It’s nearing the end of summer, and your Branson, MO beds are giving you the grand finale.
Rose of Sharon, crape myrtle, and hydrangeas show off with various shades of blue-green, coral, fuchsia, lilac, violet, periwinkle, and burgundy. And the pollinators love visiting these nectar-rich plants.
How can these flowering bushes survive the dog days of summer?
What Shrubs Are Late Bloomers in Southern Missouri?
Late summer blooming shrubs add fresh color to a tired landscape. It’s best to install drought- and heat-tolerant shrubs, also known as low-maintenance plants.
Here are eight popular, late-blooming shrubs that grace Springfield, MO, and Harrison, AR landscapes:
- Abelia – This beauty ranges from 2’ – 10’ tall and 2’ – 8’ wide. This shrub will bloom from spring through fall. Its fragrant flowers come in white, pink, and yellow, with glossy green, yellow, or variegated leaves.
The leaves change color in the fall to add to this bush’s charm. Abelia is a low-maintenance shrub that doesn’t need deadheading
- Bluebeard – Lots of cornflower blue blossoms surrounded by dark green leaves bloom from mid-summer through fall. This beautiful bush grows 2’ – 3’ tall and wide. It’s a low-maintenance shrub that doesn’t need deadheading.
- Butterfly bush – This versatile shrub attracts butterflies by bucket loads! Many varieties start blooming in early summer, while other types bloom later in the season. You can deadhead the spent flowers.
Time to Celebrate Smart Irrigation Month by Fine-Tuning Your Lawn Irrigation System
- Buttonbush – This white-flower shrub starts blossoming from June through September. It grows 6’ – 12’ tall and may need spring pruning to keep its shape.
- Cinquefoil – Here’s another perennial flowering bush that’s low-maintenance. It blooms from June through September, and it’s drought-tolerant.
- Crape myrtle – Crape myrtles only grow to about 10’ in Missouri compared to other southern states. Crape myrtles in Branson and Springfield will bloom from July through September in shades of red, purple, pink, and white.
- Dinner plate hibiscus – Since Branson is in USDA growing zone 6b, hardy hibiscus will deliver stunning dinner-plate-sized blossoms. It’s a hardy shrub that grows 3’ – 7’ tall and 2’ – 3’ wide. Dinner plate hibiscus is a late summer bloomer.
- Limelight hydrangea – This late summer flowering shrub will continue blossoming into the fall with blooms that start with lime-green flowers that turn white and then pink. It grows 6’ – 8’ tall and wide.
- Rose of Sharon – There are many hues and varieties of Rose of Sharon that can beautify your AR landscape. This late summer blooming shrub welcomes hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators to your Harrison yard.
- Summersweet – This late summer flowering shrub starts blossoming from late July through August. The blooms are similar to a butterfly bush flower and will attract pollinators to your property.
Learn more: Get a Handle on Lawn Fungus
7 Tips for Taking Care of Your Late Flowering Shrubs
While your late summer flowering bushes may be able to withstand the heat and the dry conditions, you still need to take care of them during heatwaves.
Here are seven maintenance tips for your late summer blooming shrubs:
- Plant your late summer blooming bushes in the right spot with well-draining soil. You’ll know if your flowering bush is growing in the wrong location. It’ll have stunted growth and no flowers.
If your flowering shrub needs full sun, plant it in a spot where it’ll get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
- Make sure that you’re providing the perennial flower shrubs’ watering needs. Some of these late bloomers need moist soil that’s not soggy. Invest in a drip irrigation system to deliver water directly to the plants’ roots.
- Don’t apply any fertilizer. Since these plants will be going into dormancy soon, they don’t need any extra fertilizing until next spring.
- Add a layer of fresh mulch. By the end of the summer, you need to turn over the mulch in your landscaped beds to refresh it. In areas where the mulch has thinned, add a light layer to regulate soil temperatures and to hold moisture.
- Deadhead spent blossoms so that your late summer bloomers will push out more flowers.
- Don’t prune your shrubs after the middle of August. The woody plants will start dormancy, so you don’t want to add any extra stress. You can cut any broken or dead branches and any suckers that spring out of the root area.
- If your shrubs grow in containers, add more potting soil and ensure the root ball gets plenty of moisture since containers dry out quickly in the heat.
Do You Want a Professional Landscaper to Maintain Your Shrubs?
If you don’t feel comfortable or you’re busy, consider hiring a professional landscape company to take care of your shrubs.
While we won’t water your shrubs, we can set you up with a drip irrigation system, so your flowering bushes get all of the moisture that they need.
We provide quality plant health care to your shrubs, trees, and perennial beds. If you have questions about late-blooming shrubs, don’t hesitate to ask us.
If you live in Branson or Springfield, MO, or Harrison, AR, you need to call Zanescapes Tree and Yard.
Branson, MO homeowners, and property managers know that Zanescapes Tree and Yard does quality work and will plant, prune, and care for your flowering shrubs with expertise. Contact Zanescapes today by calling 417-332-2333 or filling out our contact form.
Zanescapes Tree and Yard work in the following service areas: Blue Eye, Branson, Joplin, Kimberling City, Nixa, Ozark, and Springfield in Missouri and Harrison, AR
Sources
GardenDesign.com, 16 Best Flowering Shrubs for Season-Long Color.
Ibid, Butterfly Bush Basics.
Ibid, Crape Myrtle Basics
ProvenWinners.com, Are the Dog Days of Summer Taking a Toll on Your Flowers?
TheSpruce.com, How to Grow Althea Shrub.
Ibid, How to Grow Hardy Hibiscus.
