20 Best Shrubs For Front Yard (2023 Updated)

This eye-catching plant is the Sunshine Ligustrum from the Southern Living Plant Collection. This shrub offers brilliant golden-yellow colored foliage that will bring great year-round color to your landscape.

New growth is lime green that will continuously intensify to yellow hues as spring turns into summer, arriving at a vibrant golden yellow. The more sunlight they get, the better. More sun produces more yellow leaves, while less sun results in more yellow-green foliage.

This is a sterile, non-invasive cultivar of Ligustrum that will not re-seed and spread. This plant looks great planted in containers, as a hedge or accent in the landscape and will also respond well to shaping into simple topiary forms.

Another advantage to the Sunshine Ligustrum is that it doesn’t bloom, which is great for allergy sufferers. When planting this shrub select a location that will receive full sun, use a well-drained garden soil mixed with your native soil to backfill the hole and use a slow-release fertilizer annually in spring to keep your Sunshine Ligustrum healthy and brilliantly shining.

Dwarf Burford Holly is a classic choice for foundation and hedge planting. Burford has small deep green glossy leaves and develops ornamental red berries in fall. Burford is easily maintained once established and pruning to maintain shape should occur in early spring before new growth begins to appear.

The Southern Living Plant Collection is proud to present the Jubilation Gardenia, a delightful reinvention of a Southern classic. This evergreen re-blooms fragrantly through summer and fall, and retains rich emerald leaves through winter.

Gardenias are known for their extravagantly fragrant blooms and the Jubilation is as aromatic as they come. The Jubilation allows you to enjoy breathtaking white double blooms with intoxicatingly rich aromas throughout much of the year! This variety is remarkably easy to maintain once established in your garden or landscape, and is noted for being disease as well as deer resistant.

Year after year, youll wonder how you ever lived without the sweet scent of the Jubilation Gardenia.

The Burning Bush is the most colorful shrub you can find! These plants are green from spring until mid-summer. In late summer and early fall, you’ll see the leaves turn bright red. Plant the shrubs in rows for an amazing display of bright red color.

Burning Bushes can be used as privacy hedges, and grow to 6 feet tall. Easy to grow, these plants are hardy and adaptable to a number of growing conditions. Incredibly drought-tolerant, these bushes don’t need to be constantly watered!.

Also known as the littleleaf boxwood, the Japanese boxwood makes a terrific Small to medium sized Hedge. This hardy shrub is known to be one of the larger of the boxwood variations. Japanese boxwood grows pleasant, dainty white flowers that bloom in Small clusters on the surface of the shrub.

These small flowers bloom in early spring and early summer. This shrub is known for being exceptionally resistant to common plant diseases and pests. The Japanese boxwood is very low maintenance and is the perfect plant for gardeners looking for a classy Hedge without a lot of work.

️ Japanese boxwood responds very well to pruning before the growing season. Trim This plant into shapes to fit your landscape needs! Pruning Should be done in late winter and early spring before the Japanese boxwood growing season.

Mature Height for the Japanese boxwood: 5-6 feet; Mature widths range from 4-6 feet.

Danica Hardy Hibiscus bears elegant, double white flowers with raspberry pink centers and outer petals. The eye-catching flowers attract butterflies and pollinators all summer long. The flowers also are showy additions to cut floral arrangements.

Danica has an upright vase-shaped growth habit and is ideal for planting as a colorful hedge, privacy screen, mass planting or specimen plant in a sunny location. Winner of the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain Award of Garden Merit.

Purple Daydream Loropetalum holds it rich dark purple color all year while bearing ribbon like pink flowers in the spring. Purple Daydream is smaller than its cousin the Purple Diamond and will reach mature size of two- to three-feet high by three- to four-feet wide.

Unlike other loropetalum Purple Daydream has a controlled growth habit that will not out grow your house like some other Loropetalum. Together with its controlled growth habit and deep rich year round foliage this is a must for any landscape.

When planting this Loropetalum, dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and mix rich garden soil in with your native soil, then leave the top of the root balla half inch above the ground level when filling the hole with soil.

Use a slow-release granular fertilizer in spring. Not guaranteed to be in bloom on arrival.

The Ultimate Easy-Care Evergreen Hedge That Even Grows in the Shade When you’re deciding on the perfect plant that you can use to grow a hedge, you want to find something that’s fast-growing with lustrous evergreen foliage.

But you also want a tough plant that can handle harsh environmental conditions and still look beautiful without requiring a lot of maintenance from you. Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) is that plant.

