SHRUB BORDER
Small woody plants?
Defining something as a shrub can be complicated. General definitions call them woody plants that are smaller than a tree or are multistem. They can be deciduous or evergreen, dwarf varieties of trees, or even trees repeatedly cut at the ground level (coppice). They are usually shorter than 15 feet tall at maturity, but many can be much wider than that eventually.
This shrub border was created in 1982 as a space to trial species and varieties of shrubs new to the market. At one time there were several hundred varieties all being evaluated for performance in Central Iowa. After the creation of the Iowa Arboretum and Gardens Trial Program in 2023, this space is now reserved as a demonstration and display of unique varieties with new plants constantly being added. Some categories of interest include sumacs (Rhus spp.), bush honeysuckle (Diervilla spp.), and wild species collected from the Arboretum’s own woodlands.
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