{"id":33017,"date":"2025-04-28T16:56:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T20:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=33017"},"modified":"2025-08-04T17:06:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T21:06:59","slug":"top-10-spring-shrubs-purdue-landscape-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/top-10-spring-shrubs-purdue-landscape-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Spring Flowering Shrubs, Purdue Landscape Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report:<\/em><\/a> Spring is finally here! Everywhere you look, one can find some spring color around. Some of the first plants to peek out of the ground are spring-flowering bulbs like crocus, daffodil and tulip.\u00a0 But there are some beautiful spring time shrubs that are Indiana native plants you can add to your yard to be the first in the neighborhood with spring interest. Below, you\u2019ll find a top 10 list of spring-flowering shrubs (in order of flower appearance).<\/p>\n

\"Figure<\/a>

Figure 1. Witch-hazel is one of the first shrubs to bloom in the spring. Though similar to forsythia, it typically flowers a couple of weeks earlier.<\/p><\/div>\n

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)\u00a0<\/strong>Perhaps even earlier-flowering than Forsythia, is \u2018Arnold Promise\u2019 witch-hazel. This shrub can flower starting in late winter (unless we have unusually cold winter weather like polar vortices) and keep going all the way into spring. Bright flowers are yellow with red tinges, though there are red-flowering cultivars available. Witch-hazel can be grown as a shrub or a small tree and offers some yellow\/orange\/red fall color. It\u2019s native!<\/p>\n

Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)<\/strong>\u00a0Forsythia is the traditional first-flowering plant in the spring. Hardy plants, their bright yellow blooms can catch your eye anywhere. There are new cultivars out.<\/p>\n

Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa<\/strong>) In mid spring, you\u2019ll find these shrubs covered with flowers. There are several cultivars and you may see white-flowering plants (\u2018Jet Trails\u2019), red-flowering plants (\u2018Texas Scarlet\u2019) or even large, double, fluffy, peach-pink flowers (\u2018Cameo\u2019). After the show, this plant tends to fade into the background, but it\u2019s a great native addition.<\/p>\n

Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii<\/strong>) Korean spice viburnum blooms in late April with blooms that are pink\/red while they are still in buds, opening to white flowers that are each a half inch wide. The flowers are presented on dense 2-3 inch groupings called cymes (semi-snowball) and very pleasantly fragrant. And luck of all luck, they have nice, clean leaves in the summer and great fall color. Can\u2019t beat that in a multi-season shrub.<\/p>\n

Flowering Almond (Prunus glandulosa)<\/strong>\u00a0Here\u2019s a small plant that grows well in full sun and its lovely. Flowering almond, particularly the cultivar \u2018Rosea Plena\u2019 has tons of pink flowers (double\u2014lots of petals). Some cultivars have white flowers, and all present in mid to late spring.<\/p>\n

Shadblow Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)<\/strong>\u00a0A multi-season-interest plant, serviceberry offers white flowers on 2-3 inch long inflorescences in April, which leads to sweet, juicy black fruit in the summer. Some plants can also have decent fall color (yellow with hints of orange and red). Serviceberry grows by suckering so it\u2019s perhaps not a great choice for a small yard.<\/p>\n

\"Figure<\/a>

Figure 2. Lilac is most commonly a beautiful shade of purple.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)<\/strong>. The beautiful purple flowers (many, many colors are available, but purple is most common) are wonderfully fragrant in most of spring. They may only bloom for 2 weeks, but man those 2 weeks are worth having a lilac in your garden! Takes me straight back to my childhood.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)<\/strong>\u00a0An adaptable species, this plant is known for long-lasting black fruit in the fall and wine-red fall color. Spring flowers are white, presented in groups of 9-20 resulting in 1 to 1.5 inch groupings covering the plant in May. This species can spread and colonize large areas, which makes for a striking mass effect in the spring. Small plant (under 5 feet) thrives in part shade to full sun.<\/p>\n

Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius)<\/strong> Fans of mock orange are serious about their use in the landscape. These plants can take care of themselves and they\u2019ll reward you every May\/June with white, fragrant flowers that are 1 to 1.5 inches wide.<\/p>\n

Siberian Peashrub (Caragana arborescens)\u00a0<\/strong>Granted, this is a great shrub for harsh sites (poor soils, drought, alkaline soil, cold, wind), but it\u2019s unusual and doesn\u2019t take much care. Leaves are pea-green and emerge with the yellow flowers in May. Later in the summer the fruit of the flowers, a narrow pod, makes a popping sound when it opens.<\/p>\n

Remember, plants with more than one season of interest are like hitting the landscape jackpot. So, if you\u2019ve chosen one of these plants because you love the flowers in the spring, just be aware that it may need to fade into the background for the rest of the year. Having said that, plants that usher in the new season are anticipated, loved and enjoyed. Make sure you\u2019ve got some of these in your neighborhood for a dose of early spring joy.<\/p>\n

This was adapted from Horticulture Newsletter \u2013 Cheryl Boyer \u2013 Kansas Extension. All plants listed in this article are native species of Indiana.<\/p>\n

Read the original article posted in the Purdue Landscape Report April 2025 Newsletter: Top 10 Spring Flowering Shrubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe and receive the newsletter: Purdue Landscape Report Newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong>
\nSpring Tree Preparations<\/a>, Purdue Extension Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
\nCelebrate Pollinator Week with Flowers of June Tour<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nTracking the Bloom<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nIndiana\u2019s Native Orchids<\/a>, Indiana Forestry & Woodlands Association (IFWOA) Webinar
\nWildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide<\/a>, Google Books
\nID That Tree Spring Bloom Edition: Bladdernut<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nID That Tree<\/a>, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
\nAlternative Options for Invasive Landscape Plants<\/a> (pdf), Purdue Extension – Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
\nLandscape Uses of Native Plants<\/a>, Indiana Native Plant Society
\nFind an Arborist<\/a> video, Trees are Good-International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
\nTree Installation: Process and Practices<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
\nTree Planting Part 1: Choosing a Tree<\/a> video, Purdue Extension
\nTree Wound and Healing<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nShrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest<\/a>, Purdue University Press
\nAsk an Expert: Tree Selection and Planting<\/a>, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
\nRecommended Indiana-native Plants for Attracting Pollinators<\/a>\u00a0(pdf), Purdue Extension – Entomology
\nGardening for Pollinators<\/a>, Purdue Garden Articles
\nSubscribe<\/a> Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel<\/p>\n

Amanda Bailey<\/a>, Extension Educator \u2013 Ag and Natural Resources
\nPurdue Extension \u2013 Warrick County<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report: Spring is finally here! Everywhere you look, one can find some spring color around. Some of the first plants to peek out of the ground are spring-flowering bulbs like crocus, daffodil and tulip.\u00a0 But there are some beautiful spring time shrubs that are Indiana native plants you can add to your yard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,49,53],"tags":[1968,61,895,855,425,71,72],"class_list":["post-33017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gardening","category-plants","category-urbanforestry","tag-flowers","tag-gardening","tag-purdue-landscape-report","tag-shrubs","tag-spring","tag-urban-forestry","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 02:51:19","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33017"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34300,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33017\/revisions\/34300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}