Flowering Shrubs

Flowering shrubs are a must for colourful hedges, borders and wildlife gardens, wowing you with year-round displays of beautiful blooms, while providing essential habitats for birds and mammals and pollen for bees and butterflies. They’re all grown by our UK growers, so you can be sure you’re getting the hardiest, healthiest plants around.

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Garden shrubs (352) Rose bushes (170)Ceanothus plants (13)Escallonia plants (6)Pittosporum plants (2)Euonymus plants (11)
  • Common Hawthorn Hedging | Crataegus monogyna Shrubs
    From £2
    £5 From £2

    Common Hawthorn Hedging | Crataegus monogyna

    Supports over 150 wildlife species

    • Scented spring blossom & autumn fruits
    • Loved by bees and nesting birds
    • Fast growth rate - 40-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 8m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    3 options available

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  • Black Elderberry | Sambucus Black Lace Shrubs
    From £22
    £25 From £22

    Black Elderberry | Sambucus 'Black Lace'

    A liquorice, powder-pink combo!

    • Wonderfully bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 3m
    • Superb lacy, liquorice leaves and pink blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Photinia 'Red Robin' Shrubs
    From £28
    £30 From £28

    Photinia 'Red Robin'

    Award winning fiery red foliage

    • Glossy red evergreen leaves mature to green
    • Brightens borders year round
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 4m or keep trimmed at 1-4m

    2 options available

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  • Red-Stemmed Dogwood Hedging | Cornus alba Shrubs
    From £3
    £7 From £3

    Red-Stemmed Dogwood Hedging | Cornus alba

    Paint the garden red

    • Bright crimson stems & creamy spring blooms
    • Add winter colour and interest
    • Fast growth rate - 40-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 3m or keep trimmed at 1-3m

    2 options available

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  • Common Hazel Hedging | Corylus avellana Shrubs
    From £2
    £5 From £2

    Common Hazel Hedging | Corylus avellana

    Harvest nuts from your hedge

    • Spring catkins, autumn colour and hazelnuts
    • Supports over 70 insect species
    • Fast growth rate - 40-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 8m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    1 option available

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  • Cherry Plum Hedging | Prunus cerasifera Shrubs
    From £2
    £3 From £2

    Cherry Plum Hedging | Prunus cerasifera

    Blossom-rich, fruiting hedge

    • Dense & thorny with abundant white flowers
    • Harvest tasty little plums for jam
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 5m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    2 options available

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  • Discover

    Stunning evergreen shrubs

  • Mock Orange | Philadelphus 'Virginal' Shrubs
    From £4
    £6 From £4

    Mock Orange Hedging | Philadelphus 'Virginal'

    Our choice for fragrance

    • Double white, orange blossom scented flowers
    • Create an informal, billowing hedge
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 3m or keep trimmed at 1-3m

    1 option available

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  • Black Elder Hedging | Sambucus nigra Shrubs
    £3
    £5 £3

    Black Elder Hedging | Sambucus nigra

    Elderflower cordial, anyone?

    • Creamy white flowers and edible berries
    • Huge wildlife appeal
    • Fast growth rate - 30-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 4m or keep trimmed at 1-4m

    1 option available

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  • Red Flowering Currant | Ribes sanguineum Shrubs
    £3
    £7 £3

    Red Flowering Currant Hedging | Ribes sanguineum

    Bring your garden back to life!

    • Aromatic leaves and magenta flowers
    • RHS Plant for Pollinators
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 2.5m or keep trimmed at 1-2.5m

    1 option available

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  • Cherry Laurel Hedging | Prunus laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia' Shrubs
    From £7
    £10 From £7

    Cherry Laurel Hedging | Prunus laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia'

    Vibrant screening hedge

    • Glossy evergreen foliage
    • Laughs in the face of neighbour noise
    • Fast growth rate - 30-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 8m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    9 options available

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  • Growers' Talk

    Top plants for a flowering hedge

  • Rowan Hedging | Mountain Ash | Sorbus aucuparia Shrubs
    From £4
    From £4

    Rowan Hedging | Mountain Ash | Sorbus aucuparia

    Wildlife-boosting native

    • White flowers and vibrant autumn foliage
    • Sprays of winter berries for birds
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 5m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    3 options available

