Wyoming Plant Company - Medium and Small Shrubs

The Wyoming Plant Company -- Landscape plants for Wyoming's climate

Medium Shrubs

Accent, hedge, patio privacy, central anchors to larger planting islands are uses that come to mind for these, the classic sized shrubs. Plant these where they have space to grow into their natural form and you will be rewarded with their true beauty, maximized flower production and minimized work from not pruning. In the suburban yard these are often useful for windbreak to increase your enjoyment of outdoor time and to protect floral and vegetable garden areas.

Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush (Buddleia alternifolia ‘Argentea’)

This Plant Select^® 1998 entry continues to thrill us. As the only Buddleia hardy in Zone 4, that alone is a real plus but the arching, thin pendulous branches covered in fine textured silvergray foliage are quietly graceful and when the fragrant lilac hued blooms twirl around last year’s growth like stripes on a candy cane it is a stunning addition to the early summer garden. What a butterfly magnet! Windbreak.

Height: 8’- 10’ (be patient) Width: 6’-8’ Shape: Open vase
Zone 4	to	Full sun
Size: 1 Quart		SASB-SQ	Cost: $ 7.75
Size: 1 Gallon		SASB-SG	Cost: $13.00
Size: 5 Gallon		SASB-S5G	Cost: $37.50

Alleghany Viburnum (V. x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’)

Plant Select^® 1997 A semi-evergreen rounded shrub with rich dark green leaves that provide foliar interest for a large portion of the year! Creamy white flower clusters cover the plant in late spring followed by large clusters of red berries that ripen to glossy black by autumn. Great for partial shade!

Height: 8’-10’ Width: 8’-10’ Shape Rounded
Zone 4	+	Full sun to part shade
Size: 5 Gallon		VRAV-S	Cost: $37.00

True Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus)

This native is found along the front range of Wyoming from about Douglas and southward on limestone outcrops. As one drives southward on I-25, this is the shrub on the hillsides that looks dark rather than silvery like sagebrush. A durable xeric species suited to rocky or sandy soils (plant on sand only if calcareous water is available for irrigation). Enjoy the dark gray-green deeply lobed foliage and the autumnal fuzzy seed tails.

Height: 5-8’ Width: 5-6’ Shape: Open spreading
Zone 2	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CMTL-S	Cost: $12.50

'Cheyenne’ Mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii ‘Cheyenne’)

Plant Select^®2001 This is the only Mock Orange at the Experiment Station in Cheyenne that was prospering after years of neglect! Perhaps that is because this native western strain is suited to growth on alkaline soils (doesn’t get chlorotic) unlike many of the eastern or developed varieties. This tough but beautiful shrub named after Meriweather Lewis has dense racemes of 1”-1.25” pure white flowers in early summer that provide sweet orange-blossom like fragrance. Use it where you will get to see and smell it but not where reflected heat will be a challenge.

Height: 5 - 8’ Width: 5 - 8’ Shape: Broadly upright
Zone 4	+	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon		PLCM-S	Cost: $13
Size: 5 Gallon			Cost: $36

New! ‘Tiger Eyes’ Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’)

Chartreuse spring foliage matures into yellow leaf color above fuzzy rosy-pink stems in this form of Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac. In autumn the show gets even brighter as the leaves become a variegated yellow, orange and scarlet. The branches angle upward and the deeply cut leaflets drape downward creating a rather oriental look. An easy to grow accent plant with only one caution: protect the stems from buck deer damage.

Height: 6.5’ Width: 6.5’ Shape: Upright spreading
Zone 4	to	Full sun
Size: 2 Gallon		RTTE-S	Cost: $24.75
Size: 5 Gallon		RTTE-S	Cost: $43.00

Szechuan Fire Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster ignaavus)

This species stays more compact than Peking Cotoneaster and is disease resistant! The leaves are heavily pubescent lending them a blue cast until the yellow autumn color develops. White May blooms are followed by 1/4” dark red berries in August. This species has proven itself for decades at the Cheyenne Experiment Station and has handled windy sites in Casper very well, too! Perfect for an informal hedge or patio windbreak!

Height: 6’-8’ Width: 4’-6’ Shape: Upright Oval
Zone 2	Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon	CISF-S	Cost: $37.00

Minuet Lilac (Syringa x prestoniae ‘Minuet’)

Developed out of Canada, this lilac blooms about two weeks later than traditional lilacs — hence no late frosts killing the blooms! But what makes this spectacular is its size — which is dwarf with a maximum height of only 6’! Fragrant lavender flowers. Consider planting this one where space may be limited or as an accent to the larger lilacs we offer!

