A-Z Shrubs
We stock a wide range of shrubs all year round, with flowers, foliage and berries for every season. If you're looking for lime-hating plants such as camellias, pieris and rhododendrons, see our Ericaceous page too.
Our best-selling shrubs for each letter, based on what our customers bought from us between November 2025 and October 2026. Ask a member of the team if you can't find what you're after: stock changes through the seasons.
A
Azalea
Azalea
Compact relatives of the rhododendron, smothered in spring with flowers in pink, red, white, orange and purple. Japanese azaleas are evergreen and stay low, so they're ideal for pots and the front of a border. They need lime-free (ericaceous) soil or compost and dislike drying out.
Popular here: 'Blaauw's Pink', 'White Lady', 'Arabesk'
Acer
Japanese maple
Slow-growing shrubs with finely cut leaves in greens, reds, oranges and purples, colouring brilliantly in autumn. Best in dappled shade, sheltered from cold winds and hot afternoon sun, in moist but well-drained soil. Many stay compact enough to live happily in a large patio pot.
Popular here: Acer palmatum, 'Festival', 'Beni-maiko'
Aucuba
Spotted laurel
A tough, glossy evergreen that copes with shade, dry soil and pollution where little else will. Gold-splashed forms such as 'Variegata' and 'Picturata' brighten dark corners all year, and female plants can carry red berries. Easy to prune to shape.
Popular here: 'Golden Girl'
B
Buddleja
Butterfly bush
Fast-growing shrubs with long, honey-scented flower spikes from midsummer that are a magnet for butterflies and bees. Compact ranges such as 'Butterfly Candy' suit small gardens and pots. Give them sun and well-drained soil, and cut back hard in early spring for the best flowers.
Popular here: 'Butterfly Candy Little', 'Royal Red', 'Blue Chip Jr'
Berberis
Barberry
Spiny, hard-working shrubs for hedging and colour. Upright varieties such as 'Orange Rocket' and 'Golden Rocket' bring bright foliage to small spaces, while evergreen Berberis darwinii has orange spring flowers and blue-black berries loved by birds. Happy in almost any soil, in sun or part shade.
Popular here: 'Golden Rocket', 'Rose Glow'
C
Photo: Unsplash
Choisya
Mexican orange blossom
A neat, rounded evergreen with aromatic leaves and scented white flowers in spring, often again in autumn. 'Sundance' has bright yellow foliage and 'White Dazzler' is compact with narrow leaves. Grows in sun or part shade in well-drained soil; trim after flowering to keep it tidy.
Popular here: ternata 'Brica', 'Sundance'
Ceanothus
California lilac
Evergreen shrubs covered in clusters of blue flowers in late spring or early summer, much visited by bees. They like full sun and well-drained soil, and grow well trained against a sunny wall. Prune lightly straight after flowering, as they don't regrow well from old wood.
Popular here: 'Skylark', 'Yankee Point', thyrsiflorus var. repens
Camellia
Camellia
Glossy evergreens with rose-like flowers in white, pink and red from late winter into spring. They need lime-free (ericaceous) soil or compost and a spot out of early-morning sun, which can damage frosted buds. Keep pot-grown plants well watered in late summer, when next year's buds are forming.
Popular here: 'Bonomiana', 'Silver Anniversary', 'Lady Campbell'
D
Daphne
Daphne
Prized for some of the strongest scent in the garden, with small clusters of flowers in late winter and spring. Most stay compact and suit a sheltered border or large pot near a door or path. Give them moist but well-drained soil and avoid moving them once planted. All parts are toxic if eaten.
Popular here: 'Perfume Princess'
E
Photo: Unsplash
Euonymus
Spindle
Reliable evergreens for year-round colour in sun or shade. Upright 'Green Spire' makes a neat, narrow hedge and a good alternative to box, while variegated forms brighten borders, winter pots and shady corners. Tolerant of most soils and easy to clip.
Popular here: 'Green Spire', 'Himalaya', fortunei 'Harlequin'
Photo: Unsplash
Eucalyptus
Cider gum
A fast-growing evergreen with round, silver-blue young leaves that are popular for flower arranging. Eucalyptus gunnii, including compact 'Azura', is one of the hardiest. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, and cut back in spring to keep it bushy and the young foliage coming.
Popular here: gunnii 'Azura', Eucalyptus gunnii
Photo: Lazaregagnidze, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Escallonia
Escallonia
Glossy evergreens with small pink, red or white flowers through summer, popular for hedging and windbreaks, especially near the coast. 'Red Dream' is compact with red flowers and 'Gold Ellen' has gold-edged leaves. Give them sun and well-drained soil, and trim after flowering.
Popular here: 'Gold Ellen', 'Pink Elle'
F
Fuchsia
Fuchsia
Long-flowering shrubs with dangling, two-tone flowers from summer into autumn. Hardy fuchsias come back each year in the border, and others are perfect for pots and hanging baskets. Grow in sun or part shade in moist, well-drained soil, and mulch hardy types over winter.
