Shrubs

Flowering Shrubs In NZ

New Zealand's vibrant landscape offers the perfect stage for showcasing a diverse array of flowering shrubs. From the snow-covered Southern Alps to the semi-tropical environment of Northland, there's a shrub to suit every climate and garden style. Whether you crave colour, fragrance, year-round interest, or all of these, here's a glimpse into some of the flowering shrubs available in NZ through the different seasons.

Spring flowering shrubs:

Greet the warmer months with a chorus of colour from some of our more popular shrubs. Ceanothus paints the landscape with vibrant blues and purples, while Rhododendrons and Camellias offer a majestic display of pinks, reds, and whites. Don't forget the ever-popular Weigela, with its cascading branches laden with bell-shaped blossoms. Finally, Escallonias and Mexican Orange Blossoms complete the picture.

Summer flowering shrubs:

As the sun intensifies, heat-loving shrubs take centre stage. Butterfly Bushes attract butterflies with their fragrant, nectar-rich flowers, while Hibiscus add a tropical touch with their large and vibrant blooms. For a touch of the Mediterranean, Lavender offers captivating purple hues and a calming fragrance, and can be complemented with Grevilleas and Leucadendrons. The picture is completed with beautiful and fragrant Gardenias.

Autumn Flowering Shrubs:

Embrace the farewell of summer with shrubs that put on a final dazzling display. Smokebush erupts in a cloud of burgundy foliage, while Hydrangeas transform into globes of vibrant blues, pinks, and purples. Camellias will often put on another remarkable show.

Winter Flowering Shrubs:

Even during the cooler months, your garden can bloom with resilience. Viburnums offer clusters of berries that provide a feast for birds and visual interest. For a touch of drama, Hamamelis delights with its fragrant, witch-like flowers that defy the winter chill.

White Flowering Shrubs For A Dream Garden

New Zealand's diverse landscape provides the perfect setting for a stunning array of white flowering shrubs. These elegant beauties add a touch of purity and serenity to your garden, while attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Whether you seek year-round blooms or seasonal bursts of fragrance, there's a white flowering shrub waiting to grace your outdoor space. A sample of The Plant Company’s most popular white flowering shrubs is presented below.

• Camellia 'Avalanche': This evergreen shrub boasts white blooms that exude a delicate fragrance. It thrives in well-drained soil and partial shade.
• Rhododendron 'White Knight': This stunning variety produces clusters of pure white flowers, contrasting beautifully with its deep green foliage. It prefers acidic soil and dappled sunlight.
• Viburnum plicatum: A true showstopper, this deciduous shrub is adorned with massive clusters of white flowers in late spring. It loves full sun and moist, well-drained soil.
• Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’: This versatile shrub produces large and beautiful clusters of white flowers. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and tolerates a wide range of soil types.
• Loropetalum 'Blonde n' Gorgeous': This evergreen shrub features cascading branches adorned with clusters of white, ribbon-like flowers in spring and summer. It tolerates a range of soil types and thrives in full sun or partial shade.
• Abelia grandiflora: This low-maintenance shrub blooms continuously from spring to autumn, offering clusters of fragrant, white flowers that attract butterflies. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
• Hebe 'Wiri Mist’: This versatile shrub adds year-round interest with its green foliage and occasional clusters of white flowers. It tolerates a variety of soil types and thrives in full sun or partial shade.
• Escallonia ‘Iveyi’: This evergreen shrub offers year-round beauty with its glossy green foliage and occasional sprays of white, bell-shaped flowers. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun or partial shade.
• Manuka ‘Snow Flurry’: This versatile native shrub thrives in various conditions and attracts native birds with its masses of white flowers.
• Gardenia ‘Fragrant Star’: This shrubs is beautiful with its glossy, green foliage and fragrant, white flowers.

This is just a mere snapshot of some of our plants. If you want to see more options, use our plant finder tool and turn on the filters for white flowers and shrubs. From there you can turn on more filters to find a selection of plants for your location and requirements. Enjoy!

Low Maintenance Shrubs

There are many shrubs that are considered low-maintenance that are perfect for the New Zealand climate. They are typified by their ability to tolerate dry periods with low incidence of disease or pest issues.

Flowering Shrubs:

• Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium): This versatile native shrub thrives in various conditions and attracts native birds with its honey-scented white flowers. It's also drought-tolerant and doesn't require much pruning.
• Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa): This iconic coastal shrub bursts into bloom with vibrant red flowers in summer. It tolerates salt spray and wind, making it ideal for coastal gardens. While it does require occasional pruning to maintain its shape, it's generally low maintenance.
• Kowhai (Sophora microphylla): This iconic New Zealand tree offers a spectacular display of yellow flowers in spring. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun and is quite drought-resistant once established.
• Ceanothus: This California native shrub offers a breathtaking display of fragrant flowers in summer and autumn. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil and is drought-tolerant once established.
• Abelia x grandiflora: This low-maintenance shrub blooms continuously from spring to autumn, offering clusters of fragrant, white flowers that attract butterflies. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil and is drought-resistant once established.
• Hebe: This large genus of New Zealand native shrubs offers a variety of foliage colors and textures, some with small flowers. They are drought-tolerant and require minimal pruning.

Non-Flowering Shrubs:

• Coprosma: This diverse genus of New Zealand native shrubs comes in a variety of foliage colors and textures, making them perfect for adding year-round interest to your garden. They are drought-tolerant and require minimal pruning.
• Griselinia littoralis: This coastal evergreen shrub has glossy green leaves and can be grown as a hedge or specimen plant. It is wind and salt-tolerant and requires minimal pruning.
• Corokia cotoneaster: This versatile shrub has small, glossy green leaves and produces clusters of yellow flowers in spring. It is drought-tolerant and can be grown as a hedge or specimen plant.

The Plant Company has an extensive range of shrubs and if you want to see more options, use our plant finder tool and turn on the filters for shrubs. From there you can turn on more filters to find a selection of plants for your location and requirements.

Pictures Of Shrub With Their Names

One of the reasons The Plant Company website is loved around the world is because of the high quality images of different plants and shrubs. We take great care and pride in producing accurate names, data, and pictures of the shrubs we retail. Explore our range of shrubs and be impressed!

About The Plant Company

We’re passionate about plants, and our team is committed to helping you make your dream garden a reality. Our easy-to-use plant finder tool narrows down your options and can pair you with the perfect plant – simply filter your search according to garden style, usage, flower colour, flowering season, location, fragrance, natives, coastal conditions, and seasonality. If you’re not sure where to start or what exactly it is that you’re looking for, The Plant Company team is more than happy to help. We can talk you through your options and which plants are most suitable for your space according to your preferences and needs.