By Carol Gilmore, Colorado Master Gardener

Color

The Eastern Redbud Flame Thrower® is a new cultivar of the dramatic small tree that already grows in our area. Flame Thrower starts the season with a profusion of pink flowers that come out on bare branches before the leaves emerge. Its small size works well as an accent tree at 15 to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It provides interest throughout the season with glossy heart-shaped leaves that start out as burgundy, then change to red, and finally turn to orange, yellow and green. All five colors are displayed on the tree simultaneously throughout the growing season. It is waterwise and attracts bees, butterflies and birds.  

More Color

A showy, multi-colored, 6 by 6 foot shrub that was recently introduced is Winecraft Black® Smokebush. Like the Redbud Flame Thrower, it provides a kaleidoscope of colors throughout the season. Foliage emerges in a rich purple and turns near black with burgundy undertones during the summer heat. It blooms early to mid-summer and has large soft blooms that are pink with red highlights resembling wispy smoke. In the fall, leaves turn to shades varying from brick red to orange. It is tolerant of many soil types, provided they are well-drained. Smokebush prefers a sunny location and is repellent to deer and rabbits.

Pollinators

If you are looking for a shrub to support birds, bees and butterflies, consider Hydrangea arborescens Bee Friendly™. Be aware that not all varieties of hydrangeas are beneficial to insects, but this one is. Smooth hydrangeas have white, dome-shaped flower heads made up of numerous small flowers in clusters up to 4 inches wide. They grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet and spread 4 to 6 feet wide and prefer partial shade.

Fragrance

Pink on Repeat™ lilac is a 2025 introduction by Plant Select® that blooms twice in a season, providing more bang for the buck. Pink on Repeat lilac was found to have survived the harsh winters in neighboring Wyoming with only natural precipitation. It blooms twice a year. The first fragrant bloom is mid-May to June and then again in August. It starts out as a dark pink flower that fades to light pink and then white. This lilac grows 5 to 6 feet high and spreads 8 to 9 feet. It is resistant to deer and good for pollinators.