SMALL
SHRUBS
1 TO
6 FEET IN HEIGHT
For
more information on any of these plants use this link:
PLANTS
DATABASE
DECIDUOUS
Annabelle
Hydrangea (Hydrangea
arborescens) Grows 3 to 5 feet. A spreading shrub with numerous upright stems.
Large, rounded, white flower heads in late summer.
Sun to part-sun. Moist soil.
An excellent shrub with best performance if treated as a perennial and
cut to the ground in late fall or early spring. Zone 4
Bristly
Locust
(Robinia fertilis)
Grows to 6 feet and forms thickets.
Has light-green, pea-like foliage with attractive pink flowers in late
spring, followed by bristly seedpods. Full
sun. Dry, sandy, poor soil.
Drought tolerant. Excellent for stabilizing steep, gravelly areas.
Zone 4
Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster apiculatus, divaricata,
horizontalis, microphylla) Numerous
forms available. Grow 2 to 3 feet
high spreading to 6 feet in some cases. Small,
often shiny, green leaves and small, pink flowers in spring followed by red
fruits. Red fall color.
Sun to part-sun. Adaptable to many soils.
Some varieties are salt tolerant. Used
as ground or bank covers. May
require extra attention the first year but do well once established.
Zone 4
Cutleaf
Stephanandra (Stephanandra
incisa var. ‘Crispa’) Grows
to 2 feet high with a 3 to 6 foot spread. A low, spreading, mounded shrub with
small, white flowers in summer. Sun
to part-sun. Does best in moist,
acid, well-drained soil but tolerates wetter soils.
Good on banks and as a ground cover.
Zone 3
Dwarf
Arctic Willow
(Salix purpurea var.
‘Nana’) Grows
3 to 6 feet with equal spread. (Non-dwarf
variety grows to 18 feet.) Dense,
low shrub with arching branches and fine, powdery, blue-green foliage.
Sun to part-sun. Wet soil.
Flood tolerant. Good for streambanks and pond edges and for low hedges.
Not salt tolerant. Good for birds and wildlife.
Zone 3
Dwarf
Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla
lonicera) Grows 1 to 4 feet
with a mounded habit. Yellow
trumpet-shaped flowers and insignificant fruit.
Part-sun to shade. Dry soil.
Drought tolerant. Found in
open, rocky woods and field edges. Zone
3 N
Dwarf
Fothergilla
(Fothergilla gardenii)
Grows 2 to 3 feet with similar spread.
Attractive, small shrub with deep-green leaves and early, white,
fragrant, ‘bottle-brush’ flowers. Excellent
red to yellow fall color. Sun to
part-sun. Moist, well-drained, acid soil best. Good in groups. Zone
4
Dwarf
Honeysuckle (Lonicera
canadensis) Also called
American Fly Honeysuckle. (Do not
confuse with European Fly Honeysuckle which can be invasive.).
Grows 2 to 5 feet high. A
straggling shrub with handsome red berries.
Sun to part-sun. Sandy, dry
soil. Drought tolerant.
Found in cool, rocky woods. Zone
3 N
Flowering
Almond
(Prunus glandulosa)
Grows 4 to 5 feet high with a 3 to 4 foot spread.
Small, spreading shrub with showy, pink flowers in early spring.
Used ornamentally. Full sun. Moist,
fertile soil. Check local
hardiness. Some varieties are not
long-lived. Zone
4
Flowering
Quince
(Chaenomeles speciosa)
Several varieties available. Grows
from 2 to 6 feet high, depending on variety, with a similar spread.
Attractive, upright or spreading shrub with spiny branches (most
varieties). Spring blossoms range
from white to peach to pink to red. Irregular,
apple-shaped fruit is used in preserves. Sun
to part-sun. Moist soil. Occasional
pruning keeps plant vigorous. Many
uses. Zones
4 to 5
Fragrant
Sumac
(Rhus aromatica)
Available in standard and dwarf (Gro-Low) varieties.
Standard form grows 2 to 6 feet with a 6 to 10 foot spread and the dwarf
grows 2 to 3 feet with a 6 to 8 foot spread.
A low, upright or straggling shrub with compound leaves and small
,fragrant, yellow flowers in spring, followed by red fruit.
Good orange to red fall color. Leaves
are aromatic when crushed. Full
sun. Dry, sandy or rocky soil.
Good as bank covers and in mass plantings.
Dwarf variety used as a ground cover.
Found in dry, rocky, open woods. Zone 4 N
Hancock
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos
X Chenaultii) Grows 2 to 4 feet
with a 6 foot spread. A small, open
shrub with graceful arching branches. May
spread by suckering. Pink spring
flowers, followed by pink to red fruits in fall.
