Now is a good time to be thinking about changes to your shrubs for next year.  This is the perfect time of year to plant new shrubs and trees in Georgia.  The cool weather and ample winter moisture helps them get settled - much better than planting in the spring.

When thinking about new shrubs, you might consider some which are beautiful in both the spring and the fall, getting double duty out of them in the garden.  Of course I'd like you to consider increasing the amount of native plants in your landscape, so I'd like to offer some ideas for native shrubs that you can use.

Dwarf witch alder is an awkward name for a shrub that has it's own beautiful name: Fothergilla.  There are two species of Fothergilla: Fothergilla major (which is larger) and Fothergilla gardenii.  The leaves resemble the leaves of Witch hazel, hence the common name.  Early spring blooms resemble mini bottle-brushes and provide a very different look than your usual landscape plants.  The foliage is very handsome all summer long and then turns a variety of yellow/orange/pink for the fall.  In the nursery you can expect to find named cultivars like Fothergilla major 'Mt. Airy' and Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Mist' (which has nice blue-green leaves). F. major 'Blue Shadow' is another cultivar with blue-green leaves.

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is naturally a moisture-loving shrub found on the edges of lakes or streams, but it also does well in average garden conditions.  In ideal conditions the shrub slowly suckers to form a colony - a nice feature if you plan for it.  Itea blooms later in spring than Fothergilla so they would make a nice combination for a succession of blooms.  Long creamy white panicles of flowers look good against the medium green leaves.  A library in Alpharetta, GA has a huge grouping of them in almost full sun and the bloom show is outrageous.  In fall the foliage turns burgundy.  Cultivars like 'Merlot' and 'Henry's Garnet' have exceptionally consistent color.  Dwarf forms like 'Little Henry' fit into smaller spaces.

A later spring blooming shrub (May for me) is also an evergreen one - Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia.  Perfect for a spot of year-round greenery, Mountain laurel cultivars are available in a multitude of sizes.  I have 'Elf', the smallest of the bunch at 2x2 feet.  You can also find cultivars that are 3x3 ('Minuet' and 'Olympic Fire'), 4x4 ('Sarah' and 'Nipmuck') and bigger.  Do your research!  The species grows naturally on streamsides and grows up to 12 feet.  When considering a spot for it, plan for good moisture and afternoon shade.

Non-native viburnums (often called snowball bushes) get a lot of attention, but our native ones are very attractive as well and have better fall color.  Mapleleaf viburnum, Viburnum acerifolium, is one that I love to recommend because it does well in dry shade.  It is the 2011 Plant of the Year for the Georgia Native Plant Society.  Possumhaw viburnum, Viburnum nudum, is found naturally in wet-to-moist areas and has berries that turn from green to pink to blue.  In fact the berries are so showy when they are pink that people think the clusters are blooms!  Cultivars like 'Winterthur' and 'Earthshades' are usually available in nurseries.  Viburnums set more fruit if there are at least two different ones that bloom at the same time to support cross-pollination.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a summer blooming shrub with large panicles of cream-colored flowers that age to a dusky pink.  The effect adds an appearance of longer lasting blooms.  The fall color on the large, oakleaf-shaped leaves is very handsome.  Many cultivars are available, including double-flowered ones like 'Snowflake' and dwarf ones like 'Pee Wee'.  It grows better in drier conditions than the non-native mophead hydrangeas.

I hope that you will find some ideas here to spark your interest in our beautiful and versatile native shrubs.  Remember to consider "right plant, right place" when choosing and to research your choices before you buy.