It’s a trouble-free plant that stands up to poor soil, heat, cold, and drought while remaining one of the prettiest evergreens you’ve ever seen! Luxuriant and Glossy Foliage The outstanding feature of any hedge is the appearance of its foliage.

Skip Laurel is a type of cherry laurel, which isn’t a true laurel at all. This common name hints at the resemblance of its foliage to laurel leaves, which are beautifully oblong and glossy green. Think of bay leaves that you use for cooking; they’re from the “true” laurel tree ‘– the bay laurel.

Skip Laurel leaves are similar, but they are more elongated and shiny. This is no dull evergreen plant; its leaves are so shiny that they’ll look as if you polished them! But they’re not delicate ‘– they’re as durable as the plants themselves.

And if you’re wondering why it’s called “Skip” Laurel, this cultivar was discovered growing in Bulgaria’s Shipka Mountain Pass. Over the years, “Shipka” was simply shortened to a more-easily remembered nickname ‘– “Skip!” Top-Performing Hedge for Sun or Part Shade Shady landscape spots can’t always support the healthy growth of many landscape plants that are used to form hedges.

A heads-up: Although Skip Laurel is shade-tolerant, it grows best when it receives some sun. Its growth in a shadier location will be more open than in a sunnier location. Grows Quickly and Fills in Thickly Given ideal growing conditions (sun, moist soil, and a site with good drainage), Skip Laurel can sprint up to 3 feet of growth per year! Even in a less-than-ideal environment, its height can increase by 2 feet each year.

Its fast growth rate has endeared it to gardeners who don’t want to wait many years before their slow-growing plants grow large enough to give them the privacy they want from a hedge. So if you want the added bonus of fast growth from a lush and lovely evergreen hedge, don’t overlook this gem of a plant! A Hedge for Privacy The upper growth on Skip Laurels is thick and full, and the lower growth is a bit more open.

If you want your privacy hedge to form a solid wall of greenery that hugs the ground, you can plant some shorter evergreens in front of the “bare ankles” on Skip Laurels to ensure complete privacy. Space the smaller plants far enough in front of your Skip Laurels so that the mature size of both types of plants doesn’t overlap so much that the smaller evergreens get lost in Skip’s foliage.

An Excellent Green Screen You may need a smaller green screen instead of a long, continuous hedge. Living screens block undesirable views, shade sitting areas, and protect smaller plants in front of it from strong winds.

You can plant a single Skip Laurel as an individual screen, or odd-numbered groupings, such as three or five plants, to form a triangular screen or a linear screen. A Batch of Aromatic White Blooms in Spring! If you want to add a hedge to your landscape design, you’re primarily focused on the foliage of the plant you choose, which is its most important feature.

But when you plant Skip Laurels, you’ll enjoy a little bonus ‘– clusters of fragrant white flowers in springtime! Although individual blossoms are not large, they are showy because they’re produced in masses.

These Fruits are for the Birds When the flowers fade, small fruits aren’t far behind. The “cherry” in “cherry laurel” is a true description because Skip Laurel is in the same genus as edible cherry trees.

In fact, Skip Laurel does produce cherry fruits, but they’re not what you may imagine. Instead of the bright-red fruits that you enjoy eating, Skip Laurel bears purplish-black cherries. Many bird species relish these cherries, such as robins, cedar waxwings, and bluebirds.

Pruning: If you prune your plants each year, you’ll remove the flowers and/or cherries. So if you want to feed the birds, let your Skip Laurels grow naturally without pruning them! A Home for the Birds There’s another wildlife benefit of Skip Laurels ‘– birds love to nest in them! The branch structure and thick foliage that you’ll enjoy from this plant are the same features that appeal to birds as they seek a plant in which to build their nests.

If you want to incorporate more plants that help sustain the birds, which also add other benefits to your landscape, Skip Laurel is an outstanding choice! Pruning: Birds make their nests in.

2 Red Ninebark Plants, 8-10″ in height and rooted in 3″ pots. A medium deciduous shrub with red or reddish purple leaves. In the summer this plant produces attractive, dense round flower heads of tiny flowers that stand out against dark foliage.

A very hardy plant that will take sun or shade. Planting instructions included with each purchase. Tenn. Dept. of Agr.

The Bloom struck Endless Summer hydrangea is a hardy, disease-resistant and time-tested sensation. The Bloom struck hydrangea also can bloom as an eye-catching pink hydrangea OR purple hydrangea by adjusting your soils pH level as needed.

This versatility and demonstrated quality makes The Bloom struck hydrangea a must for your garden landscape. Flowers can be cut and used in vases and floral arrangements. Size: 1 gal.

