Moon Valley Nursery - Arizona Blog

Frost Hardy Shrubs

Written by Walt Conrad | 2/14/2013

With the recent weather we have all experienced here this winter, many of our customers are looking for more cold hardy shrubs. There are many shrubs available that will offer a great look and lots of color for your landscape, but will offer better resistance to the cold weather than other popular varieties.  We have comprised a list of cold hardy shrubs that will help you pick the right plants for your landscape needs. 
• Gardenia- white bloom and very fragrant
• Euonymus- hardy year-round green foliage 
• Varigated Euonymus- contrasted color foliage, adds color without the mess of blooms
• Boxleaf Euonymus- a compact growing bush that stays green all year long
• Rosemary- produces blue flowers and a very strong fragrance, available in both ground cover and upright styles
• Indian Hawthorn- pink blooms in the spring and fall make this a great evergreen selection
• Burgundy Hawthorn- Produces vibrant burgundy blooms in both spring and fall 
• Japanese Privet- Evergreen shrub that can be used in many applications (hedge, shrub, tree)
• Pineapple Guava - Medium to large evergreen shrub with unique pink blooms in the spring
• Morea Iris- low growing grass-like shrub, produces flowers in spring and fall
• Dietes Iris- Similar to the Morea with multi-colored bloom
• Pittosporum- A low-maintenance, easy to grow cold-hardy evergreen shrub 
• Mock Orange- Named after its fragrant orange-like blooms, this evergreen shrub adds color and fragrance to your landscape.
• Dwarf Pittosporum- Small evergreen bush that works in just about any landscape
• Purple Hopseed- Low water using cold-hardy shrub that adds purple foliage to any landscape, use this as a stand-alone bush or a hedge
• Green Hopseed- Bright green, low water using shrub that works as a stand-alone bush or hedge 
• Little John- A very easy to grow small evergreen shrub that produces bright bottle brush style blooms in spring through fall
• Bottle Brush- bright red blooms make this hardy shrub an attractive plant for any landscape, can be used as a stand-alone bush, large hedge, or even a small tree.
• Junipers- many varieties available, extremely cold hardy can be used in any landscape as a soft undertone.
• Golden Arborvitae- An easy to grow and very hardy pyramid-shaped plant that contrasts green and gold. This medium to the large bush is a very slow grower.
• Nandina- Medium to large shrub with green foliage and bright red new growth 
• Dwarf Nandina- A dwarf version of the Nandina, great for when a compact growing style is needed.
• Decorative Grasses- We have many varieties and they can be used in just about every landscape…they make great hardy accent plants and they’re very easy to maintain.

   

Euonymus comes in many different varieties and is very hardy!

Gardenia is a very frost-hardy shrub that adds color and fragrance.

Nandina is a great plant that adds color to your garden and it will stay leafed out year-round.

Purple hopseed is another evergreen shrub that will give you a great look year-round.

The Little John is a great plant to use in any landscape. It is very hardy in both cold and hot environments.

Dietes Iris is a grass-like flower with small white blooms in spring and fall. This plant works well for a decorative addition to your landscape

The Golden Arborvitae is a great shrub for full sun that will withstand the elements very well. Use as a stand-alone bush or plant close to make a nice thick hedge.

The Japanese Privet is one of the most versatile brushes available. It grows in full sun or shade, withstands cold temperatures without issue, and can be used in a variety of applications.

Decorative grasses are great as accent plants and can be used in any style of landscape. They are very hardy to the elements.

Rosemary is a great plant to use if you want to add color and fragrance. This shrub is extremely hardy and does well in all landscape designs.

The sea-green juniper is an extremely cold and heat-hardy shrub that is useful in many different applications. Plant it as a stand-alone bush, in groups to create a hedge, and also used in topiary applications.

Morea Iris is an accent plant that works in all types of applications and can grow in both full and part sun. This frost-hardy shrub boasts beautiful blooms of white with streaks of yellow and purple.

While some of these shrubs don’t carry the same visual impact as the more tropical varieties, not all frost-hardy shrubs have a plain look. If you’re set on planting tropical shrubs, they can be protected during freezes in order to keep them in your landscape - check out our Weather Protection Page for tips on protecting your tropical plants and shrubs during exceptionally cold spells of weather. Also, click here for a $5.00 OFF coupon on any of these frost-hardy shrubs.