Native to North America, Amorpha canescens (Lead Plant) is a lovely rounded deciduous shrub with small, grayish green, aromatic, feathery leaves and spikes of tiny, bluish-purple flowers with gold anthers. Blooming for 3 weeks in late spring to early summer, the flower spikes to 4 in. long (10 cm) are rich in nectar and attract bees, butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects. The pinnately compound foliage is covered with short, dense hairs, giving the plant a silver-gray appearance. Lead Plant frequently dies down to ground level in the winter, resprouting from the base in the following spring. Its roots are very deep and can grow more than 15 ft (450 cm) into the ground, making it very well adapted to surviving fires and drought. Tough and undemanding, Lead Plant withstands heat, drought and wind. It is a good plant for borders, meadows, and wildflower gardens. It can also be used as a windbreak and to prevent soil erosion.

Extremely winter hardy, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) is a slow-growing, creeping, evergreen shrub with trailing red stems studded with small, leathery, glossy, obovate, dark green leaves, up to 1 in. long (2.5 cm). The foliage turns red or purple in winter before becoming green again in spring. Pretty clusters of lantern-shaped, white-to-pink flowers hang gracefully from the short red stems in mid to late spring. They last several weeks and are followed by edible, smooth, and glossy berries which ripen to bright red in the fall.

Award-winning Calluna vulgaris 'Dark Beauty' (Heather) is one of the darkest flowered Calluna. Its profuse, semi-double, dark cerise flowers, deepening to ruby-red, are on display for many weeks in late summer and early fall (Aug-Oct) and contrast beautifully with the dark green, evergreen foliage. A sport from Calluna vulgaris 'Darkness', it has a neat compact upright habit.

Award-winning Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly' (Heather) is one of the most colorful and attractive Heather you can find. Its semi-double, vibrant deep mauve flowers, on display for many weeks in late summer (Aug-Sept), are among the showiest of all Heathers. Wait until you see its foliage that changes through the seasons: a bright chartreuse and primrose yellow in spring, whose color intensifies in early fall as it gradually acquires brilliant shades of orange and red until late fall - early winter when the entire plant turns a spectacular, glimmering brick-red.

Named after the glimmering color of its new spring growth, Calluna vulgaris 'Spring Torch' (Heather) will offer you a fabulous color show all year round. First, its bright, mid-green spring leaves are profusely tipped with yellow, pink, and dark red. They will gradually deepen to rich, dark green in early summer before being covered in late summer and early fall (Aug-Oct) by masses of mauve flower spikes. As cold weather sets in, the foliage will add some bronze or purple tones, extending further the season of interest of this arresting plant. This small, upright, mounding evergreen shrub makes a perfect ground cover and is well suited to rock gardens.

Chaenomeles x superba 'Nicoline' (Japanese Quince) is a small deciduous shrub with abundant clusters of bright scarlet flowers, up to 1.5 in. across (3-4 cm). Borne on thorny, tangled branches, they bloom in profusion for a few weeks in early spring, just as the glossy green foliage emerges, creating a brilliant floral display at a time when there is little to be excited about in the garden. The flowers give way to small, fragrant, greenish yellow fruits, 2 in. across (5 cm), which ripen in early fall. Edible, they are considered too bitter to be eaten directly from the shrub, but they may be used for preserves and jellies.

Chaenomeles x superba 'Pink Lady' (Japanese Quince) is a small deciduous shrub with abundant clusters of rich pink flowers, up to 1.5 in. across (3-4 cm), opening from darker buds. Borne on thorny, tangled leafless branches, they bloom in profusion for weeks in early spring, creating a brilliant floral display at a time when there is little to be excited about in the garden. They are followed by glossy, oval, mid-green leaves and give way to small, fragrant, greenish yellow fruits, 2 in. across (5 cm), which ripen in early fall. Edible, they are considered too bitter to be eaten directly from the shrub, but they may be used for preserves and jellies.

A very compact hybrid flowering quince, Chaenomeles x superba 'Texas Scarlet' is a small, spreading, deciduous shrub with abundant clusters of fiery red flowers, up to 1.5 in. across (3-4 cm), adorned with prominent golden anthers. Borne on thorny, tangled leafless branches, they bloom in profusion for weeks in early spring, before the simple, glossy, green leaves emerge. The flowers give way to small, fragrant, greenish yellow fruits, 2 in. across (5 cm), which ripen in early fall.