Tough, robust and easy growing, the Wintergreen Boxwood, also known as the Korean Boxwood, is an extremely adaptable shrub. It offers lush green foliage, a tidy shape and effortless growth that’s second to none.

Especially since your Wintergreen Boxwood is grown and nurtured with care from day 1. When you order your tree from Brighter Blooms, you get a healthy tree upon arrival.

This shrub is extremely low maintenance and can fill a plethora of uses in landscaping and gardening. ️ The Wintergreen boxwood is known for its tolerance of cold weather compared to other boxwood varieties.

Even through cold weather The Wintergreen boxwood shrub remains lush, dense, and dark green.

Pink Splash Variegated Weigela has cascades of gracefully arched branches loaded with clusters of pink, funnel-shaped blooms from late spring to fall. The blooms, which are about 1 in. across, attract hummingbirds.

As pretty as the blossoms are, they are not the only attraction of this showy plant. The foliage is lovely in its own right, with toothed, oval, green leaves edged in creamy white. Its compact size makes this shrub ideal for small spaces and urban landscapes.

The Endless Summer Hydrangea series is acclaimed for its ability to produce blooms on both current and previous years growth. The blooms can be up to eight-inches in diameter and will bloom pink in alkaline soil or blue in acidic soil.

The addition of lime to the soil with raise the pH making the blooms pink, or the addition of garden sulfur will lower the pH changing the blooms to blue. They bloom in late spring until fall and are dormant from November to March.

In fact, the Autumn is the only white azalea variety to guarantee consistent color when other varieties won’t. Huge 3-inch blooms cover the Autumn Angel Shrub for months at a time. Snow-white blooms against the deep evergreen foliage lend the perfect backdrop for plant beds, unique borders, or foundation plantings.

But no matter where you plant them, Autumn Angel Encore Azaleas are like a little piece of spring that lasts up to nine months, delivering delightful fragrance and stunning floral volume. As one of the first online nurseries in the world, Brighter Blooms offers a large, proven collection of high-quality plants.

Autumn Empress Encore Azalea offers vibrant year-round color to any garden. Autumn Empress has dark green foliage that contrasts nicely with its medium pink blooms. It is a great choice as either a specimen plant or planted around the foundation of a building or home.

Unlike many traditional azaleas, Encore azaleas bloom best in full sun, so choose an area of your yard where they can receive at least 4-hours to 6-hours of sunlight. Autumn Empress works well in foundation plantings or as a low growing hedge.

Be sure to plant your Encore Azaleas in acidic to slightly acidic soil to maximize your bloom yield. Fertilize in the spring with a balanced fertilizer after the threat of the last frost has dissipated and feed once more in the summer to help you Encore bloom through fall.

Encore Azalea is the world’s best-selling multi-season blooming azalea. In many areas of the country, Encore Azalea bloom during 3 seasons of the year-spring, summer and fall. And, for areas of the country where azaleas don’t traditionally thrive, such as those in USDA hardiness Zone 6 and 7, you will see a spring or summer bloom, but not a fall bloom before your temperatures drop.

Autumn Lily Encore Azalea offers vibrant year-round color to any garden. Autumn Lily produces white blooms with occasional single purple stripes. Its strong growth and profuse blooms make Autumn Lily perfect for mass and foundation plantings.

Unlike many traditional azaleas, Encore azaleas bloom best in full sun, so choose an area of your yard where they can receive at least 4-6 hours of sunlight. Autumn Lily works well in foundation plantings or as a low growing hedge.

Be sure to plant your Encore Azaleas in acidic to slightly acidic soil to maximize your bloom yield. Fertilize in the spring with a balanced fertilizer after the threat of the last frost has dissipated and feed once more in the summer to help you Encore bloom through fall.

Encore Azalea is the world’s best-selling multi-season blooming azalea. In many areas of the country, Encore Azalea bloom during 3 seasons of the year-spring, summer, and fall. And, for areas of the country where azaleas don’t traditionally thrive, such as those in USDA hardiness Zone 6 and 7, you will see a spring or summer bloom, but not a fall bloom before your temperatures drop.

Cottage Hill Golden Euonymus is an evergreen shrub known for its high-impact variegated foliage because each glossy, oval-shaped leaf is a deep forest green with bright golden yellow edging that stands out from any distance.

With a dense habit that adapts well to shearing, this popular shrub can be pruned as needed to maintain the perfect size and shape for your landscape. Grows up to 6 feet tall with a 3 to 5 foot spread.

Please refer to the zone map above for recommended planting dates for your location. Includes Golden Euonymus in a 2. 5 Quart pot.

