Shrubs for Dry Soils
December 2024
The Best Varieties for Windbreaks
April 2025
Below is a list of shrubs particularly suited for creating garden borders.
Borders are low green edges usually under 60 cm high.
Bamboo (cultivars of Bambusa nana, Sasa spp., and Pleioblastus spp.)
Some dwarf bamboo varieties are ideal for creating dense, fast-growing borders. The evergreen leaves can be light green, dark green, yellow-variegated, or white-variegated. Pruning at the end of winter is recommended to maintain dense and compact foliage.
Berberis spp.
A shrub with an upright or spreading habit depending on the variety. Leaves may be deciduous or evergreen. Produces yellow flowers in spring or early summer and is very hardy in terms of soil.
- Berberis x ottawensis ‘Superba’: dark red leaves, yellow flowers in spring, followed by red fruits.
- :green leaves, flowers in April–May.
- Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ and B. thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea Nana’: dark red leaves, yellow flowers in spring, red fruits follow.
Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ (B. pumila)
Buxus pumila is a dwarf boxwood variety. Leaves are green, 1–2 cm long, with flowers appearing between March and April. Used for low, compact borders that require minimal pruning. Prefers moist, well-drained soils, especially if exposed to sun.
Caryopteris x clandolensis
A shrub with a dense, upright crown. Deciduous, elongated leaves; blooms from July to October with bluish flowers. Tolerates all soils and is pest-resistant.
Cistus spp.
A Mediterranean evergreen shrub with flattened five-petal flowers in spring and summer. Thrives in dry, rocky soils, tolerant of seaside conditions, often used in rock gardens.
Varieties include pink, fuchsia, and white.
Deutzia gracilis
Deciduous shrub with elongated leaves. Flowers bloom from mid-spring to mid-summer, forming racemes or panicles, either axillary or terminal. Requires pruning after flowering, by cutting back half of the flowering shoots.
Euonymus
Varieties such as E. fortunei, E. japonicus, and E. pulchellus are suitable for borders. All three tolerate seaside conditions, pollution, and wind.
- E. fortunei: prostrate habit, oval green or variegated leaves up to 5 cm. Thrives even in poor soils.
- E. japonicus: upright habit, evergreen oval leaves 5–7 cm, green or variegated. Produces small yellowish flowers in June–July. Excellent for geometrically shaped borders, tolerates pruning, grows well in all well-drained soils.
- E. pulchellus: dwarf variety with small elongated leaves, similar foliage colors to E. japonicus.
Hypericum calycinum
Prostrate evergreen shrub with oval leaves and yellow blooms from June to September. Grows in all well-drained soils, commonly used for rock garden borders, tolerant of shade.
Lantana camara
Branched shrub with dark green oval leaves, evergreen in warm climates. Flowers continuously from late spring to autumn with apical clusters. Excellent for flowering borders. Tolerates seaside conditions, pollution, and grows well in dry, calcareous soils.
Lavandula spp.
Lavender, typical of Mediterranean borders, is an evergreen shrub with a rounded crown and green-silver leaves. Produces long flowering stems from April to July, violet or white, highly fragrant. Tolerant of seaside conditions and pollution, ideal for rock gardens and Mediterranean-style borders.
Lonicera nitida
Evergreen shrub with upright growth and dense foliage. Leaves are oval, 1–2 cm, with purple fruits. Thrives in average soils, resistant to wind, pollution, drought, frequent pruning, and competition from other roots.
Potentilla spp.
Well-branched shrub with gray-green deciduous leaves. Flowers from late spring to mid-autumn, yellow, white, or pink depending on the variety. Prefers moist, cool soils; sensitive to very hot climates. Often used for rock garden borders.
Punica granatum ‘Nana Gracilissima’
Shrub with slightly spiny branches and a very compact crown. Leaves start copper-red, then turn bright green and yellow in autumn. Flowers and fruits appear simultaneously from August to November. Grows well in dry soils but requires good watering during growth. Suitable for rock garden borders.
Rhaphiolepis spp.
Evergreen shrub with oval leaves. Grows well in all typical non-calcareous garden soils.
- R. indica ‘Springtime’: pink flowers in spring.
- R. umbellata ‘Ovata’: white flowers with pink stamens, tolerant of seaside conditions.
Spiraea japonica ‘Anthony Waterer’
Upright shrub with dense crown. Deciduous, narrow leaves 7–10 cm long, dark green with grayish undersides. Produces crimson flower clusters from June to August. Adapts to all soils, pollution-tolerant, often used in rock garden borders.
Viburnum davidii
Low, spreading Viburnum with dark green elliptical leaves. Flowers are white-pink from May to June, followed by blue fruits. Prefers moist, well-drained soils
