This shrub or tree is native from the coastal mountains of British Columbia south to northern California. It's natural habitat is found in the moist woods, near stream banks. In the forest it tends to grow crooked, sprawling and vinelike, with many stems from its base. In a landscape it will grow more symmetrically as a small tree from 5 to 35 feet in height and can have one or multi trunks. Used under a canopy of tall conifers, near ferns and woodland flowers, it will offer blazing fall color and stunning contrast. It also can be used as an espalier.

With a graceful habit, having slender, arching, spiny branches this shrub makes an excellent hedge or an outstanding stand alone specimen. The Pow-wow is a new hybrid of Berberis with outstanding golden leaves and grows to about 4 feet. With Pow-wow you get chartreuse leaves in the summer and a show of bright reddish-purple foliage in autumn.

A similar cultivar cousin to the "Pow-wow," this Berberis hybrid has beautiful marbled bronzy red and pinkish white leaves. The leaves deepen to rose and bronze with age. Also, they get up to 4-6 feet in mature height.

This shrub originates from northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. It has dark green leaves and it's root system is not as greedy as L. ovalifolium (California Privet) and other varieties. It also produces clusters of black fruit, when unpruned.

This shrub has dainty multistemmed branches. It can be trained as a single-trunked ornamental tree, used in a hedge or can be used as a small patio plant. New leaf growth is an intense red-purple, maturing to a coppery purple.

The Rugosa Rose is a vigorous, extremely hardy shrub with prickly stems and satisfyingly fragrant deep purplish-red flowers. They grow to a height of 3-6 feet and wide. The leaves have distinctive heavy veining and appear crinkly. Also, the leaves are an attractive bright green and make excellent hedges. Another benefit with the Rugosa is the lack of many diseases and insects, accepting aphids, which plague other roses. Rugosas are native to northern China, Siberia, Korea and Japan.

The Woods' Rose is an easy growing choice for background plantings in landscapes or near trees, as an understory species. It also has uses as a restoration plant in cases of erosion on hillsides, roadsides, south-facing cutbanks, riparian and wetland sites. It is well suited to a broad range of moisture conditions and light exposures. The June through August, summer blooms are red. If you are into harvesting the hips, this is a great source of vitamin C and can be used in flavoring teas, jellies, fruitcakes and puddings. Birdwatchers will love this perennial, as it is great a attraction to birds.

Originating from Korea, this shrub is the earliest of all lilacs to flower. These pinkish blooms occur usually in early May. The flowers grow in large loose clusters and appear before the leaves are fully open. Another benefit is the nice reddish autumn leaf color.