The Encore Azalea Autumn Fire is the world’s best-selling, re-blooming Azalea. It blooms in spring, summer and fall so you can enjoy these beauties almost year round. The Encore Azalea plant produces true-red, semi-double velvety blooms so the bright, vibrant color is sure to spice up your landscaping.

It will truly stand out in any yard or patio with its blazing display and full blooms. The autumn fire plant blooms best when given four to six hours of direct sunlight on a daily basis. When planting this flower you need to dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and mix slightly acidic garden soil in with your native soil.

Once this is complete then leave the top of the root ball half an inch above the ground level when filling the hole with soil. This will produce the best results so you can fully enjoy the lively Encore Azalea Autumn Fire.

If it’s like most landscapes, you see lots of green. From the grass in your lawn to the leaves on your trees and shrubs, you probably have plenty of green. But you can use one simple design trick to brighten and refresh your entire landscape ‘– simply by adding variegated plants to break up the sea of green! And if you choose variegated plants that are also evergreen, you’ll enjoy the bonus of year-round color.

Our horticulturists recommend a versatile plant that is evergreen, variegated, and so easy to care for ‘– Golden Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus ‘Aureomarginatus’). Showy and Textural Foliage The foliage of Golden Euonymus forms a striking pattern.

Each richly colored green leaf features a brightly colored edging of cheerful golden-yellow. The leaves of Golden Euonymus grow up to 3 inches long with wide yellow margins! So, you will not have to squint to see the green-and-yellow variegation.

You’ll even notice a textural quality because the leaves are gently serrated near the tips. And the foliage is thick and lustrous, so it holds up during rainstorms without being damaged. An Evergreen with Year-Round Color When deciduous shrubs and trees shed their leaves in autumn and flowering perennials begin their winter’s nap, you can rely on Golden Euonymus to continue adding color to your landscape.

The color does not fade from season to season; it maintains the same vibrancy in the heat of summer as it does through a cold winter. So as many other plants in your landscape transition back and forth, depending on season, Golden Euonymus is a dependable evergreen that keeps its year-round coloration.

You may not even notice these flowers, which appear in late spring to early summer, because the foliage definitely takes center stage on these shrubs. But Golden Euonymus is different than other flowering shrubs because its spectacular color is dependent on its foliage, not its flowers.

This is a big plus compared to the short-blooming times of other shrubs that offer pretty color that’s only temporary. Bold Accent Plant Even if you planted only one Golden Euonymus, it would make an immediate impact statement in your landscape.

You can grow it front and center as an up-close focal point, or you can place it at a far-off spot in your landscape where you want to enjoy a pop of color in the distance. As a matter of consideration for scale, Golden Euonymus can potentially reach a height of 10 feet, although heights of 5 to 8 feet are often more common.

Magnificent Privacy Hedge As dramatic a statement as a single Golden Euonymus plant makes, can you even imagine what a row of them looks like? If you’ve wanted to plant a long privacy hedge, or a shorter privacy screen, you’ve probably considered the traditional plant choices that form a hedge as they grow.

But if you’d like your landscape to stand apart from all those that have cookie-cutter hedges of solid green, why not grow Golden Euonymus as a beautifully variegated alternative? Space individual plants 4 feet apart, and watch them grow together as the plants mature to form a privacy hedge that blocks the view behind it.

And unlike other hedging plants that have small leaves, Golden Euonymus makes an ideal hedge because of its thick leaves and its dense growth habit. Versatile Shrub for Your Border Garden A versatile trait of Golden Euonymus shrubs is their ability to tolerate partial shade.

In fact, if you live in the hotter regions of its perennial range across USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 through 9, Golden Euonymus will actually prefer some afternoon shade. If you have a transitional area in your yard that receives part sun and part shade, Golden Euonymus performs like a champ! What comes to mind is a landscape-design effect called a “border garden.

” Originally, a border garden was designed as an area that was planted as a buffer between your yard and the border that defined your property line. But this design feature has been expanded to include the border in front of any home or garden structure, such as a fence, a garden wall, or the side of your house or garage.

Golden Euonymus is so versatile that it can grow in all these places, and it’s particularly lovely as the backdrop for smaller plants in your border garden. Foundation Plant with Character If you want a variegated evergreen that bumps up the look of your foundation planting, Golden Euonymus has you covered.

Stagger it between solid-green evergreen shrubs for a two-tone look or grow it as a single row of shrubs at your home’s foundation. It works best at foundations with windows that are higher off the ground because of its mature size or at the edges of your home where its height can grow naturally.