10 Shrubs That Add Seasonal Color To Your Garden

Golden Spirea

Here’s a shrub that’s as lively when it wakes up in spring as when its last leaves drop in autumn.

Don’t be surprised when your golden spirea sprouts tiny tangerine or flaming scarlet leaves in early spring. They’ll quickly turn bright gold with just the newest leaves at the tips of each stem retaining their warm colors by summertime.

Large clusters of bold pink, red or magenta flowers amp up the color show in late spring. Varieties like Double Play Candy Corn and Pink Sparkler are especially colorful.

Spirea is a great choice for beginner gardeners and anyone seeking low-maintenance shrubs. Plant it in a sunny-to-mostly-sunny spot near the front to middle of your garden border. It typically grows 18 to 36 inches tall and wide with a mounded shape. If you’re troubled by deer in your yard, they’ll leave these shrubs alone.

This shrub is not demanding about soil type — it even tolerates alkaline clay. Spirea generally is cold hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 3 or 4, and heat tolerant through Zone 8. Check the label to be sure; hardiness can vary by species.