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  • Red Japanese Rose Hedging | Rosa rugosa Shrubs
    £3
    £4 £3

    Red Japanese Rose Hedging | Rosa rugosa

    Big impact from a compact hedge

    • Large, scented pink roses all summer
    • Thrives even in coastal, exposed areas
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 1m

    1 option available

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  • Cherry Dogwood Hedging | Cornus mas Shrubs
    From £3
    £5 From £3

    Cherry Dogwood Hedging | Cornus mas

    Sunshine in February

    • Yellow flowers, red berries & autumn colour
    • Colour, impact & wildlife all year
    • Fast growth rate - 40-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 5m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    2 options available

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  • Discover

    The best flowering trees

  • Amelanchier canadensis Hedging Shrubs
    From £4
    £6 From £4

    Juneberry Hedging | Amelanchier Canadensis

    Sprays of star-shaped flowers

    • Starry white flowers & warm autumn colour
    • Fully hardy and great in wet ground
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 6m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    1 option available

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  • Golden Weeping Willow Hedging | Salix 'Chrysocoma' Shrubs
    £4
    £5 £4

    Golden Weeping Willow Hedging | Salix 'Chrysocoma'

    Shady summer screening

    • Sweeping golden stems and showy foliage
    • RHS Award of Golden Merit
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 8m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    1 option available

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  • European Spindle Hedging | Euonymus europaeus Shrubs
    From £3
    £6 From £3

    European Spindle Hedging | Euonymus europaeus

    The garden designer's favourite

    • Yellow flowers, red fruits & warm autumn hues
    • Keep trimmed for a formal hedge
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 3m or keep trimmed at 1-3m

    2 options available

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  • Hydrangea arborescens 'Strong Annabelle' Shrubs
    From £31
    From £31

    Hydrangea arborescens 'Strong Annabelle'

    Scarcely believable blooms!

    • Tough, strong and bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.5m
    • White flower balls up to 30cm across
    • Absolutely huge blooms!

    3 options available

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  • Oregon Grape Hedging | Mahonia aquifolium Shrubs
    £4
    £7 £4

    Oregon Grape Hedging | Mahonia aquifolium

    Brightens the shadiest spots

    • Glossy green leaves & yellow flowers
    • Happy in shade & drought resistant
    • Slow growth rate - up to 30cm per year
    • Grows up to 3m or keep trimmed at 1-3m

    1 option available

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  • Garden Privet Hedging | Ligustrum ovalifolium Shrubs
    From £3
    £4 From £3

    Common Privet Hedging | Ligustrum ovalifolium

    The perfect hedge for privacy

    • Dense green leaves and summer blooms
    • RHS Plant for Pollinators
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 5m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    2 options available

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  • European Crabapple Hedging | Malus sylvestris Shrubs
    £4
    £5 £4

    European Crabapple Hedging | Malus sylvestris

    Year-round wildlife haven

    • Pink blossom, edible fruit and autumn colour
    • Supports over 90 species of birds and insects
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 5m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    1 option available

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  • Hydrangea paniculata 'Candlelight' Shrubs
    From £20
    £25 From £20

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Candlelight'

    Stunning pink pyramidal blooms

    • Upright and vigorous shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.5m
    • Punchy flower cones turn from cream to pink
    • A particularly vigorous variety

    2 options available

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  • Sweet Chestnut Hedging | Castanea sativa Shrubs
    £4
    £8 £4

    Sweet Chestnut Hedging | Castanea sativa

    Beautiful and productive native

    • Spring catkins and sweet edible chestnuts
    • Enormous value to native wildlife
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 12m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    1 option available

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  • Patio Lilac Tree | Syringa 'Flowerfesta® Pink' Shrubs
    £33
    £33

    Patio Lilac Tree | Syringa 'Flowerfesta® Pink'

    Double-flushing, double delight!

