Not only flowers belong to the early bloomers, there are also numerous early blooming shrubs. Here you will find the best early flowering shrubs for your garden.
When you think of early bloomers, spring flowers like crocus (Crocus) or tulips (Tulipa) usually come to mind. In fact, there are also shrubs that are early bloomers: thanks to cold-resistant flowers, many plants use the spring to be pollinated. In this article we will tell you which early-flowering shrubs and shrubs are particularly bee-friendly.
1. Spring Spiraea (Spiraea thunbergii)
At just over a meter tall, the Spring Spire is one of the smallest of the spring flowering shrubs. Nevertheless, the dwarf shrub can become the focal point of the garden: when the spring spiers open their numerous white flowers at the beginning of March, they transform into a veritable sea of flowers that bees and other insects like to visit. The early-blooming shrub carries its white flowers into May, provided they do not fall victim to the frost. To prevent this, it is worth planting the spring spiers in a weather-protected, sunny location, even if the early flowering shrub is considered to be very tolerant and undemanding in terms of soil and location.
Corylus avellana)
The hazel, also known as the hazelnut bush, is definitely one of the shrubs that flower early. From February you can see the blossoms of the hazel. If you take a closer look at the spring bloomers, you will even discover two different types of flowers on the bush: since the hazel is monoecious, the bush has both the inconspicuous, female flowers and the yellow, elongated, male catkins, which release clouds of pollen to the chagrin of many allergy sufferers . Although the hazel relies primarily on wind pollination, the early-blooming shrub is still considered valuable for bees, as it is one of the most important sources of pollen for bees in spring. With a height of three to six meters, the hazel is also suitable forIt is suitable for smaller gardens, although you should pay attention to a sunny place when growing the hazelnut if you want to bring in a rich harvest. In addition, the plant prefers deep, humus-rich and moderately moist soil.
3. Gingerbread Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
The gingerbread tree is best known for its foliage, which gives off a delicious scent of cinnamon and caramel in autumn. But the early-flowering shrub is also a real feast for the eyes in spring: the gingerbread tree presents its filigree, red flowers from March. However, the early-blooming shrub with the red flowers relies on the wind for pollination and not on insects, which is why it is not a suitable source of nectar for bees and the like. Nevertheless, the gingerbread tree can be an enrichment for the garden if you have enough space - the gingerbread tree reaches an impressive height of twelve meters.
The early-flowering shrub tolerates the German climate well, despite its Asian origin, if you choose a sunny location with nutrient-rich, deep and fresh soil.
4. Jewel mahonia (Mahonia bealei)
As early as February, the mahonia shows its bright yellow flower clusters, turning it into an eye-catcher in the garden. The early-blooming shrub with the yellow flowers impresses with its bright flowers and pleasant fragrance until April. But not only people are impressed - bees and bumblebees also love the early flowering shrub. In Germany, the mahogany with a maximum size of about two meters also fits well in smaller gardens. The evergreen shrub proves to be relatively robust if you plant it in the right location: the early flowering shrub does not particularly like drafts and winter sun, instead preferring a sheltered location in the light shade. In addition, the mahogany is happy about a nutritious, humus-rich soil with even soil moisture.
5. Snow forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)
The snow forsythia shows its impressive flowers from March to May. During this period, the early-blooming shrubs turn white into a veritable sea of fine, fragrant flowers. But not only gardeners love the numerous flowers of the snow forsythia: TheThis early-blooming shrub is a great source of food for bees, which is particularly impressive due to its good nectar value and incredible number of flowers. With a maximum height and width of two meters, the snow forsythia is also wonderfully suited for small gardens. The early flowering shrub, which is somewhat sensitive to frost, should only be treated to a sunny spot that is sheltered from the wind at best - it hardly makes any demands on the soil.
Magnolia stellata)
With numerous white star-shaped flowers, the star magnolia is probably one of the loveliest early-blooming shrubs in the garden. The densely branched ornamental shrub impresses with its rich blooms from March and into April. The star magnolia is extremely interesting for beetles and other insects because it has a good pollen content. However, it does not produce nectar, which is why bees rarely fly to it. With a maximum height of three meters and slow growth, the early flowering shrub is also suitable for smaller gardens. However, you should pay attention to a sunny sheltered location so that the star magnolia can develop its full splendor. In addition, like all magnolias, the early-flowering shrub has sensitive roots, which is why a good substrate should be particularly important when planting the magnolia: loose, nutrient-rich and acidic soil with even moisture is ideal.
7. Bird cherry (Prunus padus)
With a height of up to 10 meters as a shrub and up to 15 meters as a tree, the bird cherry is a giant among early flowering shrubs. The plant, which can be cultivated as a large shrub or small tree, is native to all of Europe and also thrives very well in gardens if you can give it the necessary space. Here you should pay attention to an adequate water supply, especially at a young age, because the bird cherry has a high water requirement and for this reason prefers fresh to moist soil. In contrast, its light requirement is only moderate, so it grows well even in partial shade to shade.
From April to June, the shrub, which is one of the early bloomers, shows its white flower clusters, which give off a rather strong smell for humans. The smell of the early flowering shrub seems to bees, butterflies andother insects to be very pleasant, because they swarm in flocks to the nectar and pollen-rich blossoms of the bird cherry.
8. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
With its bright yellow flowers, winter jasmine can be seen from afar in spring: from January, or even from December if the weather is mild, the early-blooming shrub gradually opens its yellow flowers well into April. In contrast to other jasmine species, the flowers of winter jasmine are not fragrant, but bees are still attracted to the early-blooming yellow shrub. Winter jasmine is usually cultivated as an insect-friendly climbing plant by allowing it to grow up a trellis or trellis. Here the early flowering shrub reaches a height of up to three meters. If the hardy climber is grown without support, it does not form a crown but spreads its overhanging shoots flat on the ground.
Winter jasmine thrives best in a sheltered, sunny to slightly shady location, although the plant is generally considered to be very robust. The early-flowering shrub also makes little demands on the soil.
9. Winter mahonia (Mahonia x media)
If you are looking for a yellow shrub among the early bloomers, you cannot avoid the winter mahonia. The early-flowering shrub, which bears the variety name 'Winter Sun', not only adorns itself with yellow flower clusters from January to March, but also turns its leaves yellow-red from autumn to spring. Thanks to a maximum growth height of two metres, the winter mahonia is also suitable for smaller gardens if you can offer it the right location: a sheltered location in partial shade or shade and without winter sun is ideal for the early-blooming yellow shrub. On the other hand, the winter mahonia is quite tolerant of soil, but prefers a nutrient-rich, humus-rich substrate. Incidentally, not only people like the winter mahonia - the early flowering shrub is also popular with bees.
10. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)
When the witch hazel flowers slowly open despite the snow and cold, you quickly see why the plant got its unusual name: the early-blooming shrubs with the yellow, orange or red flowers look magical. Spring flowering shrubs include Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis)and the Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica), which bloom from January to March, but also the hybrid witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ), whose flowering time varies depending on the variety. The early flowers are an important food source for bees and bumblebees as they appear early in the year.
If you want to plant witch hazel, you should pay particular attention to the right location: witch hazel prefers deep, fresh and very humus-rich soil as well as a sheltered, sunny position. Witch hazel also reacts to drought, compaction and waterlogging. In addition, when choosing the right location for the witch hazel, you should also consider the planting neighbors, as the early flowering shrub has rather weak roots.
Not only early flowering shrubs provide color accents in the garden. You can find out which plants lift your spirits in winter with their colorful flowers in our article on winter flowering plants.