252 Landscape Design, Installation, and Management Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. display of fl owers. The designer must consider how deciduous shrubs will impact the landscape after they lose their leaves. A combination of evergreen and decidu- ous shrubs are often used to create visual interest year-round. Shrub Species With such a wide variety of shrubs available, designers can always fi nd one that will suit any area of the landscape. Many shrubs, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas, are often selected for the beautiful and colorful blooms but they also have attractive foliage. Boxwoods make excellent shaped hedges and topiaries and provide color and interest through- out the year. Hollies are available as small evergreen shrubs to trees that grow over 80′. Hollies provide color throughout the year and berries that help sustain wildlife in the winter. Other popular shrubs include Glossy Abelia, Winter Daphne, Indian Hawthorn, Pfi tzer’s Juniper, and Wax Myrtle, Figure 10-13. Shrub Cultivars Cultivar selection is of utmost importance when selecting shrubs for a design because each cultivar possesses unique char- acteristics. Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula,’ for example, is a large weep- ing evergreen shrub with a mature height of 15′. (Pendula is Latin for weeping.) It features beautiful red berries. Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana,’ dwarf yaupon holly, is a dwarf evergreen shrub with a mature height of 5′. Red fruit is rarely seen on dwarf yaupon holly. Plant breeders have also created shrubs with prolonged bloom time. Roses, hydrangeas, and azaleas that bloom multiple times throughout the year for prolonged periods can be used to provide more color and interest. Herbaceous Perennials Herbaceous perennials are herbaceous plants (plant with a soft, succulent stem) that die to the ground, become dormant, and return the next growing sea- son. When a plant is dormant, the buds and seeds are inhibited from growing until the environmental conditions become ideal for the plant to grow. These plants do not have aboveground woody stems. Hosta and sedum are popular herbaceous perennials. Herbaceous perennials are popular with designers and clients because they come back year after year and most require little mainte- nance and are easy to grow, Figure 10-14. They also grow larger each year and often can be divided and planted in other locations. Some herbaceous perennials are known for their blooms and growth habits but many are chosen for their unique foliage. Most perennials are versatile and may be grown in containers, used as fi llers between shrubs, or used as ground cover. Few plants can rival the ornamental impact of herbaceous perennials. Herbaceous Perennial Species Herbaceous perennials have been favorites of landscape designers and professional and amateur gardeners for years. Perennials, such as daylilies, Mccallk69/Shutterstock.com Figure 10-13. A—Kaleidoscope Abelia is a small shrub featuring red, green, yellow, and purple foliage. B—Azaleas offer early spring flowers unrivaled by few other shrubs. Christopher D. Hart A B