Sun to part-sun. Tolerates a
variety of soils. Good bank cover. Zone 4
Indiancurrant
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos
orbiculatus) Similar to above. Grows 3 to 6 feet and spreads to form thickets.
Has white to pink flowers and red fruits.
Shade. Dry soil.
Zone 3
Mapleleaf
Viburnum (Viburnum
acerifolium) Grows 3 to 6 feet. A slender, branched shrub with clusters of white flowers in
late spring; blue-black fruit and large, downy, 3-lobed leaves that turn purple
in the fall. Sun to shade.
Moist soil. Found as an
understory shrub in dry woods. Good for birds.
Zone 3
N
Potentilla
(Potentilla fruticosa)
Also called Bush Cinquefoil. Native
and cultivated. Many varieties
available. Grows 2 to 4 feet with
equal spread. Compact to spreading
habits. Small leaves from
silver-green to light-green to blue-green to dark-green.
Flowers occur in shades of white, yellow, pink and orange that bloom from
early summer through to frost. Full
sun best. Moist soil, although
several varieties are very drought tolerant once
established. Naturally found in
wet to dry meadows, along lake shores and in open areas.
Zone 3
N
Rhodora
(Rhododendron canadense)
A deciduous rhododendron growing from 1 to 3 feet tall with many branches
and showy, rose to purple flowers in spring.
Full sun. Wet, cold, peaty
soil. Often seen in large colonies
in bogs and old, wet pastures. Zone 3 N
Rose
(Rosa sp.)
Many species and varieties available in all forms and shapes.
Some native and many cultivated or introduced.
Most grow from 2 to 6 feet, although some arching and climbing types grow
to 10 feet. All require full sun.
Soil requirements range from moist to dry and most need fertile,
well-drained soil. Check with local nurseries for hardy varieties and
low-maintenance roses. Zones 3 to 5
N
St.
Johnswort
(Hypericum sp.)
Naturally-occurring and cultivated species and varieties available.
Most grow 2 to 3 feet high with similar spread.
Compact plants with blue-green foliage and bright-yellow flowers with
different bloom times and lengths. Sun
to part-sun. Check specific variety for soil preferences; some grow in wet
areas, some in dry, sandy soil. Found
along shores, in wet meadows, old fields and pastures.
Zones 3 to 5
N
Silver
Creeping Willow (Salix
repens var. nitida) Grows to 2
feet high and spreads. Silvery
foliage, insignificant flowers and fruits.
Rapid growth. Sun.
Moist to wet soil. Zone
4
Snowberry
(Symphoricarpos albus)
Grows 3 to 6 feet high with similar spread.
Spreads by suckering so will form thickets, if allowed.
Good for erosion control. Blue-green
foliage, pink spring flowers and ornamental, white berries in fall.
Rapid growth. Sun to part-sun. Moist
to wet soil. Adaptable to a variety
of soil conditions. Good for birds.
Zone 3
N
Summersweet
(Clethra alnifolia)
Also called Hummingbird Clethra or Sweet Pepperbush.
Grows 3 to 8 feet high with a 4 to 6 foot spread.
Attractive, deep-green foliage and very fragrant, white or pink flowers
in summer. Sun to shade.
Moist to wet soil. Salt tolerant. Zone
3 N
Sweet
Fern
(Comptonia peregrina)
Grows 2 to 4 feet high with similar spread.
Not a true fern but has
somewhat leathery fern-like foliage which has a nice, pungent, spicy smell.
Brown catkins in early spring and a bur-like nut in the fall.
Full sun. Moist to dry soil. Grows well on poor, sandy, rocky soil. Deep, good root system.
Good for roadbanks and steep, dry areas. Zone 3
N
Sweet
Gale
(Myrica gale)
Grows 2 to 4 feet high and spreads 4 to 8 feet.
A many-branched shrub with dark-green, aromatic foliage.
Insignificant brown flowers and fruits.
Sun to part-sun. Moist to
wet soil. Found along lake and
stream edges. Good for
shore-dwelling birds and wildlife. Zone 3 N
Weigela
(Weigela sp.)
Many species and varieties have been cultivated.
Grows 2 to 6 feet high with equal spread.
Growth varies from compact to open, depending on variety.
Many-branched shrubs with pink to red, showy, tubular flowers that
attract hummingbirds. Easy to grow.
Full sun. Moist soil. Zone
4
EVERGREEN
American
Yew
(Taxus canadensis)
Grows 2 to 3 feet high with a 6 to 8 foot spread.
A low, straggling shrub often growing in clumps.
Dark-green needles; red, berry-like fruit with poisonous seeds.
Part-sun to shade. Cool, moist soil. Found
in shady, cool, damp, rocky woods under other evergreens.
Good as a ground cover. Does
not tolerate heat or drought. Good
for birds. Zone 3
N
Bearberry
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Grows to 1 foot and spreads 2 to 4 feet.
A trailing shrub, good as a ground cover.
Small, dark-green, shiny leaves; small, white to pink flowers in spring,
followed by red berries in late summer. Red
fall color. Slow growth but
reliable once established. Sun to
part-sun. Poor, sandy, acid, dry
soil. Drought and salt tolerant.
Zone 3
N
Bog
Rosemary
(Andromeda
glaucophylla or polifolia) Grows
1 to 3 feet with similar spread. Forms
large clumps. Each plant is
sparsely branched with leathery, deep-blue-green leaves and small, white to pink
flowers in spring. An interesting
and beautiful plant, especially good for naturalizing.
Sun to part-sun. Cool,
moist, peaty soil. Found in bogs
and along lake shores. Zone 3 N
Creeping
Juniper
(Juniperus sp.)
Many species and varieties available.
Grows 6 inches to 4 feet with 2 to 10 foot spreads.
Upright to prostrate forms; variable foliage, from coarse and prickly to
fine and lacy, and from yellow-bronze to light-green to dark-green to
blue-green, depending on variety. Several
produce small, bluish to silver, aromatic fruits.
Slow to rapid growth but all are sturdy and long-lived once established.
Most require full sun. Wide
range of soil tolerances; most do well in poor, dry soil but some tolerate
wetter soils. A juniper can be found for just about every sunny situation.
Many are drought, heat and salt tolerant.
Most are good for birds and wildlife.
Zones 3 to 5
N
Dwarf
Balsam Fir
(Abies balsamea)
Similar to standard fir but much smaller.
Grows 1 to 2 feet high with a 1 to 2 foot spread.
Rounded shrub with dark-green needles.
Sun to part-sun. Moist soil.
Used ornamentally. Zone 3
Dwarf
Cedar
(Thuja occidentalis)
Several dwarf varieties are available.
Grows 1 to 4 feet high with variable spreads, depending on variety.
Dense shrubs with rounded or pyramidal forms.
Rich, dark-green foliage. A
golden-needled form is also available. Full
sun. Moist soil.
Used ornamentally and for low hedges.
Zones 3 to 4
Dwarf
Hemlock
(Tsuga canadensis)
Several varieties; some with pendulous, spreading branches.
Grow from 1 to 3 feet high with 2 to 5 foot spreads.
Attractive, lacy, green needles. Sun
to shade. Cool, moist soil is best.
Must be well-drained. Used
ornamentally. Zones 3 to 4
Leucothoe
(Leucothoe fontanesiana)
Grows 3 to 5 feet high and 5 or more feet wide.
A graceful, broad-leafed evergreen with dark, lustrous foliage and small,
delicate, fragrant, white flowers in spring.
Nice, purple winter color. Good
in woodland settings and as a high ground cover on shady slopes.
Low-maintenance, reliable plant as long as it has shade and is not
allowed to dry out. Shade.
Moist, acid, well-drained soil, high in organic matter.
Zone 5
(N)
Lingonberry
(Vaccinium vitis-idaea)
Also called Crowberry or Mountain Cranberry.
Grows to 7 inches and spreads. Small,
glossy-green, leathery foliage and small pink or white flowers, followed by
small, red fruit, sour but edible. Found
in bogs and wet or dry, rocky, mossy slopes.
Sun to shade. Dry to moist soil. Zone
4 N
Sheep
Laurel
(Kalmia angustifolia)
Grows to 3 feet with slightly narrower spread.
Slender, dense, low-growing shrub with upright stems; shiny, leathery,
deep-green leaves with pale undersides; and showy clusters of deep-pink,
saucer-shaped flowers in early summer. Poisonous
to livestock, hence, the alternate name, Lambkill.
Sun to part-sun. Poor, acid
soil; wet to dry. Tolerates
occasional flooding. Found in
moist, open swamps, pastures and rocky slopes.
Zone 3
N
Siberian
Carpet Cypress (Microbiota
decussata) Grows to 12 inches
high and can spread up to 10 feet. Densely
branched with soft-green needles that turn bronze in winter.
Rapid growth. Good as an
evergreen ground cover. Sun to
part-sun. Moist soil.
Tolerates adverse conditions. Zone
3
Spreading
Yew
(Taxus X media var Densiformis)
Grows to 4 feet with an 8 foot spread.
Compact shrub with dark-green needles.
Slow growth. Sun to
part-sun. Moist to dry soil. Good for hedges and mass plantings. Zone 3
Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation
District