Enhance the look of your landscape with eye-catching summer shrubs! These low-maintenance plants are an easy way to add visual interest and seasonal variety to your Texas garden.
Shrubs are durable and easy to grow. They help prevent soil erosion, improve air quality, and support natural wildlife. Adding shrubs to your landscape can elevate your curb appeal and increase the overall value of your property. They protect your home and garden from strong winds and are often used for privacy and noise reduction.
Enjoy beautiful blooms and gorgeous foliage year after year with the best shrubs for your Texas garden. Need inspiration? Here are a few of our favorite summer shrubs to plant now!
Eye-Catching Shrubs for Your Summer Garden
COLOR GUARD YUCCA
Prepare your garden for a sunny summer with Color Guard Yucca. This dynamic plant provides a tropical touch with sword-like leaves in rich green hues and fragrant spikes of white blooms. It’s a fast-growing shrub ideal for container gardening or planting in your flowerbeds.
Color Guard Yucca is a tough plant that thrives in full sun. Once established, this summer shrub is tolerant of wind, heat, humidity, and drought. It’s a great option for coastal climates and waterwise gardens. After planting, water deeply and regularly during the first few growing seasons to establish a strong root system and enjoy this easy-going beauty, year after year.
DWARF BUFORD HOLLY
Limited space in your garden? Plant Dwarf Buford Holly! The compact habit and medium growth rate make this an ideal summer shrub for urban dwellers and patio gardens. Growing holly shrubs can add structure and texture to your garden throughout the year. It can be groomed into a topiary or enjoyed as is with its pointed, glossy green leaves. In the winter, it produces nice red berries for added visual appeal.
Dwarf Buford Holly is tolerant in not-so-ideal growing conditions and adapts easily to dry and swampy soils. It performs best in average to moist soil conditions until established. Once it has developed a strong root system, give your plant a deep watering during times of drought and avoid letting the soil dry out completely.
SUNSHINE LIGUSTRUM
Add golden hues to your garden with Sunshine Ligustrum. Also known as Sunshine Privet, this hardy summer shrub can be used as a hedge or as a privacy plant in planters and borders. It has sprawling growth with bright, yellow foliage that emerges light green in spring.
This fast-growing, evergreen shrub is often used as an ornamental and is prized for its easy care. Sunshine Ligustrum grows well in most conditions and flourishes in full sun. Once established, it is drought and heat tolerant. For newly planted shrubs in the summer, water often, but ensure it has ample time to drain to avoid soggy roots.
CRAPEMYRTLES
Did you know Crapemyrtles are the state shrub of Texas? They absolutely contribute to the natural beauty throughout our state. They can be trained to grow as a tree but are captivating as a summer shrub, and they come in an array of sizes to suit their placement in your landscape. Crapemyrtles are extremely versatile and low maintenance, providing year-round appeal in your garden.
Crapemyrtles thrive in our Texas climate and are highly tolerant of urban pollution and summer heat. They are fast-growing shrubs ideal for container gardening or can be planted in your flowerbeds. Display your Crapemyrtles in a sunny area as adequate sun exposure is essential to the production of their amazing, prolific blooms.
BABY GEM™ BOXWOOD
For elegant foliage and year-round beauty, plant Baby Gem™ Boxwoods in your landscape. These compact shrubs are known for their versatility, adding style and structure to any outdoor space. They can be utilized as topiaries and privacy hedges or paired with gorgeous pottery for a fresh design idea on your patio.
Baby Gem™ Boxwoods enjoy full sun to partial shade, but planting them in an area with dappled shade during the hottest part of the day is preferable as they will benefit from the cooler soil temperatures. For the first two years, water deeply every week as the roots establish. Mature plants will become drought and heat-tolerant and only need a deep watering every few weeks.
KALEIDOSCOPE ABELIA
Make summer colorful with Kaleidoscope Abelia! This impressive shrub has brilliant yellow, gold, and green foliage with lovely white flowers in the summer, transforming to a myriad of yellow, red, and orange in the fall. It’s a fine choice for our Texas gardens because it is resistant to leaf fade and sun scorch and it’s a favorite to our beneficial pollinators. They love the fragrant flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen. This low-maintenance shrub will put on a dazzling performance every season, providing year-round interest in your flowerbeds and container gardens.
Kaleidoscope Abelia is a sun-loving summer shrub and performs best in full sun with some afternoon shade. It will produce healthier blooms and more vibrantly colored foliage with proper sun exposure. This fast-growing shrub needs regular watering when newly planted, and once established, it will become more drought tolerant.
How to Plant Summer Shrubs in your Texas Garden
When you are ready to start planting, put your safety first. Have the city come and label where gas and water lines are in your garden.
Next, it is important to prep the native soil. Start tilling to gently loosen the surrounding soil to help break up the clay in the soil and create air pockets for healthy root growth. Clear the planting area of rock and treat your new summer shrubs with Nature’s Creation® Root Stimulator, as directed, to promote root development and to ease the stress of transplanting.
After you finish prepping the soil, dig a hole for your shrub that is twice the size of the root ball and the same depth.
Mix in equal parts of the Calloway’s Premium Tree & Shrub Garden Soil with the native soil at the planting site. Our Tree & Shrub garden soil is the best soil for shrubs, providing a balanced and fertile environment for your plants.
Remove the shrub from its container. Place in the hole and press the tree and shrub soil around the plant to secure it.
Cover everything to the top of the root with a layer of Calloway’s Premium Organic Mulch to reduce weed production, conserve moisture, and protect your plant’s roots. Water in thoroughly, saturating the root ball and surrounding soil.
Summer Shrub Container Gardening
Container shrubs are a fantastic design idea that offers a convenient and versatile way to grow shrubs in any garden, whether you have limited space or poor soil conditions. You can grow a variety of shrubs in different locations and move them with ease.
Pair your plants with beautiful pottery for an extra stylish statement on your walkway, porch, or in your garden. Choose planters in gorgeous seasonal colors, keep things natural with terra cotta pots, or explore our collection of lightweight and durable plastic pottery from Japi and Bloem®.
Use the best soil for growing shrubs in pots and try Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil for your container gardening success. Our Potting Soil contains a quality blend of organic materials that provides the optimal growing environment for container plants. With superior drainage capabilities, it allows for proper moisture retention and aeration, helping to prevent overwatering and root rot.
Fertilizing Your Summer Shrubs
Keep your summer shrubs thriving with quality fertilizer, made specifically for your Texas garden. Feed your plants with Calloway’s Premium Tree & Shrub Plant Food. Follow the recommended feeding schedule for your plant varieties to provide the essential nutrients needed for optimal growth. The 16-4-8 formula contains a controlled release nitrogen, Fx Iron®, and other key ingredients needed to ensure your trees and shrubs maintain their health.
Grow with Ease
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we are here to help with all your summer gardening needs! Visit us today and explore our stunning collection of vibrant blooms, pretty perennials, impressive trees and shrubs, stylish pottery, lush indoor plants, and so much more! Shop any of our 28 neighborhood stores, where we have served our loyal customers for over 35 years.
Need help planting? Our Garden Services team is here to do the work for you! Update your flowerbeds or plant new summer foliage with Pick & Plant! We offer the ultimate time-saving service for those who can’t spend as much time as they’d like in the garden. Meet with our Garden Services and pick out your favorite flowers, trees, and shrubs, we will schedule your installation and have everything professionally planted for you in no time!
