I have Aralia Sun King, small Burning Bush (which I am considering removing), a Sambucus, hydrangeas, peonies which look like shrubs after blooming. I also have a Drawf Threadleaf Cypress and two small trees, Salix Caprea and Limelight Hydrangea in tree form. I would love some very small firs.

debra

Hydrangeas (oakleaf and arborescens), fothergilla, serviceberry, silky dogwood, dwarf Colorado blue spruce.

I'm fond of deutzia. Calycanthus is another good one, though it can get quite large. I've tried clethra twice, and decided it just doesn't like my alkaline soil.

Thank you! I just bought calycanthus, Aphrodite, after seeing it in someone else's garden. My soil is alkaline too. I have oak leaf, arborescence and paniculata hydrangeas. I will be looking into other names, many thanks!

I have native ferns, astillbe, Cornus florida (native dogwoods), Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe tree), Clethra, Ilex verticillata (Winterberry Holly), Rhododendron maximum, native azaleas (which I don't do well with apparently), and random native perennials. I love hostas, but I am gradually replacing some many of them with more natives. I just planted eight, though, under our porch with some of our native ferns that I moved there with them. Fingers crossed. I have to water because it really is too dry under there.

I love Calycanthus. Deutzia is lovely, too.

ETA: Lindalana, please post photos when you get your shrubs planted...or even before. Actually, would love to see everyone's photos. I will try to get some photos here as well, but you will need to ignore the weeds please-Bad knee and haven't been able to do much out there. Sigh.

Common witch hazel, if you have the space

@lindalana 5b Chicago Just make sure you give 'Aphrodite' plenty of room! After 5 or 6 years, mine is easily about 9 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, although it takes well to some judicious thinning and it could probably be wider if I didn't stay on top of the pruning. I love it, but I have to laugh every time I see it advertised as "compact"!

I had an aphrodite for 6 years--- I loved her, and she WAS HUGE... but alas, she's truly a zone 5, so those years with her were a gift.

I plant the same, hydrangeas, sun king Aralia (LOVE THIS!!!!), an ugly yew.... a dwarf purple leafed sand cherry that got eaten to the ground so many times that it doesn't even grow past 12 inches any more... but man, I'm tempted to push my luck and plant another calycanthus.

You could try the straight species of Calycanthus florida, or species selections. Those are zone 4. It's the fancy pants hybrids that are zone 5.

I have an established, very large Venus in my back garden. If we ever go back into the deep freeze, (-25F) I expect I'll lose it.

I have ordered Hydrangea Riven Lace, seen it at friends house, got Sambucus Black Lace And Buttonbush Sugar Snap? I had Black Lace in previous home as well as regular Buttonbush but could not take it with me. I am looking for smaller fothergilla now.

Noted on Aphrodite, will give it space, thanks for advice.

Hydrangea, Jane Magnolia and Japanese Maples. When the shrubs get too big we've removed

them.

Fothergillas like very acidic soil and may not do well in your alkaline soil (which I am very familiar with because I have it too). Many years ago, a landscape designer specified some fothergillas for part of my yard and within a few years they all petered out.

I've never had trouble with fothergilla. Currently, it is being smothered with wild clematis, but that is an entirely different issue. It's been there for at least 20 years with no fancy soil amendments. Soil pH is 7.2.

I'm surprised that fothergillas would do well in PH 7.2, but there may be more to it. For example, they may not like the heavy clay around here. At one time I had six small ones and they never thrived or grew much beyond the original plants. So my suggestion would be try one and see how it does, before investing in more.

Am reading that some fothergilla is more forgiving. Something to think about, I am long over trying to grow rhodies in high pH.