Popular here: 'Waltz Jubilee', Hardy fuchsias
Fatsia
Japanese aralia
A bold evergreen with large, glossy, hand-shaped leaves that give a tropical look to shady spots, plus white flower heads in autumn. 'Spider's Web' has leaves speckled with white. Does well in shade or part shade, sheltered from strong winds.
Popular here: 'Spider's Web'
G
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Griselinia
New Zealand broadleaf
A fresh apple-green evergreen with glossy, rounded leaves, widely planted for hedging and especially good in coastal gardens. 'Green Horizon' is quick and dense; 'Variegata' has cream edges. Plant in sun or part shade in well-drained soil, sheltered from cold, drying winds.
Popular here: littoralis 'Variegata'
Photo: Unsplash
Grevillea
Grevillea
Unusual evergreens from Australia with needle-like leaves and spidery flowers loved by bees, often in bloom from late winter into summer. 'Canberra Gem' (pink-red) and low, spreading 'Mount Tamboritha' are among the hardiest. Needs sun, shelter and well-drained, lime-free soil.
Popular here: 'Canberra Gem', 'Mount Tamboritha'
H
Hebe
Hebe
Neat, rounded evergreens with flower spikes in white, pink, purple or blue from summer into autumn. Many, such as the 'Queen' and 'Magicolors' ranges, are grown for colourful foliage too. Ideal for borders, pots and coastal gardens; give them sun and well-drained soil.
Popular here: 'Addenda' range, 'Magicolors' range
Hydrangea
Hydrangea
Big summer flower heads that last for months: mopheads and lacecaps in pink, blue or white, the dependable 'Strong Annabelle' with huge white heads, and paniculatas that age from white to pink. Most like moist soil and part shade; on acid soil, blue varieties stay blue.
Popular here: 'Forever & Ever' range, arborescens 'Strong Annabelle', 'Royalty' range
Hibiscus
Tree hollyhock
Hardy shrubby hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus) brings large, exotic-looking flowers in white, pink, red or violet-blue from late summer into autumn. It's slow to leaf up in spring, so don't give up on it. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, ideally against a warm wall.
Popular here: Hibiscus syriacus
I
Ilex
Holly
Evergreens for structure all year. Traditional hollies have glossy leaves and winter berries on female plants, while box-leaved Ilex crenata, such as 'Jenny' and 'Luxus', is a popular alternative to box for low hedges and topiary balls. Sun or shade, in any well-drained soil.
Popular here: crenata 'Jenny', 'Dark Green'
L
Lavandula
Lavender
Fragrant silver-grey shrubs that bees love. French lavender (stoechas) such as 'Anouk' has 'rabbit-ear' flowers from late spring, while English lavender like 'Hidcote' is the hardiest choice for low hedges. Needs full sun and free-draining soil; trim after flowering but never into old wood.
Popular here: Lavandula stoechas, angustifolia 'Munstead', stoechas 'Anouk'
Photo: Unsplash
Laurus
Bay
The culinary bay tree: an aromatic evergreen with leaves for the kitchen, often clipped into lollipop standards, pyramids or spirals for pots by the door. Grow in sun or part shade in well-drained soil, sheltered from cold winds, and trim in summer.
Popular here: 'Bay Junior', Bay standards
Photo: Unsplash
Lavatera
Tree mallow
A fast-growing shrub with large, open flowers in pink or white from early summer into autumn. 'Barnsley' (pale pink with a red eye) and 'Bredon Springs' are favourites. Give it full sun and well-drained soil, and cut back hard in spring.
Popular here: 'Barnsley', olbia 'Rosea', 'Bredon Springs'
M
Mahonia
Mahonia
Architectural evergreens that light up winter with scented yellow flower spikes, followed by blue-black berries. 'Charity' and 'Winter Sun' are tall and striking, while 'Soft Caress' has soft, spine-free leaves for smaller spaces. Happy in shade or part shade.
Popular here: 'Winter Sun'
Photo: Unsplash
Magnolia
Magnolia
Spectacular flowering shrubs and small trees. Star magnolia (stellata) is compact with white spring flowers, while evergreen grandiflora 'Little Gem' has large, scented summer blooms. Plant in a sheltered spot in moist, well-drained, ideally neutral to acid soil.
Popular here: Magnolia stellata, Magnolia grandiflora, 'White Caviar'
N
Nandina
Heavenly bamboo
Not a true bamboo, but a graceful evergreen with layered leaves that flush red and orange in spring and again in winter. Compact 'Obsessed' is a popular choice for pots. Grow in sun or part shade in moist, well-drained soil.
