10 flowering hedge shrubs: evergreen and white flowers

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 26 February 2018

Golden forsythia at the start of spring, white mock-orange in late spring, then a strawberry tree fruiting as it flowers in autumn: a flowered hedge changes through the year. It breaks the wind and hides you from prying eyes, and mixing evergreen with deciduous shrubs feeds the eye and the ecosystem too.

Whereas evergreen hedges block out nosy neighbors, flowered hedges can be formed with both evergreen and deciduous shrubs.

This guarantees a high level of diversity to please the eye and the ecosystem, too.

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Flowered hedge shrubs compared by season

The shrubs favoured for flowered hedges do not bloom at the same moment, and that is exactly what makes them worth combining. Here they are lined up by flowering season, with what each one brings.

Flowered hedge shrubs compared by season
Shrub	Flowering season	Flowers	Extra interest
Forsythia	Early spring	Sparkling yellow, almost golden	Gives all its colour in one early burst
Weigela	Early spring to early summer	Abundant and plentiful	Bloom spanning two seasons
Mexican orange	Mid-spring onwards	Beautiful white	Tender green leaves all year round
California lilac, soap bush	Late spring	Generous bloom	One of the most common flowered hedges
Mock-orange	Late spring to early summer	Abundant and magnificent	—
French broom	Mid-spring to early summer	Many small fragrant flowers	Dark green leaves for contrast, seaside feel
Escallonia	Late spring to late summer	Pink to red depending on the variety	Longest run of summer colour
Buddleja	Until early autumn	Enchanting and strongly perfumed	Easy to grow
Strawberry tree	Late summer to late autumn	Flowers carried with the fruit	Evergreen, with edible fruits

Picking two or three shrubs from different rows keeps the hedge in flower from the first days of spring to late autumn.

Which shrubs are best for a flowered hedge?

Here is a selection of “favorite shrubs” that can be used to create and grow a flowered hedge:

Escallonia Escallonia holds pink to red flowers all summer long	From May until the end of summer, Escallonia offers beautiful flowers that range from pink to red depending on the variety.
California lilac, soap bush A generous late-spring bloom makes this hedge commonplace	Their generous May blooming make these shrubs one of the most common flowered hedges – with good reason!
Mock-orange Mock-orange flowers abundantly in late spring and early summer	Abundant and magnificent flowers in May and June.
Weigela Weigela blooms from early spring into early summer	Amazing blooming, abundant and plentiful, from the beginning of spring until the beginning of summer.
Strawberry tree Edible fruits ripen while the flowers are still open	This evergreen shrub produces beautiful edible fruits during its flowering season which extends from August to November. Imagine yourself near the Mediterranean in the blink of an eye!
Mexican Orange Mexican orange keeps tender green leaves all year	Beautiful white flowers from April onwards and soothing tender green leaves all year round.
Forsythia Forsythia gives all its golden colour in early spring	Sparkling yellow flowers, almost golden, give all their color at the beginning of spring!
Hawthorn White blanket of flowers first, bright red berries after	Amazing white blanket of flowers, followed by bright red berries. Astounding!
French broom Dark leaves set off many small fragrant flowers	The dark green leaves of French broom mark a spectacular contrast to its many small fragrant flowers from April to June. Guaranteed seaside atmosphere!
Buddleja Buddleja carries perfumed flowers until early autumn	Also called buddleia, this shrub is enchanting thanks to the beauty of its flowers and the perfume it spreads. They are easy to grow, and their blooming will enchant you until the beginning of fall.

Find our articles and pages related to hedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a flowered hedge still give privacy and shelter?

Yes — a hedge screens you from prying eyes, creates intimacy, breaks the wind and protects the garden, and a flowered one does all of that while being genuinely ornamental. Because it can include evergreen shrubs such as strawberry tree or Mexican orange, the screen need not vanish in winter. Flowered hedges simply add colour and scent to the job an ordinary hedge already does.

Should a flowered hedge be evergreen or deciduous?

It can be either, and the most interesting hedges are both: flowered hedges can be formed with both evergreen and deciduous shrubs. Mixing the two guarantees a high level of diversity, which pleases the eye and the ecosystem alike. Evergreens such as strawberry tree and Mexican orange keep leaves through winter, while deciduous shrubs such as forsythia and weigela carry the spring show.

Which hedge shrub flowers first in the year?

Forsythia opens at the very beginning of spring, with sparkling yellow flowers that are almost golden and give all their colour at once. Weigela starts at the beginning of spring too and keeps going until the beginning of summer. Mexican orange follows with white flowers in mid-spring, so three shrubs will cover the whole of spring.

Can a flowered hedge also produce fruit?

It can. The strawberry tree is an evergreen shrub that produces beautiful edible fruits during its flowering season, which runs from late summer into late autumn, so flowers and fruit appear together. Hawthorn gives an amazing white blanket of flowers followed by bright red berries. Both extend the hedge’s interest well beyond the flowering period.

Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
CC BY 2.0: David Eickhoff
CC BY-SA 2.0: Leonora Enking, Barry Carruth

Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.

La page de Gaspard Lorthiois

Setting up a flowered hedge

Flowered hedge shrubs compared by season

Which shrubs are best for a flowered hedge?

Escallonia

California lilac, soap bush

Mock-orange

Weigela

Strawberry tree

Mexican Orange

Forsythia

Hawthorn

French broom

Buddleja

Read also on the topic of hedges and shrubs

Flowered hedge shrubs compared by season

Which shrubs are best for a flowered hedge?

Read also on the topic of hedges and shrubs

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