Here is a list of 26 recommended shrubs for full sun and different hardiness zones.
The sun-loving shrubs in this group have been selected for their beautiful bloom.
Their tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Some are multi-colored or variegated and even change color as the seasons change.
The best flowering is achieved in full sun whereas partial filtered shade produces the best leaf color.
Black Lace Elderberry
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Black Lace elderberry is a trademarked elderberry cultivar.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The lacy leaves are almost black and the pretty, lemon-scented flowers appear in flat-topped clusters.
At the southern end of its zone range, the shrub benefits from some afternoon shade.
This rare shrub is a hybrid between two species native to Asia.
Keikona / Getty Images
It is sometimes planted as a low hedge, but also works well planted in groups or masses.
In cooler climates, the shrub dies back to the ground each winter like a woody perennial.
This is a very hardy evergreen with a short trunk and spreading branches.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
You’ll often see it cascading over low walls.
Enter the cultivar ‘Blue Chip’, a summertime bloomer that is sterile and thus non-invasive.
It flowers continuously from June into September.
egschiller / Getty Images
‘Blue Chip’ is also a nicely compact cultivar, topping out at about 2 feet tall.
They are relatives of thewitch hazelwhich shows in the similarity of the fringe-like blooms.
Blooming in early to midspring, a nearby lilac is identified by its scent long before you see it.
Zen Rial / Getty Images
Lilac shrubs quickly grow quite large and spread by suckers.
Other lilac species are easier to control, such as ‘Miss Kim’, a popular dwarf lilac cultivar.
The plant’s flowers, however, are its real show-stopping feature.
David Beaulieu
The blooms last for several more days.
Daphne
Daphnes are relatively small, nicely rounded shrubs that are good choices for small yards.
They produce white to light pink tubular flowers in spring or early winter in warm climates.
The Spruce / K. Dave
The small, oblong, light green leaves are evergreen in warm climates.
In cold climates, they are deciduous.
Varieties such as ‘Carol Mackie’ are especially prized for their variegated foliage.
palinchakjr / Getty Images
Doublefile Viburnum
Doublefile vibernum is a particular genetic form ofV.
plicatumthat features flat-topped flower clusters forming two rows across the tops of the branches.
Its white blooms appear in April and May.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Its fall foliage and berries are nice bonuses.
Flowering Quince
Flowering quince is another early bloomer for sunny locations.
It usually blooms early enough to be in flower while forsythias are still blooming.
The Spruce / K. Dave
If you grow these two shrubs next to each other, the yellow-orange combination makes for an eye-popping display.
Flowering quince also comes in red varieties.
Forsythia
Forsythia is a great vase-shape flowering shrub for very early-season blooms in sunny locations.
TonyBaggett / Getty Images
Flowering is best in full sun but that is usually easy to provide.
For many northern gardeners, forsythia is the first shrub that blooms each spring.
gardenii, or hybrids or cultivars of the two.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Fothergilla is native to the southeastern United States.
The shrubs are dense, multi-stemmed, slow-growing, and long-lived.
A popular cultivar ofF.
Bulgac / Getty Images
gardeniiis ‘Mount Airy’.
The showy flowers of fothergilla have a sweet, faint honey fragrance and they attract bees and other pollinators.
The flowers typically last for two to three weeks.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Hardy hibiscus is typically used in rain gardens and other moist areas.
Mock Orange
White flowers are especially desirable for those seeking to create moon gardens.
But you don’t have to be a “moonie” to admire mock orange.
Deanna Kelly / Getty Images
Many people grow this shrub because of the delightful citrus-like fragrance of its white flowers.
Ninebark flowers in late spring with clusters of spirea-like white or pink fragrant blooms.
In late summer and autumn, it bears red fruit that attracts birds.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Oleander
Oleander is beloved for its long bloom period.
The evergreen foliage of the oleander plant is dense, leathery, and dark green.
They are hardy, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and withstand extreme heat.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Rose of Sharon flowers from early summer through midfall.
It is typically used in informal hedges or screens, or in naturalized masses.
The flowers are notable for their size and sweet fragrance.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
It is deciduous in the northern part of the hardiness range and evergreen in the south.
Creamy white, lemon-scented flowers appear at the end of spring or in early summer.
matricul / Getty Images
Sweetbay magnolia grows at a moderate rate, usually adding 1 to 2 feet per year.
The white flowers are extremely fragrant.
For gardeners who prefer a plant that is native to North America,O.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
americanusis a good alternative though its flowers are less showy.
It has a rounded habit and produces small yet showy, fragrant drooping flower racemes in May and June.
Other types have variegated foliage or golden leaves.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Weigela flowers from April to June.
It is an excellent shrub for borders, screens, or foundation plantings.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Daphne odora.North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
skymoon13 / Getty Images
