Most gardens offer a bounty of color and beauty for short, intense flowering periods in spring and early summer, and again during fall color. A garden that commands attention and excites interest throughout the year doesn’t just happen—it’s planned! To enjoy all the seasons to their fullest, you’ll need to plan your four-season garden so it creates interest whether it’s viewed from inside or outside. By selecting plants from an extensive list of trees and shrubs, you can build the backbone of an ever-changing landscape, and enjoy it all twelve months of the year.
Winter Interest: This is the time of year when you rely less on color and more on form and structure in the garden. Evergreens become more dominant in the landscape and deciduous trees and shrubs become transparent, creating striking silhouettes.
- Silhouettes and branching patterns add structural ‘bones’ to the landscape.
- Colorful barks that flake and peel reveal dramatic patterns and colors along trunks and stems.
- Evergreen foliage takes center stage or can act as a backdrop for colorful stems.
- Persistent berries, fruits, and seed pods add winter interest; some attract birds.
Spring Interest: This is the time of year when a well-planned landscape will surround you with eye-catching flowers from ground covers to tree crowns. Every day reveals a new change. Shrubs are the filler plants of the landscape, creating mass and giving the garden year-round appeal.
- Newly emerging foliage marks the transition from winter to spring.
- A deluge of flowers progresses from treetops to ground level.
- More shrub species bloom in spring than any other time of year.
- Fragrant flowers and foliage uplift the ever-changing landscape.
Summer Interest: A summer garden relies on interesting foliage. Fine-textured plants add an airy, weightless quality to the garden, whereas bold-textured foliage jumps forward to grab your attention. Choose plants with silvery, golden, or purple foliage to enrich the garden.
- Maturing green foliage adds a restful and relaxing color in the garden.
- Summer flowering plants continue their sequence of fragrance and color while attracting butterflies.
- As flowers fade, foliage, texture, and shapes enhance the garden.
Autumn Interest: This is the most brilliant season of the year. To maximize the use of fall color, create mixed borders that contrast and combine foliage, autumn flowers, brilliant berries, and silvery grasses.
- Fall provides an outstanding kaleidoscope of colors, including fiery reds, translucent oranges, clear and buttery yellows, burnt amber, and ruddy browns.
- Along with changing foliage, decorative, ripening fruits and berries put on a stunning display.
The following list provides information about trees that are ornamental through all four seasons, or trees that are so exceptional in one or two seasons of ornamentation that they would add significantly to the four-season garden. All plants are recommended by The Morton Arboretum for their suitability and desirability in the Midwest.
Plants marked with an * are native to the Midwest.
- Acer griseum/paper-barked maple
Spring: New growth light green, contrasts well with bark
Summer: Blue-green foliage
Autumn: Russet-red fall color
Winter: Cinnamon-bronze exfoliating bark - Acer x freemanii ‘Marmo’/Marmo Freeman maple
Spring: Red flowers
Summer: Deeply lobed medium green leaves with silver-gray underside; colorful red petioles
Autumn: Kaleidoscope blend of maroon and red offset with green fall color
Winter: Upright-oval silhouette - Acer miyabei ‘Morton’/STATE STREET™ Miyabe’s maple
Spring: Delicate yellow flowers appear with new foliage
Summer: Handsome dark bark and green foliage
Autumn: Butter yellow to golden fall color
Winter: Distinctive upright pyramidal habit with mottled gray bark that becomes tan at maturity - Acer triflorum/three-flowered maple
Spring: Pubescent foliage emerges along with yellow flowers
Summer: Dark green foliage
Autumn: Orange-red fall color on selected trees
Winter: Golden amber mature bark peels away as tree matures - Amelanchier x grandiflora/apple serviceberry
Spring: White pendulous flowers; new leaves emerge bronze-red
Summer: Reddish-blue berries in July
Autumn: Excellent orange-red fall color
Winter: Silvery-gray bark; elegant multi-stemmed silhouette - Betula nigra*/river birch
Spring: New foliage bright green; tan catkins
Summer: Glossy, dark green leaves
Autumn: Yellow fall color
Winter: Highly ornamental, papery, tan to cinnamon peeling bark - Carpinus caroliniana*/American hornbeam
Spring: Light green leaves
Summer: Dark green textured foliage
