Shrub for Corner

cibula11

I have a 5ft by 5ft space in the corner of my backyard where I would like to add a shrub as a focal point. Anyone have any good ideas?

I was thinking of red twig dogwood or purple leaf sandcherry. It can't be too big because I don't have a ton of space. Otherwise, I'm open to other options to create a focal point.

Keyo77

It would help to know things like where you live (climate etc.), soil conditions (soggy, well-drained, dry and rocky), and how much light your space has (shady, sunny). The possibilities are almost endless but we need more info.

cibula11

I live in Iowa. The area is mostly sunny. Since there is a fence just the south of the area, until the shrub got larger it would receive some shade in the mornings. Soil conditions are fairly dry being that it receives a lot of sun, But the yard is somewhat lower there and seems to keep moisture fairly well. I have some pampas grasses that have really thrived in this area.

HiFi

Given the conditions being not very damp and quite sunny.U can go for red twig dogwood since it does a good job of retaining water and it does look good.

Dusty

One of my current faves is the Ninebark. They get little flowers in spring, are nice and lush all summer, and in fall they are the most gorgeous colours going (the one I had was red, green, yellow, burgundy in the fall) and the leaves tend to hang on (and I'm in Alberta where we get winter so that's a bit unusual). They also get some dark berries in the fall. It probably varies by type, but take a look. Also they get fairly big if left. The one I had at my last house was probably 6' X 4' wide. They are very hardy and don't require a lot of care.

Another that is good for colour is Barberry. Very hardy and comes in burgundy, lime green, or a gold. They also grow very large and have some nasty thorns but are gorgeous. I have the burgundy Barberry next to Golden Elder and two really set each other off.