12 shrubs for a mixed hedge: evergreen, flowers and berries

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 25 May 2021

Out with the unending lines of thuja! These days, planting mixed hedges is all the fad. In such a hedge, evergreen leafage, colorful blooms and species that pollinator insects find useful grow next to each other. The hedge then becomes a perpetually changing landscape that every season paints in different hues. Here are 12 great shrubs for a mixed hedge!

4 shrubs with evergreen foliage

Cotoneaster:

Height: 2 to 20 feet for hedge varieties (there are also a number of low-growing creeping varieties).
Foliage: evergreen, dense, shiny deep green.
Blooming: simple pink or white flowers from May to July.
Special feature: hardy down to -13°F (-25°C), with uncountable tiny red berries that decorate the tree from the end of Summer to the end of Fall.
Learn more about cotoneaster

Bay laurel:

Height: 6 to 15 feet (2 to 5 meters)
Foliage: fleshy, oval, deep green evergreen leaves.
Blooming: small cream-yellow flowers from April to June.
Feature: fragrant leaves that are great for marinades and grilling. Watch out, because two other laurels – oleander and cherry laurel – are toxic!
Learn more about bay laurel

Japanese andromeda:

Young red leaves of pieris japonica — Red young leaves stand in for the over-used photinia

Height: 1½ to 10 feet (0.5 to 5 m)
Foliage: pointy-tipped oval evergreen leaves that are green or red.
Blooming: white, pink or purple bell-shaped flowers between February and May.
Feature: A shrub with a compact bearing that will fill in for the too-common photinia with its red leaves.
Learn more about Japanese andromeda

Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’:

Choisya Aztec pearl in a mixed hedge — Five very thin leaflets, unlike the rounded type species

Height: 3 to 15 feet (1 to 5 meters)
Foliage: evergreen shrub that has 5 very thin leaflets per leaf, a big change compared to the type species that has rounded leaflets.
Blooming: sphere of pale pink flowers in May-June.
Feature: graphic, rare leafage and fragrant blooms.
Learn more about the Aztec Pearl choisya

→ There are more options to look into, like Italian buckthorn, elaeagnus…

The 12 mixed-hedge shrubs at a glance

Before settling on a planting plan, it helps to see the twelve shrubs side by side: height, type of foliage, flowering period and the reason each one earns a place in the hedge. Mix evergreen structure with flowers, berries and nectar to keep the hedge interesting in every season.

The 12 mixed-hedge shrubs at a glance
Shrub	Height	Foliage	Flowering	Why choose it
Cotoneaster	2 to 20 ft (hedge varieties)	Evergreen	Late spring to midsummer	Masses of tiny red berries from late summer to late autumn; hardy to -25°C
Bay laurel	6 to 15 ft (2 to 5 m)	Evergreen	Mid-spring to early summer	Fragrant leaves for the kitchen
Japanese andromeda	1½ to 10 ft (0.5 to 5 m)	Evergreen	Late winter to late spring	Compact, with red young leaves instead of the usual photinia
Choisya ternata ‘Aztec Pearl’	3 to 15 ft (1 to 5 m)	Evergreen	Late spring to early summer	Graphic thin leaflets and fragrant pale pink blooms
Deutzia	5 ft (1.50 m)	Deciduous	Late spring to early summer	Abundant, fragrant star-shaped flower clusters
Hydrangea	3 to 10 ft (1 to 3 m)	Deciduous	Early summer to early autumn	Long-lasting clusters whose colour follows the soil
Shrubby cinquefoil	3 to 4 ft (1 to 1.2 m)	Deciduous	Not stated	Compact habit, ideal for a small garden hedge
Japanese Kerria	5 to 15 ft (1.50 to 5 m)	Deciduous	Mid-spring to early summer, again late summer to mid-autumn	Yellow pompoms twice a year; shrugs off urban pollution
Snowberry	3 to 6 ft (1 to 2 m)	Deciduous	Midsummer to late summer	White or pink ornamental berries; much visited by honeybees
Buddleia davidii	2 to 30 ft (0.60 to 10 m)	Deciduous	Not stated	Fragrant nectar that draws butterflies
Laurestine	3 to 15 ft (1 to 5 m)	Evergreen	Late autumn to mid-spring	Feeds pollinators early in the year
Cornus mas	9 to 20 ft (3 to 7 m)	Deciduous	Late winter to early spring	Yellow flowers before the leaves; excellent nectar source

Combining a few evergreens with flowering and melliferous shrubs is what turns a hedge into a landscape that changes with every season.