Noted for its outstanding bright yellow winter stems, Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' (Golden-Twig Dogwood) is a multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub of great ornamental value in the winter landscape. Rapid-growing, adaptable to most soils including wet soils, it bears ovate, dark green leaves in spring and summer, which happily contrast with the greenish-yellow stems. Small clusters of tiny creamy flowers that will attract butterflies appear in late spring. They will give way to clusters of white berries, often blue-tinged, that are very attractive to birds. In fall, the foliage turns warm shades of red and orange before falling to the ground, revealing the bright golden stems which beautifully radiate from the base of the shrub. An invaluable addition to the winter garden.

Adding a pop of vibrant color in the snowy, dull months of winter, Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood) is a medium-sized ornamental shrub with an incredible appeal. Rapidly growing, and adaptable to most soils including wet soils, it features spectacular decorative features: stunning fall color, attractive berries, vibrant red or golden stems, and sometimes lovely variegated summer foliage. A spectacular addition in the garden for most seasons, Red Osier Dogwood certainly adds a WOW! to a winter landscape.

Noted for its fantastic fall attributes, Hamamelis virginiana (Virginian Witch Hazel) is an erect large, deciduous shrub or small tree, with sweetly-scented, pale yellow flowers in fall and early winter. Each flower consists of 4 golden ribbon-like, slightly-twisted, crinkled petals. Clustered along the arching branches, the flowers emerge when you least expect them and may linger on the branches into December. This Witch Hazel sports smooth, broadly oval leaves, which open light green before turning dark green. They turn brilliant golden yellow shades in the fall. Smooth gray bark, handsome architecture, colorful fall foliage, and floral splendor make Hamamelis virginiana a great addition to the landscape. Virginian Witch Hazel is the species from which medicinal witch-hazel extract is made.

Forming an attractive and tight ground cover, Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia) is a low-growing, evergreen shrub with multi-season interest. In spring, racemes of cheerful, bright golden-yellow flowers appear just above the leaves. Fragrant, they attract pollinators before giving way to clusters of dark blue-purple, edible berries in late summer. Resembling small grapes, they attract birds and wildlife. The lustrous foliage of holly-like, glossy, leathery, blue-green leaves, turns mauve, rose, and rust-colored in winter.

Regarded as one of the most fragrant of all Mock Oranges, Philadelphus 'Avalanche' is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub of great beauty when in bloom. In late spring to early summer, its pleasantly arching branches bear clusters of cup-shaped, 4-petaled, white flowers, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), at their tips. The blossoms stand out against the foliage of oval, dark green leaves. Introduced in 1896, 'Avalanche' is a lovely flowering shrub that deserves a spot where its fragrance can be enjoyed.

Award-winning Rhus Tiphina 'Dissecta' is an open, spreading, deciduous shrub or small tree with nice ornamental features. Its foliage of large, deeply dissected, fern-like, bright green leaves, 2 ft. long (60 cm), turns brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow in fall. Its strong architectural form and elegant silhouette are revealed in winter after the leaves are gone. Cone-shaped panicles of green-yellow flowers bloom in midsummer, followed on female plants by conspicuous crimson fruit in fall. Attractive to wildlife, they gradually turn dark red as they persist through much of the winter. Rhus Tiphina 'Dissecta' is a suckering shrub that will form thickets via self-seeding and root suckering and has the potential to become a nuisance.

Noted for its excellent ability to cover ground and smother weeds, Symphoricarpos x chenaultii 'Hancock' (Snowberry) is a low, spreading, deciduous shrub with arching, rooting branches that is amazingly adaptable and undemanding. In late summer, a profusion of small, bell-shaped, pink flowers are borne at the tips of the branches. Inconspicuous, they are of great interest to butterflies, bees, and pollinators. The flowers are followed by abundant and attractive clusters of white fruits speckled with rosy red that persist well into winter. Birds do enjoy them in the winter months. The dense foliage of small, ovate bluish green leaves remains attractive from spring to frost.

Highly popular, award-winning Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation' (Lilac) is an upright, deciduous shrub noted for its unusual bicolor flowers. Sweetly scented, they form large, pyramidal panicles of purplish red florets adorned with white edges. Blooming in late spring, the blossoms are so profuse that they literally cover the plant. The erect, open branches are clothed in rich green, heart-shaped leaves that remain attractive in summer.

An incredible beauty for most seasons, Viburnum carlesii (Koreanspice Viburnum) is a bushy, medium-sized, deciduous shrub noted for its heady fragrance, stunning snowball blooms and attractive fall color. In spring, red flower buds open to very fragrant, blushing pink flowers arranged in snowball clusters, 3 in. wide (7 cm). Elegantly held above the foliage, they gradually fade to brilliant white. They give way to oval, bright red fruits, borne in dense upward clusters, that ripen to black in late summer. The foliage of broadly ovate leaves emerges copper-colored, matures to dull dark green before turning either glorious wine-red or dull burgundy shades in fall.