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These are my favorite, easiest, and most beautiful flowering shrubs for zones 7 and 8. I’ve included the gorgeous Hydrangea, Spireas, Weigela, Viburnum, the amazingly fragrant Tea Olive, Azaleas, and some other beautiful flowering shrubs that are easy to grow.
I promise there’ll be 1 (or 10) you want to add to your garden! I’ll start with a detailed view of gorgeous flowering shrubs, and underneath that you’ll find a resources section where you can buy the shrubs.
If you’re not sure if you are in zone 7 or 8, have a look at the Department of Agriculture’s USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. It shows all the garden zones and you can enter your zip code to find out your exact location.
Zones 7 and 8 are super versatile zones for plants. You can grow nearly anything!
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It wraps right along the bottom edge of the USA, from parts of Washington State in the west to North Carolina in the east.
Most Beautiful Flowering Shrubs for Zones 7 and 8
1. Hydrangea (H. paniculata)
This is a panicle Hydrangeas, the easiest to grow of all Hydrangeas. They’re sometimes called the “Black Thumb Hydrangea” for that exact reason!
Hydrangeas come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Some are large for a huge pop of color, and some are compact – perfect for containers, small gardens, or balconies.
If you can’t choose between white, pink or red flowers, the Hydrangea is for you. This plant’s flowers will delight and you’ll get a lot of love from this easy-to-grow flowering shrub.
You can buy Hydrangeas here:
- Amazon. Amazon has a great range of stunning Hydrangeas in a variety of pot sizes.
- Tractor Supply. Tractor Supply has a wide variety of Hydrangeas, including the full range of Proven Winners and Bloomin’ Easy.
Proven Winners has a great guide on panicle Hydrangeas, which answers any question you might have about growing them.
2. Chinese Snowball (Viburnum macrocephalum)
This lovely flowering shrub grows well in well-draining soil, in full sun to part shade. Butterflies love it and it’s deer resistant.
The flowers are quite unusual in that they emerge lime green, then turn white. It’s not fussy about soil and it doesn’t need constant watering either.
Once it is established, it’s very easy to care for. Pruning after flowering keeps it looking great and encourages more flowers.
It doesn’t like cold winters so it’s best protected from cold winds and frost. You can look at growing a food-forest-style garden for protection, as well as adding lots of mulch.
3. Tea Olive (Osmanthus)
Oh, heavenly fragrance! Not many shrubs smell as good as the Tea Olive!
You can grow these beautiful flowering shrubs as a hedge, in containers, or in the ground. Pretty much anywhere. Plant them where you can enjoy the fragrance, around entryways perhaps? They’ll flower in fall and spring, nearly continuously.
If you have a patio, plant some in containers. You won’t believe how good they smell when you’re chillin’ outside, cooking up a storm on the grill. I get asked all the time what this shrub is by visitors, it’s really impressive.
The Tea Olive prefers well-draining soil in full sun to part shade. Give it a go in zones 7 to 11. It grows 10-15 feet tall and spreads around 6-8 feet. It responds well to pruning so you can keep it contained in smaller spaces, or hedge it.
4. Azalea
Azaleas are some of the easiest, most beautiful flowering shrubs out there. They love acidic soil so I used to plant them under trees like Eucalyptus, which tend to turn the soil underneath acidic. You can help Azaleas along by testing your soil’s pH and adjusting it to around pH 5.
Richard Jauron, garden specialist at Iowa State University, recommends the following: “lower your soil pH by adding sphagnum peat moss to the soil. When planting Azaleas and Rhododendrons, dig a wide, shallow hole. Backfill with a mixture that is half soil and half moistened sphagnum peat moss.”
Once you get your pH right, Azaleas will happily truck along without much intervention. Mulching with acidic mulches, like pine needles or shredded oak leaves, keeps the soil acidic.
And when they’re happy, you won’t see a more impressive flower display!
Don’t miss these 16 Vital Things You Must Know Before Starting a Garden!
5. Forsythia
How’s this for an abundance of color! I adore yellow flowers, which is why I did a whole “yellow-flowering herbs” article before this one. Yellow flowers really stand out amongst greenery and they just look sunny, don’t you think?
Forsythia is one of the easiest, most beautiful flowering shrubs you can grow. And not only does it look amazing, deer tend to leave it alone, too!
6. Meadowsweet (Spirea)
How beautiful are these flowering shrubs! Spireas are some of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow. They grow best in full sun, but if you’re in the warmer parts of zone 8, you’ll get away with a bit of shade.
There are many different varieties of Spireas of different sizes, from 1 1/2 to 8 feet tall.
It’s often called “Bridal Wreath” because of its arching habit and branches literally covered in masses of gorgeous white flowers. It is best suited to USDA zones 3 to 8.”
What’s more, it’s fast-growing, butterflies love it, and deer don’t particularly like it!