Height: 4’-6’ Width: 4’-6’ Shape: Upright rounded
Zone 2	Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon	SPML-S	Cost: $42.00

Consider planting Allegheny Viburnum, Cheyenne Flowering Quince, Cheyenne Mock Orange, Fernleaf Buckthorn and the Ninebarks together for a lush landscape in semi-protected sites. The Currant species belong in both this plant grouping and the next. You will enjoy the foliage and fragrances. Where wind and exposure are more intense use Cheyenne Privet, Szechuan Cotoneaster, the Lilacs, Tiger Eyes Sumac, Golden Elder and Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush. Consider Blue Velvet Honeysuckle, Chokecherries and New Mexico Olive in both the previous grouping and the next. They are quite strong plants! The various Mountain Mahoganies, Utah Service, Silver Buffaloberry, the Sagebrushes, Rabbitbrushes, and Junipers belong on the toughest sites. You may plant this last grouping in less stressful sites if you do not situate them in any soggy spot without good drainage.

Flowering Quince ’Cheyenne’ (Chaenomeles japonica)

Discovered at the Cheyenne Experiment station this flowering quince is the most durable and alkaline tolerant of the genus on the market today! Expect glossy green foliage with deep rosy red blooms in May. Quince have an exotic southern mountain or oriental garden look and you can enjoy this one in your Wyoming garden! We introduced this shrub in 2007 and was by far the most talked about introduction by our customers!

Height: 4-5’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Upright
Zone 4	Sun to Filtered shade
Size: 5 Gallon	FQCJ-S	Cost: $36

Gwen’s Buffalo Currant (Ribes aureum ‘Gwen’s Buffalo)

A selection of a Wyoming native only this one has better fruit production! Very fragrant yellow blooms appear in spring followed by black tear drop edible fruit. Autumn color ranges from wonderful oranges to reds. Tolerates wind and dry soils very well! An excellent shrub for seasonal interest.

Height 5 – 6’, width 5 – 6’ Shape: Vase
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	RAGB-S1	Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon	RAGB-S5	Cost: $36.50

Crandall Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum ‘Crandall’)

Another selection of a Wyoming native with outstanding attributes for our area! In spring, the yellow trumpet-shaped flowers have a strong clove fragrance followed by up to 3/4” black fruit that have a sweet spicy fragrance! Light green tri-lobed foliage turns orange in autumn. This shrub was selected by fruit growers beginning in the late 1800’s for its excellent fruit quality and is still used today! Tolerates wind and dry soils very well!

Height: 4 – 6’ Width: 4’-6’ Shape: Open arching
Zone 4	Full Sun
Size: 1 Gallon	ROCC-S	Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon	ROCC-S	Cost: $36.00

Mountain Ninebark (Physocarpus monogynus)

A Compact native shrub with medium green foliage found on slopes near creeks and in mountain meadow edges has it all for every season! Rose tinged, white flower clusters appear in early summer. Beautiful orange to red autumn color and exfoliating bark for winter interest round out the year. Useful for low hedge and massed plantings on the north and east sides of homes! Avoid planting in high wind and reflected heat or where irrigation water or the soil is saline

Height: 3’-4’ Width: 3’-5’ Shape: Compact upright
Zone 3	Full sun to part shade
Size: 5 Gallon	PMMNS-S	Cost: $38

New! Summer Wine Mountain Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Seward’)

Beautiful deep burgundy foliage all season long on arching stems with pinkish-white flower clusters in early summer provide a stunning accent in the sunny shrub border. Tolerates alkaline ground but not salt in its irrigation water.

Height: 5’-6’ Width: 5’-6’ Shape: Compact mounded
Zone 2	Full sun to part shade
Size: 2 Gallon	POSW-S	Cost: $21.50
Size: 5 Gallon	POSW-S	Cost: $39.50

No matter how drought tolerant our plants are, you will need to plan on watering twice maybe three times a week during the establishment year. We’re talking three good soakings a week in hot weather and only once a week during more moderate temperatures. Roots don’t grow into dry ground, so water both the potting soil and the surrounding ground.

All this said, we don’t want you to leave a plant sitting in hole full of water surrounded by slow to drain tight clay. You still have to poke your finger in the ground to check for moisture in both the potting soil and surrounding ground. During intense heat, we sometimes pour a cup of water at the plant’s center for a gallon sized plant and up to 5 gallons on a 15 gallon pot because the potting soil dries out faster than the surrounding natural soil.

