thanks!

I should have mentioned that I am not necessarily reccommending these shrubs myself. Some are not native and possibly invasive. I would be particularly wary of the coralberry which is a honeysuckle type shrub. Just sharing the info.

Thanks for the list, I'll have to check into some of them. I have the "Sunburst" St. Johns Wort on a modest slope and it does very well - it also has a nice rounded form so it looks great from the bottom or the top and is covered with yellow blooms for weeks.

I looked at the flowering quince, the Sixteen Candles the coralberry and liked them very much.
I see we are all in the same zone..

does the St John's attract bees and butterflies?

I know I brought it up but please don't use the coralberry. Non-native honeysuckle shrubs are major invaders.

Don't worry bob.. I will check the plants attributes before I plant anything. I don't have any money to spend on plants and most of them would require ordering. But I do love to dream.
Thanks for caring, Cherry

Bob, I thought the coral honeysuckle was a non-invasive cultivar ... I found a couple of sites that indicated it wasn't. Have you heard otherwise?

Here are a couple of links about the coral honeysuckle....

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/vines/lonicera_sempervirens.html

http://www.hear.org/Pier/wra/pacific/lonicera_x_heckrottii_htmlwra.htm

I am just paranoid about non-native honeysuckle shrubs as I am battling an invasion of various types now. You did the right thing and researched the plant.

I feel your pain Bob, I'm battling japanese honeysuckle and I'm afraid I am loosing the battle. I also have russian olive and multi-flora rose that is taking over.

And you do have to research the plants - don't count on what the seller tells you. I bought some "sterile" loosestrife for a boggy area from a local nursery. Later I discovered that sterile only meant it wouldn't produce seeds but it could still cross-pollinate with the invasive varieties so I got rid of it.

Thanks everyone. I managed to learn something by sharing a little bit of info.
FYI, I dug up and transplanted some staghorn sumacs last year and new ones have grown up from the old site. I guess they really can regenerate from root fragments.

So what makes these suggestions better for a hill than any other shrub???

In addition to being attractive ornamentals, they share the similar characteristics of a low and spreading growth habit, often expanding by suckering or rhizomatous stems. This is one of the features recommended in a plant selected for erosion control. And that low, spreading growth habit provides for visual interest in both looking up or down a slope. They also share a wide hardiness range and an adaptability to a range of planting conditions and are not considered invasive species (although several could be considered rather aggressive spreaders). I would certainly not consider this to be a complete listing of shrubs suitable for hillside or sloped planting, but it's a great place to start for those gardeners who are unfamiliar with a wide range of plants.

One feature they lack that is notable in its omission is that none of these are evergreen.