On Mother’s Day, it’s traditional to give mom a bouquet of flowers or a potted plant. And that’s great. But if mom gardens, maybe she’d like something more lasting?
I have a suggestion. Why not give her an outdoor shrub that will bloom every Mother’s Day? That way, she’ll remember your gift every spring.
Forsythia (Forsythia)
With its numerous yellow stars covering almost the entire leafless shrub, this is one of the best shrubs for ensuring flowers on Mother’s Day. However, you must be very careful when purchasing a shrub and choose one that is hardy enough to flower well in our climate. The leaf buds of varieties such as F. ovata ‘Ottawa’ do not freeze, but the flower buds do. As a result, the plant grows very well but often only flowers at the base, where the snow has protected it from the cold. Choose cultivars such as ‘Northern Gold’, ‘Northern Sun’, ‘New Hampshire Gold’ or ‘Happy Centennial’. Partial sun. Rich to ordinary, well-drained soil. Height: Variable depending on the cultivar. Zone 4.
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Magnolias growing in Canada? It’s hard to believe that these large shrubs, associated with the South, can survive our winters. However, there are a few varieties that can. The most reliable is M. x loebneri ‘Merril’ (zone 4a), which has been flowering reliably in the Van den Hende Garden for decades. Its flowers are large, numerous, and fragrant, and, like forsythia, they bloom before the leaves appear, so there is nothing to detract from the show. Be aware, however, that although it is slow-growing, it reaches a very large size (10 m!) over time. Full sun or partial shade. Rich, well-drained soil. Zone 4b.
And good news: several new hardy cultivars are now available, offering a beautiful variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Serviceberries are native shrubs that usually bloom around Mother’s Day. Nurseries offer several varieties of different sizes, all with white flowers. In addition, this shrub offers attractive, edible fruit in summer and excellent fall color. Sun or partial shade. Rich to poor, well-drained soil. Height: variable depending on cultivar. Zone 2 or 3.
Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books in French and English over the course of his career. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. The text was originally published in Le Soleil on May 13, 2006.
I wish that folks would identify where they are writing from. Perhaps ask that commenters do so? “Here” and “there” are not much help to readers.
The Serviceberry is a fairly common wild tree in parts of Canada. It has different names in different localities, mainly the “Saskatoon” on the prairies and the “Indian Pear” in Maritime Canada.
Hi Mathieu Hodgson! I am in London. I have never heard of serviceberry before. Why is it rare in Canada? I expect it’s very rare here in England too. I have to go out now, but will Google it on my return to see if it’s suitable for my allotment where I grow edible perennials of all kinds.
Thanks for your interesting emails.
Best wishes, Patsy
All three of these are uncommon here, and serviceberry is actually very rare. Coincidentally though, I wanted to get forsythia for my mother because it is more common in places that she enjoyed traveling to.