4 Shrubs for a flowered mixed hedge

Deutzia:

Height: 5 feet (1.50 m)
Foliage: deciduous, long veined leaves that are average green in color.
Blooming: pink or white star-shaped flowers form clusters from May to June.
Feature: Abundant blooming with a fragrant scent.
Learn more about deutzia

Hydrangea:

Height: 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m) for non-climbing varieties.
Foliage: deciduous, each serrated leaf measures around 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm).
Blooming: large flower clusters, for which the soil type dictates the color: blue if it’s acidic, and purple, pink or red for alkaline and chalky soil. Long-lasting blooms, from June to September.
Feature: flower clusters come in various shapes, it’s a plant that evokes English gardens and small village gardens in French Brittany.
Learn more about hydrangea

Shrubby cinquefoil:

Cinquefoil mixed hedging — Compact habit suits hedges in small gardens

Height: 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters)
Foliage: deciduous, soft green or blue-hued leaves with 3 to 7 leaflets.
Blooming: many 5-petaled simple flowers, yellow for the type species but white, pink, red or orange for the various cultivars.
Feature: compact bearing, ideal for hedges in a small garden.
Learn more about shrubby cinquefoil

Japanese Kerria:

Kerria for mixed hedge — Tiny yellow pompoms rain down twice a year

Height: 5 to 15 feet (1.50 m to 5 m)
Foliage: small, narrow, serrated alternate leaves that are a luminous green hue. Deciduous foliage.
Blooming: it will rain tiny yellow pompoms from April to June, and then again, albeit less, from August to October.
Feature: hardy down to -13°F (-25°C), resists urban pollution very well.
Learn more about kerria

Kerria, yellow pompoms of color in a mixed hedge — Hardy to -25°C and resistant to urban pollution

4 Melliferous shrubs

Snowberry:

Height: 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 m)
Foliage: small deciduous leaves with a gray underside.
Blooming: clusters of white flowers in July and August. Very ornamental round white or pink berries appear after the flowers.
Feature: Blooming is loved by honeybees who come visit it often.
Learn more about snowberry

Buddleia davidii

Buddleia, nice for butterflies to come to the hedge — Fragrant nectar earns it the butterfly tree nickname

Height: 2 to 30 feet (0.60m to 10m)
Foliage: opposed normal green deciduous leaves that have fuzz on their underside.
Blooming: long, fragrant inflorescences that are usually purple.
Feature: very appealing fragrant nectar that insects love, especially butterflies, which gave it its “butterfly tree” nickname.
Learn more about buddleia

Laurestine

Height: 3 to 15 feet (1 to 5 m)
Foliage: opposed oblong leaves, dark green in color, evergreen.
Blooming: small, white flowers clustered into flattish corymbs from November to April.
Feature: gives food early on in the year to pollinators of all sorts.
Learn more about laurestine

Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry dogwood):

Cornus mas is a nice early blooming mixed hedge shrub — Yellow bouquets open before any leaves appear

Height: 9 to 20 feet (3 to 7m)
Foliage: veined and textured leaves that have fuzz on their backside.
Blooming: bouquets of yellow flowers in February-March, before any leaves appear.
Feature: excellent melliferous and nectar-rich plant.
Learn more about cornus

→ Discover more about hedges:

Plant bird-friendly food hedges

Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these shrubs keep their leaves in winter?

Five of the twelve hold their foliage all year: cotoneaster with dense shiny deep green leaves, bay laurel with fleshy oval leaves, Japanese andromeda, Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’ and laurestine with dark green oblong leaves. Use these as the backbone of the hedge so it never looks bare. The deciduous shrubs, such as deutzia, hydrangea, cinquefoil, kerria, snowberry, buddleia and Cornus mas, then bring flowers and berries around that permanent structure.

Which mixed hedge shrubs flower earliest for bees?

Laurestine carries small white flowers in flattish corymbs from late autumn right through to mid-spring, so it gives food early on in the year to pollinators of all sorts. Cornus mas follows with bouquets of yellow flowers in late winter to early spring, before any leaves appear, and is an excellent melliferous and nectar-rich plant. Japanese andromeda also opens its bell-shaped flowers from late winter onwards.

Which hedge shrubs give decorative berries?

Cotoneaster is the most generous: uncountable tiny red berries decorate it from the end of summer to the end of autumn. Snowberry produces very ornamental round white or pink berries after its midsummer clusters of white flowers. Both keep the hedge colourful once most blooms are over.

Are all laurels safe to plant in a hedge?

No. Bay laurel is the edible one, with fragrant leaves that are great for marinades and grilling, but two other shrubs sold as laurels, oleander and cherry laurel, are toxic. Check which laurel you are buying before planting, especially where children or animals have access to the hedge.

Images: 123RF: Aleksey Eremeev, CC BY 2.0: foooomio, Peter Stevens, Paul and Jill, CC BY 4.0: Stephen James McWilliam, CC BY-SA 2.0: Dana L. Brown; Pixabay: Dhyan Wisselo, David Thomas, Nikolett Emmert, Nabin Mewahang, Fran Dekkers; Public Domain: megachile, Peter de Lange, Sheila

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.

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