Best Shrubs for Indiana

Before you plant new shrubs on your property, think about the location and variety. Consider if you want a native species that perform well, something showy and vibrant, or perhaps both. You can’t overlook these landscaping components, as shrubs help create a smooth transition from your flowers to your treeline. Indiana’s climate is also friendly to many types of shrubs you can use for landscape beds, hedging, or solo displays.

Some of the best types of shrubs to plant on your Indiana lawn include:

Bobo hydrangea
Showoff forsythia
Black chokeberry
Southern arrowwood
Common winterberry
Fragrant sumac

Compact and Low-Maintenance Shrubs

Small and dwarf shrubs are an ornamental accent to many yards and landscape beds. Some of the best compact and low-maintenance shrubs for Indiana properties include:

Bobo hydrangea: Bobo hydrangea is one of the newcomers to the hydrangea plant genus. This variety enjoys full sun or partial shade. Only around 3 feet tall, the bobo hydrangea flowers with fluffy, white cone-shaped clusters in the summertime. By fall, the petals tinge a delicate pink.
Showoff forsythia: This beautiful mid-size shrub features deep green foliage and flaunts its appearance around springtime. Small flowers with a striking yellow hue populate the whole structure. The delightful gold color throughout the showoff forsythia makes a vibrant addition to any lawn. This shrub stands about 5 feet tall.
Black chokeberry: The black chokeberry is an Indiana native that grows in mounds from 3-6 feet. This plant has reddish-brown bark, glossy green foliage, gorgeous white and pink flowers with roundish petals around May, and ultimately produces deep purple berries. This species creates a full range of colors for shady grounds.

Taller Shrubs Suitable for Indiana Lawns

These larger shrubs are great for properties with extra space and provide significant shade and shelter.

Southern arrowwood: This shrub is also native to Indiana and attracts hungry fauna — ideal for the wildlife lover. The southern arrowwood matures to about 6 feet tall and blooms small, white flowers for summer, later growing small, dark blueberries. By autumn, the foliage turns shades of yellow and deep red.
Common winterberry: This mainstay holly bush stretches anywhere from 6-20 feet and provides a memorable display during the colder seasons. Comfortable in many sun and soil conditions, the small palish spring flowers change to shiny red and orange berries later in the year, outlasting most other plants throughout the landscape bed.
Fragrant sumac: True to the name, this shrub has a pleasant aroma in the springtime, and a colony reaches about 6-12 feet. Able to thrive in full sun or shade, female sumac will produce yellow flowers and reddish berries, attracting both pollinators and small animals. In the fall, the sumac changes to a fiery red, orange and yellow for an attractive year-round plant.

Contact Ricci’s Landscape Management for Tailored Lawn and Landscape Bed Planting

Whether you want to function, beauty, or privacy from your shrubbery planting, RLM has the variety and expertise you need. Serving individuals in Northwest Indiana and the surrounding areas, we’re happy to discuss your dream layout and assist with establishing all sorts of greenery and flowering shrubs for the years ahead. Reach a specialist through our online form today.