What makes living in Wyoming so powerful? The sky goes on forever, sagebrush flats are anything but flat, rocks aren’t hidden by the prairie grasses, you can see 20 miles to the next rise. Home for most of us is on the Sagebrush Steppe. Using our native plant materials from these places and those from the Asian Steppe echoes our surroundings and celebrates where we are. On the practical side of things, using these plants means you won’t be fighting to keep them alive. You’ll be enjoying your landscape more and intervening in the garden less. After all we want time to go play in our surroundings! Doesn’t sustainable landscaping make more sense than trying to maintain a fiction of being someplace else?

If trees and shrubs are in your future, consider dormant planting in March and April. There is less heat and water stress associated with planting then for you and your trees! When ever possible we will work with you to secure your woody’s for early spring delivery. When ordering please indicate on the order form you want to plant early.

Our Audubon friends say that providing water is even more important than a feeding station for attracting birds. Planting in layers of different heights and textures provides safe haven for birds as they dry and groom after visits to the bird bath and will get you even more avian action in your yard. We recommend planting these trees and shrubs for giving shelter and natural food: Russian Hawthorn, New Mexico Olive, Silver Buffaloberry, Crandall Clove and Gwen’s Buffalo Currants, Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry, Utah Serviceberry and Winnipeg Parks Rose. Even the Cone flowers provide natural seed for small songbirds in winter, and last but not least the native and adapted grasses! Our native bird habitats are diminishing...by carefully selecting the right plants, you will have developed a sanctuary for birds and dare we say for you!

Small to Spreading Shrubs

They are wonderful accents that fit on all sizes of properties and are vital on the new small lots of many new homes/ town houses. Their natural size and form means that you won’t spend your time pruning to keep them inbounds. They have a full range of character, foliage texture and colors, many bloom and not just in the spring. Outstanding autumn colors and exposed winter form provide interest in our quiet season. Also good as anchors for perennial flower beds.

Dark Knight and Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’ and C. x incana ‘Blue Mist’)

Darker graygreen foliage and darker violet flowers differentiate Dark Knight from Blue Mist. In late summer these shrubs provide a vivid display of flowers that is simply exceptional! They may die back in winter so prune to the ground each spring -- it’s ok, flowers are borne on new wood. A favorite of bees, so avoid placement near entry ways. Excellent drought tolerance for this Mongolia native.

Height: 1-3’ Width: 1-3’ Shape: Mounding
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: Quart	Blue Mist CIBM-S or Dark Knight CCDK-S	Cost: $4.50
Size: 1 Gallon		Cost: $11.75

'Gro Low’ Sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Its low spreading form and fast growth rate make this plant excellent for mass plantings as a groundcover, or for erosion control. Stunning autumn color turning brilliant scarlet to orange! This one can handle most Wyoming soils and weather!

Height: 2- 3’ Width: 6 - 7’ Shape: Rounded
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: Quart	RAGL-S	Cost: $5.25
Size: 1 Gallon	RAGL-S	Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon	RAGL-S	Cost: $37.50

'Autumn Amber' Sumac (Rhus trilobata ‘Autumn Amber’)

A prostrate form of R. trilobata which forms a dense groundcover and will cascade over walls! Much more ground hugging than Gro Low and hardier! Summer foliage like the species but autumn color is amber to brick red. This cultivar was found growing over limestone outcroppings so you know its alkalinity tolerance is as good as the species. Consider this one with groundcover Juniper for textural and color interest!

Height: 6-18” Width: 6-8’ Shape: spreading
Zone 3	to	Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon		AART-S	Cost: $39.50

Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cerocarpus intricatus)

A Rocky Mountain beauty for a small space or as an accent in a rock or alpine garden! A very dense and rounded shrub with stiff intertwining branches and tiny, almost needle-like evergreen leaves, evergreen! Very drought tolerant and slow growing.

Height: 3’-5’ Width: 3’-5’ Shape: Rounded
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CILM-S	Cost: $13

Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry (Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’)

Plant Select^® 2000 This shrub has a low arching branches making it a great choice for the perennial garden or planted next to a boulder allowing it to crawl around it. White flowers in May open along the stems and are followed by dark edible berries. Autumn brings a bright red shade to the foliage. The Denver Botanical Gardens collected the parent plant near the Pawnee Buttes in Eastern Colorado.

