Beautiful Small Shrubs for Outdoor Spaces of Any Size
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Even if you don’t have a huge yard, you can enjoy the beauty of small shrubs alongside your annuals, perennials, and trees. Many small shrubs flower in spring or summer, adding color and scent to your garden, attracting pollinators and wildlife, and providing structure to your garden layout. Small shrubs also can define a boundary or create an outdoor “room” to make your space feel more cozy and inviting. Read the plant label or description so you choose one that will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness zone (find yours here). Also, make sure you give it the right light; many require full sun to look their best and flower. Some can’t take blazing hot afternoon sun and need morning sun, afternoon shade.
When planting, dig a hole two to three times as wide, and set the plant in the ground at the same depth it was in the pot. Don’t add amendments or potting soil to the hole; that’s old school thinking. Research has proven that plants need to learn to survive in the native soil. If you do have clay or poor soil, excavate a larger area, work in some compost, and then plant your shrub. Make sure to water well after planting and regularly for the first season or two as your plant gets established. Finally, if bunnies are an issue in your garden, fence your shrub off with some chicken wire for the first year or two. Otherwise, your little furry friends may nibble the new shoots down to the ground!
Here are our favorite small shrubs for gardens of any size:
Even if you don’t have a huge yard, you can enjoy the beauty of small shrubs in your small space garden or landscaping ideas, alongside annuals, perennials, and trees. Many small shrubs flower, add color and scent to your garden, attract pollinators and wildlife, and provide structure to your garden layout. Small shrubs also make for great garden fence ideas and garden edging ideas, as they can also define a boundary or create an outdoor “room” to make your space feel more cozy and inviting.
First, read the plant label or description, so you choose a type that will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness Zone (such as evergreen shrubs). Also, make sure you give it the right light: Many require full sun, which is at least six hours of direct sunlight, to look their best and flower. However, some can’t take the blazing hot afternoon sun, needing morning sun and afternoon shade instead.
Ready with your gardening tools, you can plant a shrub by digging a hole two to three times as wide as the plant and setting it in the ground at the same depth it was in the pot. Don’t add amendments or potting soil to the hole—research has proven that plants need to learn to survive in the native soil. If you have poor soil, excavate a larger area, work in some compost, and then plant your shrub. Make sure to water well after planting and then regularly for the first or second season as your plant gets established. Now that you're prepared, figure out which small shrubs will be best for your garden.
Upgrade your yard with even more ideas:
Dwarf Butterfly Bush
Newer types of dwarf butterfly bushes are well-behaved, topping out from 2 to 4 feet tall and will not become invasive. There are various colors and bloom shapes to choose from. And yes, they do attract butterflies all summer long! Look for little varieties such as Pink Micro Chip or Pugster, then enjoy their low-maintenance beauty.
Growing Conditions: full sun, well-drained soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Dwarf Hydrangea
These gorgeous shrubs bloom from summer to fall, and most keep their dried flowers on during winter, too. They're one of the few shrubs that can be grown coast to coast in most climates. Hydrangeas come in a wide variety of sizes, but the dwarf types are designed for small gardens. Most hydrangeas need some morning sun to thrive, though a few are shade lovers.
Growing Conditions: part sun or full sun, well-drained soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Dwarf Forsythia
The bright yellow blooms of forsythia appear in early spring before the shrub leafs out. New hybrids such as Show Off! Sugar Baby stay petite and pretty in small spaces, reaching about 30 inches tall at maturity. Give forsythia full sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun or part shade, well-drained soil
Size: 2.5 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Dwarf Inkberry Holly
Inkberry holly are petite, native evergreens with a dense ball shape—that will add luscious foliage to your yard. Look for types such as Gem Box which keep their shape better than others. They're a great substitute for boxwoods, which are sometimes prone to disease. They reach a max of 3 feet tall and prefer part to full sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun to part-sun, medium to wet soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Dwarf Ninebark
Ninebarks have beautiful wine-colored foliage and small clusters of pink flowers in late spring. But they keep their beautiful color all season, making them a nice contrast against the shades of green in your garden. Some varieties are green or greenish-gold. Make sure to get a dwarf variety such as Tiny Wine, which tops out at 5 feet. They need full sun.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to light shade, evenly moist and well-drained soil
Size: 1-5 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 3-7
Arborvitae, Round Form
Arborvitae comes in many shapes and sizes, but the dwarf round variety, which maxes out at 1 to 3 feet tall, is a great evergreen for foundation planting. Plus, they add such a unique look to your space! Try types such as Mr. Bowling Ball and Tater Tot.
Growing Conditions: full sun, well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Abelia
Abelia has beautiful pink, purple, or peachy-colored bell-shaped flowers that bloom in late spring, spicy-sweet fragrance, colorful fall foliage, and cool seed pods. There's just so much to love! Plant it where you can enjoy its sweet buds and lovely scent.
Growing Conditions: full to partial sun and moist but well-drained soil
Size: 3-6 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 4-11
Caryopteris
This lesser-known shrub has brilliant blue flowers that bloom in late summer to fall when many other flowering shrubs are done with their annual show. Bees and butterflies will flock to it! Give it full sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun, well-drained soil
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Dwarf Lily of the Valley Shrub
Tiny bells dangle from the branches of this shrub in early spring. Lily of the valley shrub, also called pieris, is a lovely and less-recognized shrub for any garden. Dwarf options like the Cavatine top out at 2 to 4 feet tall and prefer part sun with afternoon shade.
Growing Conditions: full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Dwarf Mugo Pine
Slow-growing so it won’t take over your garden, this hardy pine works beautifully in rock gardens, mass plantings, or as a foundation planting. It will reach 10 feet eventually, which is on the smaller side for most evergreens. You can also find dwarf varieties that won't grow quite as large. Mugo pine needs full sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun, moist and well-drained soil
Size: 2-5 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 2-8
Deutzia
This mounded shrub with arching branches is loaded with white or pinkish-blush flowers in spring with foliage that turns burgundy in fall. Look for dwarf or low-growing types, such as Yuki Cherry Blossom and Nikko that work as a beautiful groundcover. They prefer part sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun or partial shade, well-drained soil
Size: 2 to 5 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Boxwood
Boxwoods are evergreens that can be sheared into shapes or left to remain natural. Look for new or dwarf varieties that maintain their forms without trimming and are more cold tolerant, such as North Star and Sprinter. Boxwoods will tolerate a wide range of light conditions from part shade to full sun.
Growing Conditions: full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil
Size: 1-5 feet tall
Hardiness Zones: 5-9
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