Autumn: Yellow-orange-fall color
Winter: Smooth, dark gray, fluted, “muscular” stems - Cercidiphyllum japonicum/katsura tree
Spring: New foliage emerges reddish-purple
Summer: Lovely blue-green, heart-shaped leaves
Autumn: Yellow fall color; cotton candy-scented foliage
Winter: Graceful, pyramidal silhouette; flaky bark - Cornus alternifolia*/pagoda dogwood
Spring: White, flat-topped flowers
Summer: Deep purple berries in August
Autumn: Reddish-purple fall color
Winter: Striking horizontal tiered branches; multi-stemmed silhouette - Cornus mas/cornelian-cherry dogwood
Spring: Cluster of small, yellow flowers in April
Summer: Glossy dark green leaves; oblong, cherry-red fruits
Autumn: Yellow-brown fall color
Winter: Attractive mottled tan and gray bark - Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’/Winter King hawthorn
Spring: Showy clusters of white flowers
Summer:Fine-textured, glossy green leaves
Autumn: Showy orange-red berries persistent through winter
Winter: Flat-topped horizontal silhouette; silvery bark peels to reveal orange patches - Fagus sylvatica/European beech
Spring: Late emerging light green foliage
Summer: Glossy dark green leaves
Autumn: Coppery-yellow
Winter: Smooth silvery-gray bark; elegant pyramidal silhouette; retains some leaves throughout winter - Larix decidua/European larch
Spring: Bright green, soft new needles
Summer: Dark green needles
Autumn: Attractive golden yellow fall color
Winter: Striking, bare-branched pyramidal silhouette - Prunus maackii/Amur cherry
Spring: Small white flowers
Summer: Glossy green foliage; red fruit maturing to black
Autumn: Yellow-brown fall color
Winter: Outstanding cinnamon brown bark with a metallic sheen - Prunus sargentii/Sargent’s cherry
Spring: Beautiful early spring pink flowers
Summer: Medium-textured green foliage
Autumn: Yellow to bronze-red fall color
Winter: Distinctive red to chestnut brown shiny bark - Syringa pekinensis/Peking lilac
Spring: Large, dark green foliage early in season
Summer: Large, creamy-white fragrant flowers in June
Autumn: Ornamental persistent seedheads; yellow fall color
Winter: Handsome exfoliating cherry-like bark
The following list provides information about shrubs that are ornamental through all four seasons, or shrubs that are so exceptional in one or two seasons of ornamentation that they would add significantly to the four-season garden. All plants are recommended by The Morton Arboretum for their suitability and desirability in the Midwest.
Plants marked with an * are native to the Midwest.
- Aesculus parviflora/bottlebrush buckeye
Spring: New yellow-green foliage changing to medium green
Summer: Large, white bottlebrush-shaped flowers in July
Autumn: Yellow fall color
Winter: Suckering, multi-stemmed habit - Aronia arbutifolia* ‘Brilliantissima’/brilliant red chokeberry
Spring: Dense clusters of small white flowers
Summer: Glossy dark green to gray-green leaves
Autumn: Brilliant red fall color
Winter: Abundant, persistent red fruit - Berberis koreana/Korean barberry
Spring: Showy clusters of yellow pendulous flowers
Summer: Fine-textured medium green leaves
Autumn: Reddish-purple fall color; clusters of persistent red berries
Winter: Twiggy reddish stems - Caryopteris x clandonensis/bluebeard
Spring: Cut to ground in spring
Summer: Outstanding late-summer, early fall bright blue flowers
Autumn: Fragrant, silvery gray-green foliage remains until frost
Winter: Light-gray twiggy mound - Clethra alnifolia/Summersweet
Spring: Medium green leaves
Summer: Spiky white or pink fragrant flowers in July
Autumn: Golden yellow fall color
Winter: Interesting, delicate dried seed capsules - Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’/cardinal red-osier dogwood
Spring: Flattened, white flower clusters
Summer: Medium-textured green leaves
Autumn: Reddish-purple fall color
Winter: Attractive stems, reddish-orange changing to bright red - Cotoneaster ‘Hessei’/Hesse cotoneaster
Spring: Tiny, pink flowers
Summer: Glossy green leaves
Autumn: Rich burgundy fall color; bright red fruits
Winter: Interesting herringbone branch habit and persistent berries - Fothergilla gardenii/dwarf fothergilla
Spring: Fragrant, bottle-brush white flowers before foliage
Summer: Blue-green foliage
Autumn: Vibrant yellow-orange-red fall color
Winter: Silvery-gray bark with a rounded habit - Hamamelis mollis ‘Brevipetala’/brevipetala witch-hazel
Spring: Smooth, gray branches, new foliage has light green underside
Summer: Large, coarse-textured, green foliage
Autumn: Rich, yellow-orange fall color
Winter: Small ribbon-like, fragrant yellow flowers in February and March - Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’/Witch-hazel
