These 7 shrubs have flower power that lasts

The answer is usually a bit disappointing. Lilacs, magnolia, honeysuckle, fragrant mock orange and flowering cherry are among the long list of blooming bushes that flower for seven to 10 days, maximum.

However, every so often we run across a flowering shrub that provides colour all season long, or close to it.

Here are our suggestions for unique, long-flowering shrubs:

Potentilla. You like yellow buttercups? Then you’ll like this short, flowering shrub that features small buttercup-shaped flowers from June through to September. It thrives in the sun, is very winter hardy (zone 3, Regina) and performs best in dry, hot locations.

Potentilla also happens to be a native plant and is therefore hard to beat. Also available in white, pink, and orange blossoms. Prune in late fall for best performance.

Weigela (Weigela florida). This shrub produce clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers that hummingbirds love, from June to the end of August. Most varieties mature to 1-1/2 metres. Bloom colour varies from bright red and pink to white.

Butterfly bush (Buddleia). These butterfly magnets are well-named. The fragrant panicles of purple, blue or rose-red blooms are stunning from late July through to fall. In milder climates, buddleia is considered invasive. If you live in zone 6 or 7, we recommend a hybrid variety that will not spread by seed. Proven Winners have introduced a whole family of great garden performers. Prune hard in the spring for best results. Matures to 60 cm in the sun.

Hydrangea Endless Summer (Hydrangea macrophylla). The secret to the long-blossoming period for this hybrid family of hydrangeas is that they bloom on both old and new wood. Some are pink and others blue, depending mostly on the pH of your soil. The more alkaline the soil the greater the tendency for a pink flower, blue if the soil is acidic. Mature to 1-1/2 metres, prefers partial to full sun.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Blooms from mid-summer, right about now, through to the fall. Amazing double or single blossoms that look remarkably like hibiscus (because they are).

With spring flowering shrubs dominating the landscape, it is refreshing to find one this colourful that just does not quit once it gets started. Tolerant of summer heat. Loves the sun. Most varieties mature to three metres or more.

Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria). . Choose between the purple, less hardy type (zone 5) or the green-leaved varieties (hardy to zone 4). When in bloom, smokebush puts on a show that looks like smoke drifting up from fireworks. Blooms from early summer through to fall. Drought tolerant. Can grow to three metres.

Spirea. But not just any spirea. Spirea bumalda — “Gold mound,” “Goldflame,” and “Froebels” are all good choices for a long-flowering stretch that starts in early summer. Not to be confused with Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea vanhouttei) which blooms for a little more than a week in late May. In the same family but a much better performer, the bumaldas make great hedges, mass plantings and individual specimens. Colours range from pink, red, magenta, to purple. They vary in height by variety, from 50 cm to one metre.

Mark and Ben Cullen are expert gardeners and contributors for the Star. Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkCullen4