Akebia – Chocolate Vine
Akebia is a vigorous semi-evergreen climber or sprawling shrub, admired for its fascinating, chocolate-scented purple flowers in spring. The foliage is graceful and divided, making it a great choice for arches or pergolas.
Garden Shrubs Beginning with A - a-z Letter listing
Amazing 'A' Shrubs for Your UK Garden
Planning a garden can feel like both a thrilling and a daunting task. With countless plants to choose from, where do you even begin? A fun and simple way to explore new possibilities is to work your way through the alphabet. It’s a creative challenge that can introduce you to wonderful plants you might otherwise have overlooked.
This post is the very first in our new A-Z series, created to help UK gardeners discover a rich variety of plants to enhance their outdoor spaces. We're kicking things off by exploring a fantastic selection of garden shrubs beginning with 'A'. From the sun-loving Abelia to the resilient, shade-tolerant Aucuba, there’s an 'A' shrub for every type of garden.
Join us as we look at several stunning shrubs, their key features, and tips on where they thrive best in a typical UK garden. By the end, you'll have some brilliant new ideas for plants starting with A for UK gardens.
Albizia – Silk Tree
Albizia, or Silk Tree, can be a spectacular large shrub in milder UK gardens. Its ferny, mimosa-like leaves and fluffy pink summer flowers give gardens a tropical flair. Perfect as a specimen in a sunny, sheltered spot.
Allamanda
Allamanda shrubs dazzle with their bold, trumpet-shaped golden-yellow flowers. These evergreens thrive in heat and need protection from frost, making them best suited to glasshouses or summer patio displays in the UK.
Amelanchier
Commonly called Juneberry or Serviceberry, Amelanchier is highly valued for its multi-season interest: clouds of white spring blossom, edible summer berries, and brilliant autumn leaf colour. It’s a reliable, wildlife-friendly shrub or small tree.
Ampelopsis
Ampelopsis, or Peppervine, produces delicate clusters of greenish flowers followed by ornamental berries that shift from white to blue. Its attractive, divided foliage makes it a lively climber or scrambling shrub for informal gardens.
Andromeda (Bog Rosemary)
A charming, low-growing evergreen shrub that is perfect for rock gardens, containers, or damp, acidic soil. Andromeda, or Bog Rosemary, has small, narrow, blue-green leaves that resemble those of the rosemary herb. In spring, it is covered in clusters of delicate, bell-shaped, pink or white flowers. It’s a tough little plant that provides wonderful texture and subtle colour all year round.
- Popular varieties: Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice'.
Aralia
Aralia is a genus of dramatic and architectural shrubs known for their bold, exotic-looking foliage. The Japanese Angelica Tree (Aralia elata) has huge, compound leaves that can reach over a metre in length, giving it a truly tropical feel. In late summer, it produces large clusters of small white flowers, which are followed by black berries that are popular with birds. It’s a real statement plant for a sunny or partially shaded spot.
- Popular varieties: Aralia elata 'Variegata', Aralia cordata 'Sun King'.
Arbutus (Strawberry Tree)
The Strawberry Tree is a fantastic large evergreen shrub or small tree that offers interest throughout the year. It has attractive, reddish-brown, shedding bark and glossy, dark green leaves. In autumn, it pulls off the clever trick of flowering and fruiting at the same time. You’ll see clusters of white, urn-shaped flowers alongside the previous year's fruits, which ripen into red, strawberry-like baubles (they are edible, but more for the birds!).
- Popular varieties: Arbutus unedo, Arbutus 'Atlantic'.
Arctostaphylos
Also known as Manzanita or Bearberry, Arctostaphylos features evergreen glossy leaves and attractive, urn-shaped flowers, followed by red berries. Its rugged habit and drought tolerance make it well-suited for gravel gardens or coastal areas.
Ardisia – Coral Berry
Ardisia is an evergreen shrub popular for its glossy green leaves and bright, coral-red berries that persist through winter. It also produces dainty, star-shaped flowers and thrives in sheltered, frost-free locations.
Aristolochia – The Dutchman's Pipe
These unusual shrubs or climbers bear large, pipe-shaped flowers, which can be quite a talking point. The generous, heart-shaped leaves add to their lush presence, making a bold statement against a fence or trellis.
