Top 10 flowering shrubs

Grow colourful buddlejas as a magnet for attracting butterflies
Image: Buddleja 'Butterfly Candy' Collection from Thompson & Morgan (©Plantipp / Visions BV, Netherlands)

If you don't have lots of spare time for gardening, why not turn to shrubs? They act like the main character in a border, with perennials and bulbs forming the supporting cast. Delivering beauty, structure, and year after year colour, it won't take you long to see a return on your investment! Here, our horticultural team shares ten of their favourite flowering shrubs for low-maintenance gardens.

1. Gardenia 'Crown Jewels'
2. Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance'
3. Buddleja 'Butterfly Candy Little Ruby'
4. Hydrangea serrata 'Euphoria Pink'
5. Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
6. Lavatera x clementii 'Barnsley'
7. Hibiscus 'Starburst Chiffon'
8. Fuchsia 'Delta's Sarah' (Hardy)
9. Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Milano'
10. Erica 'Darley Dale'

Browse our full range of shrubs for more inspiration.

Gardenia 'Crown Jewels'

This hardy shrub is smothered with large exotic blooms in summer
Image: Gardenia 'Crown Jewels' from Thompson & Morgan

Indoors, outdoors... The new exotic-looking Gardenia 'Crown Jewels' is a bit of a revolution! From recent breeding, this is the first, fully double-flowered hardy gardenia that can be grown outdoors. Smothered in flowers from July to September and evergreen through the winter, the intoxicating fragrance is like a super strong jasmine! It does require a slightly acid soil, but it's easy to dig in some ericaceous compost when planting.

Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance'

This daphne flowers from April to October
Image: Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' from Thompson & Morgan

Don't forget that some smaller shrubs can be grown in patio containers too. Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' is a unique variety, with heavily perfumed flowers that last for six months. Often said to be the most powerfully-fragranced shrub available, try it for yourself. Daphne dislikes disturbance, so choose your spot carefully! Better still, plant it in a container near a door to enjoy the scent every time you pass.

Buddleja 'Butterfly Candy Little Ruby'

This dwarf buddleja is a good choice for patio containers
Image: Buddleja 'Butterfly Candy Little Ruby' from T&M

Forget unruly, sprawling specimens. Buddleja 'Butterfly Candy Little Ruby' reaches just 80cm tall, making it ideal for patio containers or small gardens where it will remain compact and smothered in dense spikes of deep red flowers. An unusual colour for buddlejas, the blooms have a sweet honey scent and contrast beautifully with the grey foliage. A great choice for poor soil.

Hydrangea serrata 'Euphoria Pink'

Vibrant pink flowers adorn this compact hydrangea
Image: https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/hydrangea-serrata-euphoria-pink/wkf1217TM from Thompson & Morgan

Hydrangea serrata 'Euphoria Pink' combines vivid flowers with striking foliage, delivering an exceptional show from early spring, when the leaves emerge, through to September when the blooms begin to fade. The bright pink lacecap flowers beautifully complement the unusual pink-tinged variegated foliage. Bushy and compact, this hard-working hydrangea reaches about 60cm in height and spread, making it perfect for containers or borders.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

With absolutely enormous flowers, this specimen shrub deserves centre stage
Image: Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' from T&M

Another hydrangea for the top ten, Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' produces magnificent conical blooms that open in soft green and gradually mature to cream before turning a delicate soft pink. This shrub is especially lovely when the flowers are at all three stages of maturity, giving it a three-tone effect. Give this hydrangea centre stage where the enormous flowers can really shine.

Lavatera x clementii 'Barnsley'

Lavatera 'Barnsley' is smothered in flowers for months on end
Image: Lavatera 'Barnsley' from T&M

A great shrub if you want to attract wildlife to your garden, Lavatera 'Barnsley' is loved by bees and butterflies. Quick to grow and fill a gap, it will reach a mature height and spread of 2m and tolerates a range of different soils. If you're looking for hundreds of silky, soft pink flowers from June to September, this is a must-have cottage garden shrub!

Hibiscus 'Starburst Chiffon'

These striking double blooms have an exotic look
Image: Image: Hibiscus 'Starburst Chiffon' from T&M

Bringing a flavour of the exotic to UK gardens, Hibiscus 'Starburst Chiffon' looks delicate but is extremely hardy and robust. The tropical-looking double blooms feature beautiful magenta veins against pure white petals, and they keep coming from July to October. This shrub is bound to be a talking point.

Fuchsia 'Delta's Sarah'

These unusual blue and white flowers are supremely weather resistant
Image: Fuchsia 'Delta's Sarah' (Hardy) from T&M

If you're looking for a shrub that gets better and better with age, Fuchsia 'Delta's Sarah' is a great choice. The unusual blue flowers are semi-doubles, and they increase in number each year until this hardy fuchsia is smothered with them. Even in bad weather, this beautiful bush variety will hold onto its blooms.

Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Milano'

This star jasmine produces masses of scented pink flowers
Image: Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Milano' from T&M

Although Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Milano' is a climber that will happily cover walls, fences and trellis, it's also a great choice for ground cover or use as a low, clipped hedge. The pale pink star-shaped flowers have an intoxicating perfume and last from May until September. But even when it's not flowering, the glossy variegated foliage makes this an interesting addition to any outdoor space. Easy to grow, drought tolerant and requiring very little pruning, this is a hard act to beat.

Erica 'Darley Dale'

This wonderful ground cover plant is a great source of pollen in late winter and early spring
Image: Erica 'Darley Dale' from Thompson & Morgan

No longer a dull border plant, Erica 'Darley Dale' is a ground cover heather with a difference. It not only has pretty pink blooms, but it can also be grown on almost any soil and doesn't need acid conditions like many heathers in the past. It'll be one of the first things to flower in the late winter too, and with its pollinator-friendly blooms, it won't be hiding under a bushel!

Looking for more ideas on low-maintenance shrubs to try in your garden? Find everything you need to know about shrubs over at our dedicated hub page.