An informal hedge of forsythia makes a cheerful statement. (Photo: Lee Reich)
Shrubs are a natural fit for most old houses, but not every shrub will work in every climate. The charts below offer shrub suggestions based on their USDA Hardiness Zone, determined by a location’s average winter temperatures. (If you don’t already know which Hardiness Zone you live in, consult the map below.) This sampling of heirloom shrubs, all of which were introduced to the U.S. in the 19th century or earlier, offers everything from free-form florals to stately evergreens.
USDA Hardiness zone map courtesy of The National Arbor Day Foundation
Informal Deciduous
| Zone | Shrub Name | Botanical Name | Date Introduced |
| Zone 3 Zones 3-9 Zone 4 Zone 4 Zone 4 Zone 4 Zones 4-8 Zones 4-8 Zones 5-9 Zone 6 |
Red osier dogwood Summersweet Allegheny serviceberry Forsythia Pegee hydrangea Witch hazel Red buckeye Flowering quince Quince Bigleaf hydrangea |
Cornus sericea Clethra alnifolia Amelanchier laevis Forsythia Hydrangea paniculata Hamamelis spp. Aesculus pavia Chaenomeles speciosa Cydonia obonga Hydrangea macrophylla |
1656 1731 1870 19th century 1861 19th century 1711 1800 18th century 1790 |
Informal Evergreen
| Zone | Shrub Name | Botanical Name | Date Introduced |
| Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 4 Zone 4 Zones 4-5 Zone 6 |
Juniper Arborvitae Drooping leucothoe Rose daphne Rhododendrons & azaleas Oregon grape holly |
Juniperus spp. Thuja spp. Leucothoe fontanesiana Daphne cneorum Rhododendron spp. Mahonia aquifolium |
19th century 19th century 1793 1753 19th century 1823 |
Formal Deciduous
| Zone | Shrub Name | Botanical Name | Date Introduced |
| Zones 2-7 Zones 4-7 Zones 4-8 |
Alpine currant Common privet Japanese green barberry |
Ribes alpinum Ligustrum vulgare Berberis thunbergii |
1700 1750 1656 |
Formal Evergreen
| Zone | Shrub Name | Botanical Name | Date Introduced |
| Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 7 Zones 8-9 |
Yew Common boxwood Japanese holly Boxleaf hebe Japanese privet Myrtle |
Taxus spp. Buxus serpervirens Ilex crenata Hebe buxifolia Ligustrum japonicum Myrtus communis |
19th century 1750 1864 1885 1845 1800 |
Looking for more inspiration? Find the best hydrangeas for your historic garden.
Published in: Old-House Journal August/September 2010| Tweet |
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