers July - August
Fall color: Attractive shades of yellow to golden brown
Other notable characteristics: Attracts butterflies and bees

   

Rhododendron 'My Mary'
Deciduous azalea
Plant of Merit

Sun: Part shade
Average size: 4-6' tall, 3-5' wide
Flowers: Fragrant, bright yellow with orange tubes

Cornus alba 'Bailhalo' IVORY HALO
Tatarian dogwood

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-6' tall, 4-6' wide
Fruit: Showy blue-white fruit in summer attracts birds
Foliage:  White edged leaves
Fall color: Purple-red
Other notable characteristics: Bright red winter stems

   

Rhododendron 'Stewartstonian'
Evergreen azalea

Sun: Part shade
Average size: 4-5' tall, 4-5' wide
Flowers: Orange-red
Foliage:  Glossy, dark green foliage is evergreen, but turns reddish-chocolate in cold winters

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
Bloodtwig dogwood
Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 5-6' tall, 5-6' wide
Fruit: Attracts birds
Fall color: Golden yellow
Other notable characteristics: Yellow winter stems tipped with red

   
Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger' TIGER EYES
Staghorn sumac
Nativar

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-6' tall, 3-6' wide
Fruit: Reddish clusters on female plants
Foliage:  Bright yellow
Fall color: Orange and scarlet
 
 
Cornus sericea 'Farrow' ARCTIC FIRE
Red twig dogwood

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 3-4' wide
Fruit: Blue-white fruit in summer attracts birds
Fall color: red to orange eventually fading to purple
Other notable characteristics: Bright red winter stems

Rosa 'Meidomonac' BONICA
Shrub rose

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 3-4' tall, 3-5' wide
Flowers: Large profuse clusters of soft pink, fully double
Fruit:  Orange hips in fall, persist into winter

Cornus sericea 'Isanti'
Red twig dogwood

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-5' tall, 4-7' wide
Fruit: Blue-white fruit in summer attracts birds
Fall color: Red to orange eventually fading to purple
Other notable characteristics: Bright red winter stems

   

Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame'
Japanese spirea

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 3-4' tall, 3-4' wide
Flowers: Flat-topped clusters of pink
Foliage: Yellow-green
Fall color: Yellow-orange-copper hues

Deutzia gracilis
Slender deutzia

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 2-5' tall, 2-5' wide
Flowers: Fragrant, white

   

Viburnum carlesii
Koreanspice viburnum

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-6' tall, 4-7' wide
Flowers: Extremely fragrant, pink-changing-to-white flowers arranged in snowball-like clusters

Fothergilla 'Mount Airy'
Dwarf fothergilla

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-5' tall, 3-5' wide
Flowers: Profuse honey-scented white flowers April-May
Fall color: Yellow, orange and red-purple

   

Viburnum carlesii 'Compactum'
Koreanspice viburnum

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 2.5-4' tall, 2.5-4' wide
Flowers: Extremely fragrant, pink-changing-to-white flowers arranged in snowball-like clusters

 

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
Smooth hydrangea
Nativar

Sun: Part shade
Average size: 3-5' tall, 4-6' wide
Flowers: Huge pure white heads for up to 2 months
Foliage: Dark green

   

Weigela florida 'Alexandra' WINE AND ROSES
Weigela

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 4-5' tall, 4-6' wide
Flowers: Reddish-pink, funnel-shaped flowers
Foliage: Burgundy-purple
Fall color: Very dark purple
Other notable characteristics: Attracts hummingbirds / Sporadic rebloom

 

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Flemygea' SNOW QUEEN
Oakleaf hydrangea

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-6' tall, 6-8' wide
Flowers: White changing to pink
Foliage:  Oak-like, deep green leaves
Fall color: Bronze, maroon or purple
Other notable characteristics: Mature stems exfoliate to reveal a rich brown inner bark which is attractive in winter.

   

Weigela florida 'Bramwell' FINE WINE
Weigela

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 2-4' tall, 2-4' wide
Flowers: Rose-pink, funnel-shaped flowers
Foliage: Dark burgundy
Fall color: Dark burgundy
Other notable characteristics: Attracts hummingbirds / Sporadic rebloom

Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
Virginia sweetspire
Nativar, Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 4-6' wide
Flowers: Fragrant, white
Fall color: Varying shades of red, orange and gold

   
Viburnum × burkwoodii 'Conoy'
Burkwood viburnum
Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 4-5' tall, 4-8' wide
Flowers: Fragrant, creamy white
Fruit: Red berry-like, eventually turning black, attractive to birds
Foliage:  Extremely glossy, dark green
Fall color: Maroon

Evergreens

   

Buxus 'Green Velvet'
Boxwood
Plant of Merit

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 2-4' tall, 2-4' wide
Foliage:  Evergreen

Taxus × media 'Densiformis'
Yew

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-4' tall, 4-6' wide
Foliage:  Evergreen

Juniperus × pfitzeriana 'Sea Green'
Chinese juniper

Sun: Full sun
Average size: 4-6' tall, 6-8' wide
Foliage:  Evergreen

 

Taxus × media 'Wardii'
Yew

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Average size: 3-6' tall, 8-20' wide
Foliage:  Evergreen