Popular here: 'Obsessed'
Photo: Unsplash
Nerium
Oleander
A Mediterranean evergreen with clusters of pink, red or white flowers all summer, usually grown in pots or as a standard. In most of the UK it needs to come under cover for winter, and it likes full sun. All parts are highly toxic if eaten.
Popular here: Oleander standards
O
Olea
Olive
A Mediterranean classic with silver-green leaves, sold as bushes and standards for patios and sunny borders. Olives need full sun and very well-drained soil or gritty compost. They'll take some frost but dislike cold, wet winters, so shelter pots in hard weather.
Popular here: Olive standards, Olive bushes
Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Osmanthus
False holly
An easy, holly-like evergreen with small, very fragrant white flowers in autumn. Variegated forms such as 'Goshiki' and 'Tricolor' have leaves splashed with cream, pink and bronze. Grows in sun or part shade in most well-drained soils.
Popular here: heterophyllus 'Variegatus', heterophyllus 'Goshiki'
P
Pieris
Pieris
Compact evergreens with brilliant red spring shoots and sprays of white or pink bell-shaped flowers. 'Forest Flame' is a classic and smaller varieties suit pots. They need lime-free (ericaceous) soil or compost and a sheltered spot in part shade.
Popular here: 'Forest Flame', 'Little Heath', 'Flaming Silver'
Photinia
Photinia
Evergreens famous for bright red new growth in spring. 'Red Robin' makes a colourful hedge or standard, and 'Little Red Robin' is a compact version for small gardens and pots. Sun or part shade in well-drained soil; trim in summer for a second flush of red.
Popular here: 'Carré Rouge', serratifolia 'Pink Crispy', fraseri 'Louise'
Photo: Unsplash
Prunus
Cherry laurel
A fast, dense evergreen for hedges and screening, with large glossy leaves and spikes of white flowers in spring. 'Rotundifolia' is the traditional hedging laurel, 'Novita' grows quickly into a neat hedge, and 'Marbled White' is variegated. Tolerates most soils, in sun or shade.
Popular here: laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia'
R
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Showy evergreens with large trusses of flowers in late spring, in almost every colour. Dwarf varieties are ideal for pots and small gardens. Rhododendrons need lime-free (ericaceous) soil or compost, part shade and regular watering, especially in late summer.
Popular here: Dwarf rhododendrons, 'Caroline Allbrook', 'Blattgold'
Photo: Unsplash
Rosmarinus
Rosemary
An aromatic evergreen herb with blue flowers in spring that bees adore. 'Miss Jessopp's Upright' is ideal for low hedges, and trailing types suit pots and walls. Give it full sun and free-draining soil, and pick for the kitchen all year.
Popular here: 'Miss Jessopp's Upright', 'Capri', 'Whitewater Silver'
S
Skimmia
Skimmia
Compact evergreens for winter colour, with clusters of red or pink buds through autumn and winter that open to scented white flowers in spring. 'Rubella' is a firm favourite for winter pots. Prefers part or full shade and humus-rich, ideally lime-free soil.
Popular here: 'Rubella', 'Finchy'
Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sarcococca
Christmas box
A small, tough evergreen with tiny white flowers in mid to late winter and a scent that carries across the garden. It thrives in shade, even dry shade, so it's perfect by a door or path. Low-maintenance and slow-growing.
Popular here: hookeriana 'Purple Gem', Sarcococca confusa
Salix
Ornamental willow
Ornamental willows such as Salix integra 'Hakuro-nishiki' and 'Flamingo' have pink, cream and green young leaves, and are often grown as neat lollipop standards for pots and borders. Keep the soil moist and trim in summer to encourage fresh coloured growth.
Popular here: integra 'Hakuro-nishiki', 'Flamingo'
T
Photo: Unsplash
Taxus
Yew
The finest evergreen for formal hedges and topiary, with dark green needles that clip beautifully and regrow even from old wood. Slow to start but very long-lived. Grows in sun or shade in any well-drained soil. All parts except the red flesh of the berry are poisonous.
Popular here: Taxus baccata
V
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Viburnum
Viburnum
A large and varied group. Evergreen Viburnum tinus has pink buds opening to white flowers through winter and spring, followed by blue-black berries, and Viburnum davidii has striking metallic-blue berries. Easy in sun or part shade, in most soils.
Popular here: Viburnum tinus, bodnantense 'Dawn'
Photo: Unsplash
Vinca
Periwinkle
A low, spreading evergreen with blue, purple or white flowers in spring and on and off through summer. Excellent ground cover under shrubs and in shady areas where grass struggles. Grows in almost any soil, in sun or shade.
Popular here: Vinca minor
W
Weigela
Weigela
Easy deciduous shrubs with trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer, in pink, red or white. Many have colourful foliage too, such as purple 'Nana Purpurea' or cream-edged 'Variegata'. Sun or part shade; prune straight after flowering.
Popular here: 'Red Prince', 'Strawberries and Cream'