Parker County Master Gardener Association

Best Shrubs for Parker County
Printer Friendly The following list is the result of a survey of Parker County Master Gardeners. They were asked to rate the shrubs they had experienced growing or observing.
Number after name of the tree shows first place votes it received from Parker County Master Gardeners. The votes are in and tabulated. Clearly, crapemyrtle is our favorite shrub.
1.	Crapemyrtle (3)	Have a white one that shades the west side of my house. It is old, beautiful and very stately with exfoliating bark that exposes a red trunk each year.
2.	Loropetalum (Chinese fringe flower) (1)	This gives beautiful color throughout the year and I allow mine to grow without pruning and love the “willowy” look of the new growth that eventually becomes very refined. I like this shrub but I see so many that are pale and thin from no pruning that I think it should be planted less. Think it’s problem is iron and fungus.
3.	Dwarf Burford holly (1)
4.	Bridal wreath spiraea (1)
5.	Nandina	Have many of different varieties but have taken all the Nana’s out because of fungal leaf spot.
6.	Texas sage (1)	I like the Green Cloud the best. Gray one is over planted
7.	Elaeagnus	Has a wonderful fragrance when blooming (although the blooms are very insignificant) we prune the “fishing pole” like growth to keep the shape of the shrubs.
8.	Althea (Rose of Sharon)	Have a pink blooming one that was propagated from my Grandmother’s plant. Like the single white bloom the best. The double is too small of flower.
9.	American beautyberry	Birds love the berries in the fall. Needs sun for color. Mine is in dappled shade.
10.	Red yucca	I do not like the white one at all.
11.	Dwarf yaupon holly	Wonderful shrubs have several for over 25 years.
12.	Dwarf wax myrtle
13.	Nellie R. Stevens holly (1)	Have many of these shrubs and they are old, beautiful and over 25 feet tall and create a wonderful privacy hedge.
14.	Spiraea ‘Anthony Waterer’
15.	Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’	Rabbits leave alone
16.	Boxwood	Good “filler” plant and great in arrangements. I like the newer “Evergreen” one better than the old species.
17.	Mock orange ‘Natchez’
18.	Butterfly bush
19.	Variegated privet
20.	Cotoneaster
21.	Flowering quince	Beautiful early bloomer. Does not bloom long enough.
22.	Forsythia	Does not bloom long enough
23.	Burford holly	Have some for so many years they are 30-foot trees.
24.	Hydrangea	I have an entire shaded bed dedicated to several types of these shrubs and I enjoy them although they require extra care. They require good bed preparation, iron supplements; they are the first to wilt when water is needed.
25.	Glossy abelia (1)	Butterflies love this plant. Gets too big for flower beds
The Rest:
	Oak leaf hydrangea	Great throughout the year with beautiful large leaves, large white blooms that turn to a parchment color late in the season and when the leaves drop, the wonderful structure of the plant with its exfoliating bark is exposed. I think this is a quality plant and enjoy mine with no insect or disease problems.
	Coralberry	Will grow in shade
	Winter honeysuckle
	Leatherleaf Mahonia	Good for shade and has beautiful purple berries late in the season.
	Yew
	Dwarf burning bush
	Snowball viburnum
	Cleyera	I like the look of this plant but it has issues with iron deficiency and Entomosporium leaf spot.
	Pomegranate ‘Wonderful’
	Pyracantha	Get too many insects.
	Carissa holly	Too sticky. Hurts to prune.
	Chinese photinia	Not sold or planted enough.
	Southern wax myrtle (Bayberry)	Have seen many that are show iron deficiency. Indian hawthorn Seen too many with the fungal leaf spot. I like the white one because it does not have fungus leaf spot but the pink one has the prettier bloom but the fungus problem
	Texas barberry (Texas mahonia)
	Pittosporum
	Japanese aralia
	Kidneywood (Rock brush)
	Aromatic sumac
	Agave (Century plant)	Gets too large
	Oleander	Poison in many ways and has a disease that is killing them in California and Arizona and traveling east
	Foster holly	Have seen many that are show iron deficiency.
	Weigela
	Agarito	Like the fact that it is drought tolerant but it is too thin and nothing else seems to go with it
	Aucuba	Wish they would hybridize this to take more sun.
	Buttonbush
	False indigo
	Waxleaf ligustrum
	Evergreen sumac
	Panicle hydrangea
	Smooth sumac
	Sweet olive
The last twelve plants received a total of ten points or less out of 250 potential points. For more information on these shrubs, refer to the real dirt A Gardening Handbook for Parker County