Flowering shrubs are companions throughout the garden year. The color palette is widely spread. Of course, red flowers should not be missing. In our overview you will find 20 red-flowering shrubs, including well-known and lesser-known ones.
In a nutshell
- Flowers of the shrubs appear in various shades of red
- there are also winter-flowering shrubs with red flowers
- Main flowering period between May and September
- some red bushes bear edible fruit
- red flowers magically attract butterflies
List of red flowering shrubs
Already from the early spring until well into the winter, red-blossoming shrubs with their partly fragrant blossoms beguile you. The most diverse shades of red are represented. Not only are they pleasing to the eye, they also magically attract insects.
From B to G
Bloodcurrant (Ribes sanguineum)
These shrubs are somewhat squat but upright and densely branched. Fragrant, red flowers appear in clusters of eight centimeters long.
- Growth height: 150 to 250 cm
- Flowering time: April to May
- Leaves: Roundish, three to five lobes, green
- Special feature: bee-friendly, suitable as a container plant
Notice: Black, blue-white berries appear in July/August. They are edible, similar in taste to blackcurrants but more acidic.
Bow lilac (Syringa komarowii subsp. reflexa)
This shrubby flowering lilac has an upright and spreading habit with arching, overhanging branches. The fragrant wine-red to pink flowers are in panicles.
- Growth height: 300 to 400 cm
- Flowering time: June
- Leaves: oblong, dark green
Chinese wax bush 'Hartlage Wine' (Sinocalycanthus x raulstonii)
These exotic looking shrubs have an upright and spreading habit and deserve a place on this list. The branches are slightly overhanging. The half-double flowers, up to nine centimeters in size, are fragrant and wine-red with a white centre.
- Growth height: 100 to 250 cm
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: elliptical, light green, waxy, fragrant
Hawthorn "Paul's Scarlet" (Crataegus laevigata)
The hawthorn can occur as a large shrub or a small tree. Its growth is broadly conical and the shoots are thorny. Carmine-red, double flowers stand together in dense corymbs at the end of the branch.
- Growth height: 400 to 600 cm
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: Three to five lobes, broadly ovate, dark green
- Special feature: good protection against birds
Noble broom "Boskoop Ruby" (Cytisus scoparius)
The ornamental tree forms many shoots and has a wide, spreading and upright habit. Butterfly-shaped, intense red flowers adorn the shrub. They can reach a length of up to 2.5 cm and give off a strong scent.
- Growth height: 150 to 170 cm
- Flowering period: May to late June
- Leaves: lanceolate, threefold, green
Spice bush (Calycanthus floridus)
These clove and strawberry-scented shrubs grow upright and sparsely. The star-shaped flowers appear in a beautiful dark red.
- Growth height: 150 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: June to July
- Leaves: oval, glossy dark green, fragrant
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
The large shrub is a popular container plant. It grows upright and bushy and is densely branched. The shoots have thorns. Inflorescences appear in bell-like individual flowers in a strong red. White and yellow colors are also represented.
- Growth height: 200 to 400 cm
- Flowering period: June to September
- Leaves: elliptic, lanceolate, shiny green above, bronze-colored underneath
Notice: Roundish, apple-sized, yellow-brown to red fruits only appear in full sun and in a loose and well-drained substrate.
From J to L
Japanese Azalea 'Purple Pillow' (Rhododendron obtusum)
The broad-growing small shrub produces crimson flowers with a wavy edge. Due to its size, it is ideal for culture in a bucket.
- Growth height: 35 to 40 cm
- Flowering period: June to July
- Leaves: Elliptic to oval, shiny dark green
Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)
The striking, upright, broad-bushy ornamental shrub is well branched. Single appearing red flowers are large and cover the entire shrub. It's fireworks for the eyes.
- Growth height: 300 to 400 cm
- Flowering period: January to March, May and November to December
- Leaves: Glossy dark green, evergreen, ovate to oval, pointed
- Special feature: conditionally hardy, good container plant
Japanese quince "Rubra" (Chaenomeles japonica)
The red-flowering shrub has a densely branched, loose growth and thorny twigs. The flowers are small and cupped.
- Growth height: 100 to 150 cm
- Flowering time: April/May to June
- Leaves: Broad, ovate, green, roughly serrate margin
- Special feature: good hedge plant
Notice: The red-flowering ornamental quince produces spherical, yellow fruits in autumn. They smell aromatic and are edible.
Coral tree (Erythrina crista-galli)
This striking container plant grows as a small shrub with overhanging, thorny branches. Individual flowers, four centimeters small, are in panicles up to forty centimeters long at the end of the branches. They shine in a strong scarlet red.