Spring: Fragrant, orange to copper-red ribbon-like flowers
Summer: Gray-green to medium green foliage
Autumn: Yellow to orange fall color
Winter: Silvery-gray to brown stems - Hamamelis vernalis f. carnea/red-flowered vernal witch-hazel
Spring: Early foliage is reddish-purple
Summer: Large, coarse-textured, green foliage
Autumn: Yellow to orange-red fall color
Winter: Red flowers in late February or early March - Hamamelis virginiana*/common witch-hazel
Spring: New leaves emerge light green changing with season
Summer: Dark green, bold-textured, toothed leaves
Autumn: Showy, yellow, ribbon-like flowers in mid-October into December; yellow fall color
Winter: Attractive, gray stems and spreading branches - Heptacodium miconioides/seven-son flower
Spring: Soft green leaves maturing to dark green
Summer: Clusters of white flowers in late August-September
Autumn: Ornamental red bracts; yellow-brown fall color
Winter: Exfoliating, gray-brown bark exposing lighter inner bark - Hydrangea arborescens*/wild hydrangea
Spring: Attractive green foliage
Summer: White flat-topped flowers in June
Autumn: Yellow-brown fall color; dried flower heads
Winter: Ornamental dried flower heads; gray-tan-brown flaky stems - Hydrangea paniculata/panicled hydrangea
Spring: Coarse, dark green leaves
Summer: White changing to pink flowers Aug-Sept
Autumn: Purple-tinged green autumn color; pink changing to brown flower heads
Winter: Persistent dried flower heads - Hydrangea quercifolia/oak-leaved hydrangea
Spring: Oakleaf-shaped foliage emerges covered with silky hairs
Summer: White changing to pink cone-shaped flowers July-Sept
Autumn: Outstanding, wine-red to burgundy fall foliage
Winter: Ornamental, persistent dried flower heads; reddish-brown peeling bark - Hypericum kalmianum*/Kalm St. John’s wort
Spring: Blue green foliage
Summer: Showy bright yellow flowers
Summer: Reddish fall color
Winter: Brown, exfoliating stems; dried reddish-brown fruit capsule - Ilex decidua*/possum-haw
Spring: Small white flowers
Summer: Glossy dark green foliage
Autumn: Yellow fall color
Winter: Showy red fruit on female plants; effective until mid-winter - Ilex verticillata*/common winterberry
Spring: Remnant fruits attract birds
Summer: Glossy dark green foliage
Autumn: Maroon fall color
Winter: Abundant bright red berries on female plants; light gray stems - Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’/Henry’s Garnet sweetspire
Spring: Medium green leaves on reddish-green stems
Summer: Showy yellowish-white spiky flowers
Autumn: Brilliant orangish-red to maroon fall color
Winter: Persistent seed capsules - Lindera benzoin*/spicebush
Spring: Early, vibrant yellow flowers in early March
Summer: Attractive, fine-textured, soft green foliage
Autumn: Butter yellow fall color contrasts well with red fruits
Winter: A distinctive horizontal branching pattern in woodland situations - Physocarpus opulifolius* ‘Monlo’/Diabolo® eastern ninebark
Spring: New leaves emerge dark purple
Summer: Creamy white flowers stand out against purple foliage
Autumn: Persistent seed heads
Winter: Older stems peel into long, papery strips - Rhus copallina var. latifolia* ‘Morton’/Prairie Flame™ shining sumac
Spring: Glossy, trifoliate green foliage
Summer: Greenish-yellow pyramidal flowers
Autumn: Outstanding crimson-red to orange fall color
Winter: Slender fuzzy stems aromatic; showy male catkins - Rhus typhina*/staghorn sumac
Spring: Bright green foliage
Summer: Bright green compound leaves; greenish-yellow flower panicles
Autumn: Excellent orange-red fall color; fuzzy clusters of crimson-red fruit
Winter: Picturesque velvety branches resemble deer antlers; persistent, fuzzy fruit - Rosa glauca/red-leaved rose
Spring: New foliage a beautiful coppery, purplish-red
Summer: Attractive blue-green foliage; clear pink flowers attractive against foliage
Autumn: Burgundy fall color; cranberry-like fruits
Winter: Canes covered with purplish blooms; persistent, shriveled dark red fruits - Rosa rugosa ‘Frau Dagmar Hastrup’/Frau Dagmar Hastrup rugosa rose
Spring: Prolific light-pink, fragrant flowers with showy yellow stamens
Summer: Persistent flowers; large red fruits (hips)
Autumn: Yellow to orange fall color; persistent fruit
Winter: Thick reddish-brown stems; large fruits turn dark red - Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’/Wine & Roses® old fashioned weigela
Spring: Trumpet-shaped rosy-pink flowers
Summer: Dark, shiny, purple foliage
Autumn: Dark purple foliage persist until frost
Winter: Multi-stemmed, coarse winter habit, graceful arching stems