Early flowering shrubs for the garden

Not only flowers are early bloomers, there are also numerous early blooming shrubs. Here you will find the best early flowering shrubs for your garden.

If you at Early bloomer thinks that spring flowers like crocuses usually fall to you (Crocus) or tulips (Tulipa) a. In fact, there are also shrubs that are early bloomers: Thanks to cold-resistant flowers, many plants already use spring to allow themselves to be pollinated. In this article we will tell you which early-blooming trees there are and which early-blooming shrubs are particularly bee-friendly.

1. Spring spear (Spiraea thunbergii)

With a height of just over a meter, the spring spar is one of the smallest shrubs among the spring bloomers. Nevertheless, the dwarf shrub can definitely become the focal point of the garden: The spring spiers open theirs at the beginning of March numerous white flowers, it transforms into a veritable sea of ​​flowers that bees and other insects like to visit will. The early flowering shrub carries its white flowers into May, when they do not fall victim to frost. To prevent this, it is worth keeping the spring spar in a sheltered, sunny place if possible To plant location, even if the early flowering shrub is considered very tolerant and frugal, what soil and location concerns.

2. Hazel (Corylus avellana)

One of the bushes that bloom early is the hazel, also known as the hazelnut bush. From February you can see the flowers of the hazel. If you take a closer look at the spring bloomer, you will even discover two different flower shapes on the shrub: Since the hazel is monoecious, the shrub bears both the inconspicuous, female flowers and the yellow, elongated, male catkins, which, to the chagrin of many allergy sufferers, clouds of pollen release. Although the hazel primarily relies on wind pollination, the early flowering 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 for smaller gardens Growing the hazelnut should pay attention to a sunny place if you want to get a rich harvest. In addition, the plant prefers deep, humus-rich and moderately moist soil.

3. Gingerbread tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Of 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: from March the gingerbread tree presents its filigree, red flowers. When it comes to pollination, the early flowering shrub with the red flowers relies on the wind and not on insects, which is why it is not a source of nectar for bees and the like. Nevertheless, the gingerbread tree can certainly enrich the garden if you have enough space - the gingerbread tree reaches a stately twelve meters.

The early-flowering shrub can cope well with the German climate, despite its Asian homeland, if you choose a sunny location with nutrient-rich, deep and fresh soil.

4. Ornamental Oregon Grape (Mahonia bealei)

The Ornamental Mahonia shows its bright yellow flower clusters as early as February, turning it into an eye-catcher in the garden. The early blooming shrub with the yellow flowers impresses with its radiant flowers and its pleasant fragrance until April. But not only people are impressed - bees and bumblebees also love the early-flowering shrub. In Germany, the Ornamental Mahonia, with a maximum size of around two meters, also fits well in smaller gardens. The evergreen shrub proves to be relatively robust if you put it in the right place: drafts and The early-flowering shrub does not particularly like winter sun; instead, it prefers a sheltered location in the open The shade. In addition, the Schuck Oregon grape enjoys a nutritious, humus-rich soil with uniform soil moisture.

5. Snowforsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)

From March to May, the snow forsythia shows its impressive flowers. During this period, the early flowering white shrubs turn into a veritable sea of ​​fine, fragrant flowers. But not only gardeners love the numerous flowers of the snow forsythia: the early flowering shrub is for bees a great source of nutrition, especially due to its good nectar value and its incredible number of flowers captivates. With a height and width of a maximum of two meters, the snow forsythia is also wonderfully suitable for small gardens. The early-flowering shrub, which is a little frost-sensitive, should only be given a sunny, ideally sheltered, place - on the other hand, it makes hardly any demands on the ground.

6. Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata)

With numerous white star blossoms, the star magnolia is probably one of the most beautiful early flowering shrubs in the garden. The densely branched ornamental shrub impresses with its rich flowers 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 any 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 the Plants of magnolia Particular emphasis should be placed on a good substrate: a 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 the 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 a fresh to moist one Floor. In contrast, its light requirement is only moderate, so that it also grows well 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 odor for humans. However, the smell of the early flowering shrub shines a lot to bees, butterflies and other insects to be pleasant, because they rave about the nectar- and pollen-rich flowers of the Bird cherry.

8. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

With its bright yellow flowers you can Winter jasmine Already recognizable from afar in spring: From January, in mild weather even from December, the early-flowering shrub gradually opens its yellow flowers until April. In contrast to other types of jasmine, the flowers of winter jasmine do not smell, but bees are still attracted to the early flowering shrub in yellow. Usually the winter jasmine is called insect-friendly climbing plant cultivated by growing it up on a trellis or trellis. Here the early flowering shrub reaches a height of up to three meters. Will the hardy climber If pulled up without a support device, it does not form a crown, but spreads its overhanging shoots flat on the ground.

The winter jasmine thrives best in a sheltered sunny to slightly shady location, whereby the plant is generally considered to be very robust. The early flowering shrub also makes hardly any demands on the soil.

9. Winter Oregon Grape (Mahonia x media)

If you are looking for a yellow shrub among the early bloomers, you cannot ignore the winter mahonia. The early flowering shrub, which bears the variety name ‘Winter Sun’, adorns itself from January to March not only with yellow flower clusters, but also colors its leaves from autumn through to spring yellow Red. Thanks to a maximum height of two meters, the winter mahonia is also suitable for smaller gardens if you have the right one Can offer location: A protected location in partial shade or shade and without winter sun is ideal for the early flowering shrub in yellow. The winter Oregon grape, on the other hand, is quite tolerant of the soil, but prefers a nutrient-rich, humus-rich substrate. By the way, it's not just people who like winter Oregon grape - the early flowering shrub is also popular with bees.

10. Witch hazel (Witch hazel)

When the flowers of the witch hazel slowly open despite the snow and cold, you can quickly see why the plant is hers has received an unusual name: the early-blooming shrubs with yellow, orange or red flowers look magical the end. The spring blooming shrubs include the Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) and the Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica), which bloom from January to March, but also the hybrid witch hazel (Witch hazel x intermedia), the flowering time of which varies depending on the variety. The early flowers are an important source of nutrition for bees and bumblebees as they appear early in the year.

Would you like that Plant witch hazel, you should pay particular attention to the correct location: The witch hazel prefers a deep, fresh and very humus-rich soil as well as a sheltered, sunny location. The witch hazel also reacts to dryness, compaction and waterlogging. Additionally, one should consider choosing the right one Location for the witch hazel also consider the neighbors, as the early flowering shrub has rather weak roots.

Not only early-blooming shrubs provide color accents in the garden. You can find out which plants lift your mood with colorful flowers in winter in our article Winter blooming.