7. Privet (Ligustrum)
The Privet is super hardy. It grows well in zones 4-8 and you can easily prune it to the height you want. The foliage is as beautiful as the flowers, glossy and deep green.
Not only that… The flowers have a sweet fragrance – I love fragrant flowers! – and it’s deer resistant. It’s a favorite of birds, so this is a must-have if you’re attracting wildlife to your backyard.
Privet “Golden Ticket” is a new variety that is non-invasive! The traditional privet that was used in gardens for decades can get invasive, spreading throughout your yard and into the nature surrounding your yard.
Golden Ticket is the first non-invasive privet, meaning you’ll get all of the privet’s amazing qualities, yet none of its less-desirable ones!
8. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
This is a stand-out flowering shrub with its bottlebrush-style flowers. This particular one, Clethra alnifolia, is native to swampy areas and wet marshes, so it will appreciate regular watering.
It’s a smaller shrub that grows 3-6ft tall. The white flowers have a gorgeous fragrance and butterflies and bees love them! They’re great for shady spots where no other shrub will bloom.
As the Missouri Botanic Gardens mention: “Summersweets are somewhat unique among flowering shrubs because of their ability to bloom in shady locations in late summer when few other shrubs are in bloom. Mass or group in lawns, foundations, or shrub borders. Good flowering shrub for shade or woodland gardens.”
9. Weigela
There are many varieties of Weigela, growing between 3 to 15ft tall. This particular one in the photo is Weigela florida. It’s not only one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs, Hummingbirds love it as well! It’s wonderful to have Hummingbirds flitting from flower to flower.
This shrub is easy to grow. Best in full sun for the best flowers, but it will tolerate some shade. Give it a prune when it finishes flowering so it keeps its lovely figure and gives you many more flowers next year.
Proven Winners – Weigela florida Spilled Wine
The new-look purple-leaved Weigela! Spilled Wine has dark red, wavy leaves and a spreading habit. Its hot pink-magenta flowers are similar to those of Wine & Roses, but this is a smaller plant that is wider than it is tall.
This is a wonderful plant for adding lots of color in mass plantings or tucked into an existing border. Prefers well-drained soils but is extremely adaptable to other soil types. Pruning is best done immediately after flowering; little pruning is needed. Medium moisture.
Fertilize in early spring by applying a slow-release fertilizer specialized for trees & shrubs.
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05/06/2022 05:08 am GMT
10. Deutzia gracilis
Deutzia gracilis graces your garden with bunches and bunches of gorgeously fragrant, white flowers. The flowers bloom for weeks throughout spring and into early summer. It grows around 5ft tall and 5ft wide, making it a well-sized ball of fun for any sized garden!
Grow it in full sun to part shade for best results. As a bonus, it’s frost and drought resistant!
11. Lilac Bush (Syringa)
Lilac shrubs come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes, making them perfect for any garden, big or small.
With their gorgeously scented flowers and easy care, this is a must-have for everyone!
Where to Buy These Beautiful Flowering Shrubs
-
Endless Summer Bloomstruck Hydrangea Shrub [1 Gal.] -
Chinese Snowball [Viburnum] – 2.4 Gallon Container -
Perfect Plants Tea Olive Live Plant, 3 Gallon -
Encore Azalea Autumn Embers (1 Gallon) -
Van Zyverden Forsythia Magical Gold 4 Rocketliners Plant Set -
Perfect Plants Bridal Wreath Spirea Live Plant, 3 Gallon -
Golden Ticket Privet (Ligustrum), 1 Gallon -
Green Promise Farms Clethra alnifolia “Ruby Spice” -
Proven Winners – Weigela florida Spilled Wine -
Proven Winners – Deutzia gracilis Chardonnay Pearls -
Proven Winners – Syringa x Bloomerang Dark Purple (Reblooming Lilac)
A great feature of BloomStruck and this collection is the ability to change the blooms’ color to your liking. Depending on soil pH, you can have vivid rose-pink or purple hydrangea flower heads. If your soil’s pH does not produce the hydrangea colors you prefer, try the Endless Summer Color Kits to change your acidity level and, in turn, change your bloom color!
BloomStruck also has incredibly beautiful red-purple stems, dark green leaves with red petioles, and red veins, which give great contrast to your other garden shrubs, perennials, and annuals.
Because of BloomStruck’s extremely strong stems, above average heat tolerance and great disease resistance – especially to powdery mildew – it is a perfect combination of beauty and hardiness for your garden!
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05/06/2022 03:30 pm GMT
The Chinese Snowball will add a unique twist to your landscape that you never knew you needed. With snowy white hydrangea-like blooms around 6-8″ across, this Viburnum will put on an elegant display every Spring that becomes more spectacular with each passing year.
The Chinese Snowball is deciduous in particularly cold climates and evergreen in all warmer zones. It has a naturally rounded habit as it reaches 12-20 ft tall and wide. Be sure to plant this gorgeous shrub in full sun to part shade, and in well-drained slightly acidic soil.