    • Incredibly charming patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m
    • Two flushes of fragrant pink flowers
    • The most beautiful fragrance

    1 option available

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  • Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Shrubs
    From £33
    £35 From £33

    Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

    Snowy, oh-so showy blooms

    • Profusely-packed, bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 2.5m
    • Linen white, large, spherical blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Yew Hedging | Taxus baccata Shrubs
    From £6
    £10 From £6

    English Yew | Taxus baccata

    The UK's favourite conifer

    • Bushy, evergreen tree
    • Large tree - grows up to 12m
    • Vibrant evergreen foliage with red fruits
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

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  • Common Hornbeam Hedging | Carpinus betulus Shrubs
    From £3
    £4 From £3

    Common Hornbeam Hedging | Carpinus betulus

    UK native loved by birds

    • Spring catkins and autumn colour
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 8m or keep trimmed at 1-5m

    4 options available

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  • Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' Shrubs
    £4
    £8 £4

    Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' Hedging

    Easy to grow and floriferous

    • Crimson bellflowers in summer
    • RHS Plants for Pollinators
    • Fast growth rate - 40-60cm per year
    • Grows up to 2m or keep trimmed at 1-2m

    1 option available

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Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Alice

Putting shrubs in the starlight (and boy do they shine…)

From tending Shakespeare’s gardens to nurturing citrus plants in National Trust orangeries, Alice has a wealth of knowledge and experience working at some of the very finest spaces. With a team of dedicated growers on hand to help, Alice utilises our industry-leading nursery (and the lovely, fertile conditions of the Cotswolds) to grow shrubs that aren’t just good-looking, they’re good-growing too.

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Which flowering shrub should you choose?

Which flowering shrub should you choose?

Want some more beautiful blooms for your garden? Want something chunkier than a perennial but not so large as a sprawling tree? Flowering shrubs hold the answer. But which should you choose? Well, there’s plenty to choose from! For early spring blooms, look to forsythia and its sunny yellow flowers. Camellias, too, herald the arrival of springtime, dazzling with a variety of different flower forms. Later in the year, lilacs announce themselves to the world with their pretty purple flowers and sumptuous fragrance. As summer rolls around, hydrangeas come to the fore, along with buddleias, both offering fabulously showy flowers. Late summer into autumn brings abelias, while you can even get some flowers in winter, thanks to winter jasmine.

Planting schemes featuring flowering shrubs

Planting schemes featuring flowering shrubs

Various planting schemes utilise flowering shrubs, including Japanese gardens, cottage gardens, Mediterranean gardens and woodland gardens. Camellias and magnolias are often found in Japanese gardens, rose bushes are a staple of the traditional English cottage garden, while lavender plants, which can be grown into a wonderful flowering hedge, are a mainstay of Mediterranean gardens. If you’re wanting to create a natural, woodland-style garden, then turn your trowel to rhododendrons and azaleas.

Caring for flowering shrubs

Caring for flowering shrubs

Flowering shrubs are generally nice and easy to look after. Most will need regular watering for the first couple of growing seasons until they’re established. Once established, however, watering is only desperately needed during hot, dry spells. Pruning requirements will vary from shrub to shrub, so make sure to check out the growing guide for the plant you’re thinking of choosing. Be sure, too, to check your plant’s spacing requirements. If you’ve only got a small garden, then opting for something vigorous like Japanese quince probably isn’t the smartest idea. Feed in spring with slow-release, general fertiliser and apply a layer of mulch to help retain moisture.

Flowering Shrubs FAQs

What is the easiest flowering shrub to grow?

Most flowering shrubs are nice and easy to grow, but if we were pushed to pick just one, we’d opt for the spectacular forsythia. Also known as golden bells, this jolly shrub tolerates most soils and conditions, requires little in the way of maintenance and delivers fabulous early spring colour to kickstart your garden back into life post-winter.

Are there any winter-flowering shrubs?

Yes, there are winter-flowering shrubs. Our two choices are the shrubby winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) and sweet box (Sarcococca confusa); both are highly fragrant and produce their beautiful blooms between December and March. What’s not to like?

What is the fastest growing flowering shrub?

Buddleias are pretty rapid growers, growing upwards of 60cm per year given good growing conditions. Weigelas are also known for speedy growth, commonly reaching 50cm to 60cm of growth each year.

Which shrubs flower in summer?

There are plenty of summer-flowering shrubs to choose from, including hydrangeas, , St. John’s wort, ceanothus, escallonia, shrub roses, abelia, hibiscus and potentilla to name just a few. Is September too late to plant shrubs?

Happy plants make happy customers

Trustpilot
Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

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