These slow-growing, low-maintenance dwarf shrubs thrive in small garden spaces

If you’ve ever been surprised when a supposedly dwarf shrub outgrows its intended footprint in the garden, you’re not alone. Compact burning bush, (Euonymus alata ‘Compactus’), with growth to 8- to 10-feet is only compact when compared to its 20-foot parent. It’s relative.

Likewise, it pays to pay attention to the fine print on plant labels. Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana’ and Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ are both commonly called dwarf hinoki cypress. Yet the latter is a graceful conifer that grows to 6-feet tall, while the former tops out around 2-feet tall—it’s a telling nuance.

Scale is an important factor in a pleasing landscape. An oversized plant in a small garden can be a dramatic stroke of genius or loom like Gulliver among the little people, blocking doorways, paths and windows. Generally, I’m not one for minimizing a plant’s true nature, but plant breeders scored big—or would that be small—with the following diminutive shrubs that thrive in today’s small space gardens.

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GROW in The Seattle TImes