Height: 12 - 18” Width: 4 - 5’ Shape: Creeping
Zone 2	Full sun
Size: 1 quart	PBPB-S	Cost: $ 5.20
Size: 5 Gallon		Cost: $35.00

Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium)

Plant Select^® 2006 Fine-textured, gray-green fern like foliage with a thick waxy coating gives rise to the name of this high desert aromatic plant. White flowers like a cluster of strawberry blooms top the stem from mid to late summer. Where potentilla would burn to a crisp this one thrives! Our friends at the Denver Botanical Garden recommend using it as an informal western hedge. Would make a great privacy screen for a hot patio or terrace!

Height: 3-5’ Width: 3-5’ Shape: Upright rounded
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CHAM-1	Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon	CHAM-5	Cost: $36.00

Bluestem Joint Fir (Ephedra equisetina)

Plant Select^® 2004 Native to Russia, this slow growing compact shrub deals with harsh weather by being leafless and gets by with just finely textured blue-green stems. Small frothy yellow flowers are followed by bright red berries in mid-summer on female plants. This densely branched conifer relative exhibits great winter interest and a very wild look year-round. Makes a great accent on a high point or exposed site and unlike yucca, another accent plant for tough sites, this plant is not “pokey”. It is very child friendly! Tolerates most soils and does well in hot dry areas.

Height: 4’-6’ Width: 3'-8’ Shape: Mounding
Zone 4b	Full sun to partial shade
Size: 5 Gallon		Cost: $36.50

Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa)

Plant Select^® 2002 The “plume” of Apache Plume is the long pinkish fluffy seed head that is produced in abundance and persists for winter interest long after the season of white strawberry-like flowers has ended. Both the semi-evergreen foliage and branches are fine textured and the overall plant is a rambling spilling mound with a wonderful wild look. For a more tailored setting you may prune for size and shape control. The plant is very forgiving. Hot exposed sites with dry soil, even clay, are the right setting as long as it is in the sun. Difficult slopes are favorable sites for this plant as are xeric gardens in need of a shrub sized windbreak. Untrimmed it will mature to an irregular spreading shape 3-5’ by 3-5’.

Height: 3-4’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Irregular spreading
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	FPAP-S	Cost: $12
Size: 5 Gallon	FPAP-S	Cost: $36

'Katherine Dykes' Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa ‘Katherine Dykes’)

A standout Potentilla that blooms from spring through summer with pale yellow flowers contrasting nicely against gray-green pubescent foliage! Stays compact but does tend to spread out more so than other Potentilla. Not picky about soil type!

Height: 2- 3’ Width: 3-4’ Shape rounded spreading
Zone 2	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	PFKD-S	Cost: $11.50
Size: 5 Gallon	PFKD-S	Cost: $33.00

'Prairie Snow' Potentilla (P. fruticosa var. davurica)

Terrific find with a 50 yr-old parent at the Cheyenne Experiment Station! A low grower with an abundance of creamy white flowers May through August that will simply dazzle you! Very drought hardy once established and one of the best whites. Bright green foliage looks lush.

Height: 1’-2’ Width: 3 - 4’ Shape: Compact spreading
Zone 2	-	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon		PFPF-S	Cost: $11.50
Size: 5 Gallon		PFPF-S	Cost: $33.00

'Pink Beauty' Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa ‘Pink Beauty’)

From the University of Manitoba, Canada. Foliage is bright green and lush with pink blooms from June-August! Flower color holds well except during extreme heat and is wonderful when bud set occurs in cool weather. Best used if planted with morning sun or full day without reflected heat..

Height: 2’-3’ Width: 3’-4’ Shape: Compacted Rounded
Zone 2	Full sun to part shade
Size: 2 Gallon	PFFB-S	Cost: $11.50
Size: 5 Gallon	PFFB-S	Cost: $33.00

New! Waxflower (Jamesia Americana)

Plant Select^® 2003 Dainty clustered waxy white flowers are the source of this plant’s name. The five petalled blooms are produced in later May into June on this native found growing among boulders on the eastern slope of the Rockies. Leaves are thick, 1” oblong with green above and whitish undersides. Fall color is orange to rosy pink. Mature size is 3-5’ tall by 4-6’ wide but it is a charmer when it is a small young plant before it becomes a moderate sized broadly rounded shrub. As a moderately xeric plant it prefers relatively dry soils with good drainage. Be careful not to create a soggy root zone if you attempt to grow this in a tighter soil. Sun to part shade.