- Growth height: 150 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: July to September
- Leaves: tripartite pinnate, green
- Special feature: all parts of the plant are poisonous
Lagerstroemia (Lagerstroemia indica)
Crepe myrtle can be grown as a shrub or as a tree. It is multi-stemmed and has an upright habit. Red flowers are held together in long terminal panicles. The petal edges are ruffled.
- Growth height: 300 to 700 cm
- Flowering period: July to October
- Leaves: Elliptic to obovate or oblong, green, lying close to branches
- Special feature: good container plant
Notice: There are also varieties with white, pink and purple flower spikes.
From R to Z
Rhododendron "Nova Zembla" (Rhododendron Hybrid)
This distinctive ornamental shrub has a bushy, upright and spreading habit. It produces large red flowers.
Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Nova Zembla 3zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Growth height: 120 to 160 cm
- Flowering period: late May to early June
- Leaves: Glossy dark green, evergreen, elliptical twisted
Belt flower (Loropetalum chinense)
The habit of this striking shrub is bushy and upright. Red flowers are usually in groups of six, sometimes eight in clusters at the end of the branches. They give off a delicate scent.
- Growth height: 70 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: January to April
- Leaves ovate, pointed, entire, green
- Special feature: also varieties with pink and white flowers
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
The popular indoor and container plant grows as a small shrub, very bushy, dense and upright. Sometimes it is also grown as a small crown tree. The original species of the rose mallow can be recognized by the large, bright red flowers of the shrub. The individual flowers appear in the leaf axils as bowl-shaped funnels with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm. In the middle, fused stamens with yellow stamens and red stigmas protrude.
- Growth height: 50 to 200 cm
- Flowering time: March to October
- Leaves: Shiny dark green, evergreen, ovate, elongate pointed, margin slightly serrate
- Special feature: a wide range of colors through breeding, including violet, white, yellow, orange, pink or multicolored
Red Summer Spira "Anthony Waterer" (Spiraea bumalda)
The small shrub has a compact habit and is densely branched. It is well suited as a small hedge plant. The ruby red flowers appear in umbels.
- Growth height: 60 to 100 cm
- Flowering period: July to September
- Leaves: lanceolate, acuminate, mid-green
Butterfly bush "Royal Red" (Buddleja davidii)
Of course, the red flowering summer lilac should not be missing from the list. It has an upright habit with loosely overhanging branches. The shrub's purple flowers are clustered in long, arching, overhanging flower spikes. They give off a delicate scent.
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: July to early October
- Leaves: lanceolate, dark green
Notice: Shrubs with red flowers are particularly popular with butterflies.
Weigela 'Bristol Ruby' (Weigelia)
This red flowering shrub has a loose, upright habit. The branches are slightly overhanging. The flowers are bell-shaped and stand either singly or in groups at the end of the branch.
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: oblong, serrate margin, green
- Special feature: often a second flowering in autumn
Ruby witch hazel (Hamamelis intermedia)
The compact shrubs grow evenly and quite expansively. The brick-red to ruby-red flowers have twisted, wavy, or ruffled petals.
Source: Orjen, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rubin' right' 'Jelena' left, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
- Flowering period: January to March
- Leaves: lanceolate, green, orange in autumn
Bottlebrush (Callistemon)
As a rule, the cylinder brush is grown as a shrub. It grows upright and is well branched. The striking inflorescences consist of bright red colored stamens and are in the leaf axils. These can reach a length of between five and ten centimeters. Their shape is reminiscent of bottle brushes.
Carmine Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)
- Growth height: 150 to 250 cm
- Flowering period: April to August
- Leaves: lanceolate to linear, entire, grey-green
- Special feature: good container plant, leaves smell of lemon
frequently asked Questions
Are all of the red-flowering shrubs mentioned hardy in this country?No not all. For example, cylinder brush, rose mallow, pomegranate and coral tree must be wintered frost-free in the house. They can spend the summer months outdoors.
How can the flowering ability of the red-flowering shrubs be preserved?Pruning is necessary to ensure that the trees remain in bloom for a long time and that beautiful flowers appear year after year. Early bloomers should be pruned immediately after flowering and summer bloomers in early spring. In addition, a maintenance cut can be made every two to three times if necessary.
When is the best time to plant trees with red flowers?The best time for planting shrubs is autumn, from late September to early December. In addition, planting in spring from the beginning of March to the end of April is of course also possible. The soil must be thawed and not too wet.