Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We will be moving to Charlotte at the end of the year and coming from central Virginia towards the mountains, realize we'll probably have to throw out most of our modest knowledge of plants that do well in our climate. I've read that Charlotte is a "humid subtropical" one, which we can attest to from visits, but living here will be quite different. Right now we live in a mostly wooded area and dogwoods, azaleas and rhodies do very well. We also have crepe myrtles that do OK, but we know from living in Texas they need a lot more sun than we have now to really be at their most spectacular.
So looking for ideas for flowering shrubs in particular that will do well in Charlotte, and hopefully bloom all season long instead of just the spring as we have now. What about crepe myrtles? We know it's hot and sunny enough but are there varieties that do especially well in the Charlotte climate?
Crepe Myrtles are EVERYWHERE! You shouldn't have any issues with them. Azaleas, dogwoods, and rhodies do great also...in the right conditions.
Some plants/shrubs that you may find appealing:
Roses - knockouts/double knockouts bloom April - October or November
Lantanas - annuals/perennials bloom April/May - first frost
Gardenias
Hydrangeas
Kaleidoscopes
Loropetalums
I have great success with all of these. There are also tons of annuals you can plant at different times of the year (pansies, impatiens, etc) in the same beds that will give color year round. You could also consider flowers such as daffodils, tulips, tiger lillies, etc to round out your landscape. Hope this helps! I am not a landscaper by any means but I do enjoy a nice yard!
Crepe Myrtles, azaleas etc all do well. I have several huge hydrangeas bushes that bloom for several months. The green leaves are just coming up now. We also have golden rainshower trees and numerous others mentioned in the above post. I came from Florida and used to the tropical stuff. I also didn't care for gardening, too hot and rocky/coral/sandy soil wasn't pleasant to work with.
Here's its so simple, just take my little gardening shovel and plant at will. Granted we did get a couple of truck loads of dirt to freshen our yard so that helped.
One shrub that has thrived in our yard is the Pittosporum tobira, "Japanese mock orange." It has very sweet-smelling creamy white flowers in spring that attract butterflies and bees. It doesn't seem to be a common plant in this area - Good if you like to have something different than every other neighbor!
One shrub that has thrived in our yard is the Pittosporum tobira, "Japanese mock orange." It has very sweet-smelling creamy white flowers in spring that attract butterflies and bees. It doesn't seem to be a common plant in this area - Good if you like to have something different than every other neighbor!
One thing I do miss are all the scented flowers from back in Florida, especially at night with the night blooming jasmine, all the citrus trees or numerous gardenias. In fact I just got for Mother's day several frost proof gardenia plants from pike's yesterday. Hoping they stay alive next Winter.
I think you'll find that your gardening knowledge will require only minor tweaks, and it really depends on how wooded your lot is. My azaleas, rhodies, and dogwood do just fine in the shade. Hydrangeas were the first summer flowering shrub to come to mind, if you don't mind a naked plant in the winter. Get the right kind for your light conditions. Loropetalum and false cypresses offer bright foliage, if not summer flowers. Most crepe myrtles around here are pruned into trees. They put out tons of suckers at the base so you have to stay on them. Figure out what size and color you need, then shop for varieties.
I think you'll find that your gardening knowledge will require only minor tweaks, and it really depends on how wooded your lot is. My azaleas, rhodies, and dogwood do just fine in the shade. Hydrangeas were the first summer flowering shrub to come to mind, if you don't mind a naked plant in the winter. Get the right kind for your light conditions. Loropetalum and false cypresses offer bright foliage, if not summer flowers. Most crepe myrtles around here are pruned into trees. They put out tons of suckers at the base so you have to stay on them. Figure out what size and color you need, then shop for varieties.
We also now have PERENNIAL Hibiscus, but make CERTAIN when you buy them, even here in Charlotte, that they SAY perennial. I got one for Mothers Day that is NOT, and I don't have the heart to tell my son or take it and exchange it. He will think I am being picky, and he is not a yardener, as I am. So I will plant is and see if by some 'miracle' it makes it thru a Clt Winter. The DO make a gorgeous hedge if you plant them as one. You can eat the flowers or use them in potporri, too.
We also now have PERENNIAL Hibiscus, but make CERTAIN when you buy them, even here in Charlotte, that they SAY perennial. I got one for Mothers Day that is NOT, and I don't have the heart to tell my son or take it and exchange it. He will think I am being picky, and he is not a yardener, as I am. So I will plant is and see if by some 'miracle' it makes it thru a Clt Winter. The DO make a gorgeous hedge if you plant them as one. You can eat the flowers or use them in potporri, too.
We had a perennial hibiscus - Lovely, but Japanese beetles ravaged it. That pest seemed to favor the hibiscus over other plants.
Charlotte Talks on WFAE had a neat special highlighting the fact that Charlotte has become the 3rd largest wildlife-friendly community in the country with the help of hundreds of backyard wildlife enthusiasts. If you click on the link above you'll find a bunch of options (many already mentioned) to help our community continue to be wildlife friendly.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
but are there varieties that do especially well in the Charlotte climate?
The DO make a gorgeous hedge if you plant them as one. You can eat the flowers or use them in potporri, too.