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05/06/2022 08:20 pm GMT
Osmanthus Tea Olive is an evergreen shrub that does incredibly well with full sun exposure! Tiny, cream-colored flowers sit on the underside of the Tea Olive foliage and release an enlightening aroma — comparable to sipping Southern Sweet Tea on a hot Summer’s day!
Homeowners looking to fill space in the yard will be thrilled with the growth pattern of this shrub — a wide frame with compact growth will fill large gaps in the landscape in no time!
Osmanthus Tea Olive grows as tall as it does wide, creating a symmetrical wall of flushing, lime-green foliage. We enjoy seeing this plant perched in mulch beds, alongside patios, lining front walkways, or used as a fragrant focal point.
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05/06/2022 07:30 pm GMT
The Encore Azalea Autumn Embers produces beautiful orange-red flowers in spring, summer, and fall. Autumn Embers is a dwarf Encore Azalea so it will keep a controlled mature size of 3 ft tall by 3 ½ ft wide.
These repeat bloomers a great for making a colorful statement in the landscape! Also, Embers is one of the best cold hardy Azaleas around with the ability to thrive in USDA zone 6B.
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05/06/2022 04:21 am GMT
This Forsythia Magical Gold Plant Set is sized, shaped, and rooted throughout the pot with strong and responsive roots. Gardeners can expect a finished healthy plant within a single growing season.
This plant set also features greater fresh root mass and vertical root training which promotes faster finishing times. Looks great scattered throughout the garden, or used as a hedge.
Plant in full sun for the best blooms. Grows up to 36 to 48 in. tall
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The Bridal Wreath Spirea is a gorgeous flowering shrub for filling multiple uses in any landscape. This shrub is quite popular among gardeners and landscapers across the United States for its very wide growth range; thriving almost anywhere in the United States!
In addition to it being growable all over the country, this plant is very low maintenance and is covered with elegant white flowers! This tall and wide-growing plant species makes a wonderful privacy screen and border hedge.
Enjoy their tall lanky limbs which grow up and outward to create a beautiful swaying accent piece to your existing plant life. This plant also boasts deciduous leaves which change to brilliant warm colors come autumn. The Bridal Wreath Spirea would make an excellent addition to any scenery.
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05/07/2022 12:50 am GMT
The Golden Ticket Privet from Proven Winners provides high-quality, glossy foliage that emerges bright yellow and ages to chartreuse. Adaptable, easy to grow, and deer resistant, it’s good for hedging and landscaping.
It is non-invasive and the only sterile Privet on the market.
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05/06/2022 04:40 am GMT
Clethra alnifolia “Ruby Spice” is a superb new form of Clethra with deep reddish-pink blossoms that won’t fade as they age.
This variety tolerates the same conditions as other varieties of Clethra and it still has that same gorgeous scent that makes it stand out in the landscape. Grows best in USDA zones 4-8, in full sun to part shade.
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05/06/2022 04:55 am GMT
The new-look purple-leaved Weigela! Spilled Wine has dark red, wavy leaves and a spreading habit. Its hot pink-magenta flowers are similar to those of Wine & Roses, but this is a smaller plant that is wider than it is tall.
This is a wonderful plant for adding lots of color in mass plantings or tucked into an existing border. Prefers well-drained soils but is extremely adaptable to other soil types. Pruning is best done immediately after flowering; little pruning is needed. Medium moisture.
Fertilize in early spring by applying a slow-release fertilizer specialized for trees & shrubs.
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
05/06/2022 05:08 am GMT
Think of this plant as a ray of sunshine that brightens the garden all season with stunningly bright yellow foliage that holds its color without burn, even in the sunniest parts of the landscape.
“Chardonnay Pearls ®” is a dense, slightly spreading plant that is easy to grow and is perfect for any sun or partial sun situation. In late may, masses of buds open to clouds of small, white, star-shaped flowers that really put on a show into mid-June.
Best suited to USDA zones 5-8. Mature height is 3-4 ft and mature spread is 3-5 ft.
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05/06/2022 05:40 pm GMT
It’s the next big thing for Bloomerang! Dark Purple is a bigger plant with larger, more rounded flowers. It’s very showy in spring and continues to amaze with fragrant blooms from mid-summer to frost.
This beautiful Proven Winners live lilac bush arrives fully rooted in the soil and can be planted immediately upon arrival. It’s reblooming! It doesn’t only bloom once in spring – it also blooms summer through fall.
This is a one-of-a-kind plant that is so easy to grow and has many uses. For best results, plant your dark purple lilac Syringa X Bloomerang plant in USDA Zones 3 to 8. Mature size of 4-7 ft high and a spread of 4-6 ft wide.
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What is your favorite flowering shrub? Which USDA zone are you in? Let us know in the comments below!
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