Shrubs add beauty to your yard, and flowering shrubs can add a fragrant feature to your landscape. Shrubs with small flowers are a bit less pronounced, but they can be just as visually appealing.
So, what are some shrubs with small flowers? Shrubs with small flowers include: American Beautyberry, Autumn Sage, Bay Laurel, Common Lilac, Crown of Thorns, Elderberry, Fringe Tree, Goji Berry, Shrimp Plant, and Turk’s Cap. Some of these shrubs have attractive foliage and can grow quite tall!
Of course, some of these shrubs prefer full sun, while others tolerate partial or full shade.
In this article, we’ll talk about 10 shrubs with small flowers. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors.
Let’s get started.
10 Shrubs With Small Flowers
There are plenty of shrubs with small flowers, but here are 10 to start with:
- American Beautyberry
- Autumn Sage
- Bay Laurel
- Common Lilac
- Crown of Thorns
- Elderberry
- Fringe Tree
- Goji Berry
- Shrimp Plant
- Turk’s Cap
Let’s begin with the American Bayberry.
American Beautyberry
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) pink or white flowers in late spring or summer.
American Beautyberry needs moderate moisture levels, and it can resist drought and salt, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
American Beautyberry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.3).
American Beautyberry can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 6 feet, with a width of 3 to 6 feet.
You can propagate American Beautyberry by division, root cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds.
You can learn more about American Beautyberry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find American Beautyberry from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Autumn Sage
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) is a perennial shrub that produces showy, fragrant, tiny (less than 1 inch) flowers that may come in lavender, pink, red, or white (possibly year round).
Autumn Sage needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it resists both deer and drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Autumn Sage prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Autumn Sage can tolerate harsh cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6b (as cold as -5 degrees Fahrenheit or –21 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet, with a width of 3 feet.
You can propagate Autumn Sage by tip cuttings.
You can learn more about Autumn Sage from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Autumn Sage from Sooner Plant Farm.
Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) green or yellow flowers in late spring or summer.
Bay Laurel needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Bay Laurel prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH (pH of 5.1 to 9.0).
Bay Laurel can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8a (as cold as 10 degrees Fahrenheit or –12 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 10 to 40 feet, with a width of 10 to 30 feet.
You can propagate Bay Laurel by offsets, root cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds.
You can learn more about Bay Laurel from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Bay Laurel from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Common Lilac
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy, fragrant, tiny (less than 1 inch) lavender, pink, or purple flowers in spring or early summer.
Common Lilac needs moderate moisture levels, but it is suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Common Lilac prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH (pH of 6.6 to 8.4).
Common Lilac can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 2a (as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit or –46 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet, with a width of 6 to 12 feet.
You can propagate Common Lilac by division or by stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Common Lilac from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Common Lilac from the Tree Center.
Crown Of Thorns
Crown Of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is a perennial shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) flowers that bloom in red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, white, or bicolor (possibly year round).
Crown Of Thorns needs moderate moisture levels, but it is suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Crown Of Thorns prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Crown Of Thorns cannot tolerate much cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9a (as cold as 20 degrees Fahrenheit or –7 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 24 to 36 inches, with a width of 20 to 24 inches.
You can propagate Crown Of Thorns by stem cuttings or tip cuttings.
You can learn more about Crown Of Thorns from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Crown Of Thorns from the Tree Center.
Elderberry
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy, fragrant, tiny (less than 1 inch) white, mauve, or pink flowers in late spring or early summer.
Elderberry needs moderate to wet moisture levels, and it tolerates salt and humidity. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Elderberry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Elderberry can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet, with a width of 6 to 8 feet.
You can propagate Elderberry by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Elderberry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Elderberry from Nourse Farms.
Fringe Tree
Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy, fragrant, tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in spring.
Fringe Tree needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Fringe Tree prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates acidic to neutral soil (pH of 4.5 to 7.3).
Fringe Tree can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 12 to 20 feet, with a width of 12 to 20 feet.
You can propagate Fringe Tree by seeds (the plant is self-fertile).
You can learn more about Fringe Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Fringe Tree from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Goji Berry
Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) lavender flowers in spring.
Goji Berry needs moderate moisture levels, but it is suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Goji Berry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.6 to 7.8).
Goji Berry can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 10 feet, with a width of 3 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Goji Berry by layering, stem cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds (the plant is self-fertile).
You can learn more about Goji Berry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Goji Berry from Growjoy.
Shrimp Plant
Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeeana) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) brown, pink, or white flowers in spring.
Shrimp Plant needs moderate moisture levels, and it tolerates humidity. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Shrimp Plant prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.3).
Shrimp Plant can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8b (as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit or –9 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet, with a width of 3 feet.
You can propagate Shrimp Plant by division or stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Shrimp Plant from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Shrimp Plant from Almost Eden Plants.
Turk’s Cap
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) is a perennial deciduous shrub that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) red flowers in late spring, summer, or early fall.
Turk’s Cap can tolerate wet, moderate, or dry water levels, and it is suitable for xeriscaping.
Turk’s Cap prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial or full shade. It tolerates acidic soil (pH of 5.6 to 6.0).
Turk’s Cap can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 7b (as cold as 5 degrees Fahrenheit or –15 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 6 feet, with a width of 3 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Turk’s Cap by division or tip cuttings.
You can learn more about Turk’s Cap from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Turk’s Cap from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Conclusion
Now you know about 10 shrubs with small flowers and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape.
You might also be interested in reading my article on plants with big flowers.
You can find some fall blooming plants here.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon