Shrubs
6,532 US plant patents cover shrubs, across 59 genera. 2,807 of them (43%) have already expired — those plants are in the public domain and anyone may propagate and sell them.
Genera in this group
| Genus | Patents | Free to propagate | Next to expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosa | 3,195 | 2,028 | September 12, 2026 |
| Hydrangea | 594 | 69 | September 22, 2026 |
| Hibiscus | 419 | 124 | November 1, 2026 |
| Vaccinium | 362 | 32 | September 26, 2026 |
| Rhododendron | 265 | 128 | March 20, 2027 |
| Lagerstroemia | 147 | 39 | November 21, 2028 |
| Buddleja | 127 | 3 | October 31, 2027 |
| Ilex | 105 | 38 | October 1, 2026 |
| Hypericum | 96 | 42 | December 12, 2026 |
| Weigela | 72 | 10 | February 19, 2028 |
| Cornus | 68 | 33 | June 12, 2027 |
| Thuja | 60 | 4 | April 13, 2027 |
| Berberis | 46 | 9 | October 11, 2026 |
| Abelia | 45 | 7 | November 17, 2026 |
| Spiraea | 41 | 8 | May 16, 2027 |
| Camellia | 39 | 6 | May 14, 2028 |
| Syringa | 39 | 9 | July 1, 2028 |
| Buxus | 38 | 8 | September 18, 2027 |
| Physocarpus | 38 | 4 | October 8, 2026 |
| Viburnum | 38 | 5 | August 31, 2029 |
| Gardenia | 37 | 2 | October 30, 2027 |
| Hebe | 35 | 7 | January 25, 2028 |
| Bougainvillea | 32 | 14 | January 11, 2027 |
| Lonicera | 30 | 5 | July 28, 2028 |
| Chamelaucium | 29 | 7 | August 21, 2033 |
| Euonymus | 28 | 17 | July 7, 2028 |
| Loropetalum | 28 | 7 | December 21, 2026 |
| Rhaphiolepis | 25 | 16 | February 15, 2028 |
| Nandina | 24 | 7 | November 20, 2027 |
| Caryopteris | 22 | 5 | July 28, 2028 |
| Juniperus | 21 | 8 | January 24, 2028 |
| Tecoma | 20 | 0 | February 1, 2028 |
| Distylium | 19 | 0 | May 6, 2031 |
| Potentilla | 19 | 7 | January 12, 2028 |
| Calluna | 18 | 11 | September 23, 2028 |
| Coprosma | 17 | 2 | December 29, 2026 |
| Vitex | 17 | 0 | March 13, 2034 |
| Chamaecyparis | 16 | 0 | May 8, 2028 |
| Forsythia | 16 | 9 | October 10, 2026 |
| Pittosporum | 16 | 7 | April 24, 2029 |
| Bouvardia | 15 | 13 | March 28, 2042 |
| Callistemon | 15 | 2 | December 1, 2031 |
| Photinia | 15 | 7 | March 24, 2027 |
| Philadelphus | 14 | 1 | December 26, 2026 |
| Pieris | 14 | 3 | October 11, 2027 |
| Symphoricarpos | 14 | 6 | December 2, 2028 |
| Diervilla | 13 | 0 | August 27, 2027 |
| Grevillea | 13 | 0 | April 12, 2033 |
| Leucothoe | 13 | 6 | August 31, 2033 |
| Tibouchina | 13 | 7 | July 11, 2031 |
| Daphne | 12 | 2 | August 22, 2029 |
| Cotinus | 11 | 2 | December 22, 2026 |
| Dasiphora | 11 | 0 | December 23, 2034 |
| Ternstroemia | 10 | 6 | September 8, 2028 |
| Yucca | 10 | 3 | December 1, 2032 |
| Abutilon | 9 | 3 | October 29, 2027 |
| Mahonia | 9 | 0 | September 27, 2026 |
| Nerium | 9 | 7 | August 27, 2034 |
| Sambucus | 9 | 2 | January 18, 2032 |
Coming off patent next
- RosaSeptember 12, 2026
- HydrangeaSeptember 22, 2026
- VacciniumSeptember 26, 2026
- MahoniaSeptember 27, 2026
- IlexOctober 1, 2026
- PhysocarpusOctober 8, 2026
- ForsythiaOctober 10, 2026
- BerberisOctober 11, 2026
- HibiscusNovember 1, 2026
- AbeliaNovember 17, 2026
This grouping is ours, not the USPTO’s. A plant patent records a botanical genus; it never says “shrub”. We group genus by genus, which means the grouping is only as good as that judgement — and a genus that spans two kinds appears under both. For the precise answer, use genus.
A patent expiring frees the plant, not the name. The cultivar name is always safe to use; a trade name may still be a live trademark. See what you may call it.