Height: 3-5’ Width: 4-6’ Shape: Broad Rounded
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 2 Gallon	JAWA-S	Cost: $27.50

Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)

As western as sage brush these native shrubs really convey a sense of place. The golden yellow blooms in August and September signify the approach of fall and provide bees with a late season chance to continue to feed and to store food in the hive for winter. In a larger landscape or out in the open in a more suburban setting these three species say that you more than accept where you live—you celebrate it! We advise planting away from patios and walkways due to bee attraction and pollen production. Companion plants: Artemisias, Mountain mahoganies, western sand cherries and other xeric shrubs and perennials. Full sun, very low water when established.

Tall Blue Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus albicaulis) Matures to a 4-6’ tall and wide open rounded silvery blue green shrub.

Height: 4-6’ Width: 4-6’ Shape: Open Rounded
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CNAT-S	Cost: $11.00

Tall Green Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus graveolens) Matures to a 4-6’ tall and wide open rounded yellowish green shrub.

Height: 4-6’ Width: 4-6’ Shape: Open Rounded
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CNGT-S	Cost: $11.00

Dwarf Blue Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus nauseosus) When there isn’t much space but you still want the look of the west, there is usually room for this one. The blue-gray leaved compact rounded shrub matures to 2-3’ tall and 3-4’ wide.

Height: 2-3’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Compact Rounded
Zone 3	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	CNNR-S	Cost: $11.50

Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)

Nitrogen fixing native western prairie shrub with 3-4” spikes of blue-purple flowers in midsummer. Arching stems with finely pinnate compound leaves composed of small gray-green leaflets form a 3-4’ tall and wide shrub with open spreading habit. When in bloom this is one of the more showy western plants. Plant in sun and relatively dry soil.

Height: 3-4’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Open spreading
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon	ACPL-S	Cost: $12.50

Western Sandcherry (Prunus besseyi)

This open spreading shrub begins the growing season with white translucent blooms in May that are followed by 3/4” edible black cherries, great for bird attraction. The glossy elongate silver-green leaves turn a soft red in fall. Sunny open dry sites are best for this xeric shrub. Avoid shaded sites or overly moist conditions and P. besseyi will avoid powdery mildew. Matures to 5’ tall to 5-6’ wide.

Height: 5’ Width: 5-6’ Shape: Open spreading
Zone 4	Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon	PBWS-S	Cost: $34.00

Trilobe Sumac (Rhus trilobata)

A very hardy native found in the open on the foothills of our mountains and along upland streams. A personal favorite because of its ability to handle nearly any extreme! This multi stemmed shrub has unique 'oak like' leaves that turn a brilliant red to orange in fall.

Height: 4-6’ Width: 5-7’ Shape: Spreading upright
Zone 3	to	Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon		RTTS-S	Cost: $12.25
Size: 5 Gallon		RTTS-S	Cost: $34.00

Rock Spirea (Holodiscus dumosus)

This Rocky Mountain native xeric shrub blooms in sprays of creamy white to pink flowers in late June that dry to russet in fall and persist through winter. The finely textured foliage turns reddish in fall and crushed leaves have a spicy scent. This 3-4’ tall and wide upright spreading shrub is found on moderately dry boulder strewn slopes of stream valleys in sun to filtered shade. Low water need.

Height: 3-4’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Spreading upright
Zone 4	to	Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon		HDRS-S	Cost: $37.50

Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata)

On very dry sunny, rocky slopes rigid arching branches covered in small gray-green wedge shaped leaves create an upright oval to rounded crown shrub 2-10’ tall by 2-6’ wide. Sometimes the plant will be found spraying over a rock and only 2’ tall. This slow growing shrub thrives where potentilla would fry. From late spring to early summer tiny, aromatic creamy yellow flowers are scattered across the shrub’s surface. It is tough yet looks delicate at the same time.

Height: 2-10’ Width: 2-6’ Shape: Upright oval to rounded
Zone 3	to	Full sun	SOLD OUT!
Size: 5 Gallon		PTAB-S	Cost: $~~40.50~~

Really BIG rocks are a natural part of the arid western environment and using them in created landscapes ties your property to its surroundings reinforcing a western sense of place. To make your landscape element look right be sure to sink the big rock into the ground enough to look natural. Bury it up to a third or more and add mid sized and smaller rocks along one side as if they were caught there during erosion or stream flow. Now you have planting micro-climates: a cool north side where reflected heat won’t be a problem so sensitive plants won’t break dormancy at the wrong time of year if planted there and a nicely warm south side for those heat lovers.

Rain Gauge

Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:

These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant death.

These plants are adapted to intermittent deep watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.

These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.