Garden Shrubs Beginning with S - a-z Letter listing

Salix; Salvia; Sambucus; Sanchezia; Santolina; Sarcococca; Skimmia; Syringa:

 

The great thing about doing close up photography of flowers , is that you get to know them quite intimately. This shrub - Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna - has gorgeous scented flowers - and in the middle of winter at that. So, for the 'S' section, it gets my vote.

---

Salix - Weeping Willow - Pussy Willow: -  There are several Salix that can lay claim to being true shrubs - rather than trees. Some are dwarf enough to grow in a rock garden. Together with this, some of the tree types can be heavily pruned each year to give a stunning display of winter colour via their coloured stems.

Salvia – Sage: - The Salvias are a huge range of flowering and foliage plants. Some can lay claim to being shrubs, whilst others are best described as perennials of sorts. there are others of course, that are herbs. It is a range of plants well worth exploring.

Sambucus – Elderflower - Elderberry. Normally a hedgerow tree - or even weed - there are some Sambucus that are worthy of discovery as shrubs. Purple and gold foliage amongst them.

Sanchezia: - These are basically rainforest shrubs - evergreen with attractive foliage. Flowers are also attractive. One for tropical countries and certainly not hardy.

Santolina – Cotton Lavender: - Attractive low-growing evergreen shrubs with cream or yellow flowers. Some types have silver foliage. All are good ground cover plants, and whilst better in full sun, will also do well in moderate shade. Can be cut back hard each year to contain the spread.

Sarcococca – Christmas or Sweet Box: - Low growing dense foliage evergreen shrubs. Sweetly scented flowers mid-winter. Good groundcover, and good for shade.

Schefflera

Schinus

• Schisandra - An unusual woody climbing vine. Well worth growing

Schizophragma

Senecio

Senna

Silk Tree - Albizia: See Albizia

Sinningia

Sinojackia

• Smimmia japonica ssp Reevesianum - Male and female so no problems with berrying
  Skimmia: -  
  Wide range of evergreen flowering and berrying shrubs suitable for groundcover or specimen use. Winter flowers or berries are the main attraction other than the usually dense foliage. good for semi shade, though also happy in full sun, this group is fully hardy.

Snowball Tree - Viburnum: - See Viburnum

• Solanun jasminoides Album This potato vine has purest white flowers mid summer.
  Solanum – Climbing Potato: - Group of climbers and small shrubs actually belonging to the potato family! The climbers are grown for their flowers, whilst the shrubby types are grown mainly for their berries. Although related to potatoes, they are NOT edible and can cause sever discomfort at least if ingested.

Sophora: -  group of shrubs related to the pea family. Most are hardy in milder areas, and have attractive flowers and foliage. Protected area best for long life.

Sorbaria: -  To all intents and purposes, this shrub looks like 'mountain ash' suckers. Not so. It is a small group of sucjerous deciduous shrubs suitable for woodland or open aspect. Attractive flowers held aloft of pinnate foliage.

• Sorbus – Mountain Ash - Whitebeam: - Some of the Sorbus can be grown - if only for a short time - as shrubs. However, even as trees they are good in association with shrub plantings. mainly grown for their berries, they are good flowering trees and are well known for their autum foliage colour.

Spartium: - The Spanish Broom. Well worth growing for the bright yellow flowers that persist through summer and into the autumn. the sweet scent is an added bonus.

• Spiraea: - A huge range of deciduous flowering shrubs. Foliage is also big attraction on some varieties. Most are fully hardy unless hit by a late hard frost. They soon grow out of it. Whatever position you have in the garden where there is a gap, there will be a Spiraea to fill it - admirably.
• Spiraea japonica Goldflame
• Spiraea Arguta - The Bridal Wreath
• Stachyurus: - Not well known, this interesting shrub is worth cultivating. Masses of pendant flowers in February, it is well suited to growing against a wall - shaded or not. It also makes a superb stand-alone specimen. If it flowered at a more 'user-friendly' time of the year, it would be much more popular!

Stephanandra: - Deciduous with arching growths - full of flowers in early summer, but the Autumn foliage is what I really like about this shrub.

• Stem effect for Winter Shrubs

Stewartia: -  Stunning bark on the tree types, but a few shrubby types with white flowers - not unlike the single Camellia flowers. generally hardy.

Styrax: - Small tree - but well suited to planting in largish shrub borders. hanging snowdrop-type flowers of pure white.

Summer Sweet - Clethra: -  See Clethra

• Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii White Hedge - A superb upright growing variety of the Snowberry
  Symphoricarpos – Snowberry: - Some are thicket forming and invasive, others have more control. What they all have, is good winter berries or fruits - white or mauve shades. Totally hardy and will grow almost anywhere.
• Syringa - Lilac: Syringa vulgaris - Sweet-scented flowers on most types. There are several large shrubs to choose from and a few smaller types. Flowers are generally short lived, though the dwarf varieties seem to last longer. Prune carefully to ensure flowers the following year!