The front of your house is the first thing people see, and the right foundation plants can make all the difference in boosting curb appeal. Foundation plants frame your home, soften the transition between the building and the landscape, and create a welcoming, polished look. Whether you’re looking for low-maintenance shrubs, vibrant perennials, or small trees, there are plenty of options that can add texture, color, and structure to your front yard. Here are 27 of the best foundation plants to consider.
1. Boxwood (Buxus)
Boxwood is a classic foundation plant known for its dense, evergreen foliage that’s easily shaped into hedges or geometric forms. It adds year-round structure to your front garden and pairs well with various plants.
- Height: 2-5 feet
- Best for: Low-maintenance hedges, formal landscapes
2. Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Hydrangeas are beloved for their large, showy blooms that come in shades of white, pink, blue, and purple. They thrive in partial shade and add a cottage-like charm to the front of your home.
- Height: 3-6 feet
- Best for: Summer color, statement blooms
3. Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
Azaleas are flowering shrubs that bring vibrant color to the front of your house in the spring. Their compact size and beautiful blooms make them perfect for creating a colorful foundation planting.
- Height: 2-5 feet
- Best for: Spring color, partial shade areas
4. Hosta (Hosta spp.)
Hostas are shade-loving perennials with lush, broad leaves in various shades of green, blue, and variegated patterns. They are perfect for planting in shady spots near the foundation and pair well with taller shrubs or trees.
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Best for: Shade gardens, foliage interest
5. Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata)
Japanese holly has small, glossy green leaves that resemble boxwood but with a more open growth habit. This evergreen shrub is perfect for neat, low-maintenance foundation plantings.
- Height: 3-6 feet
- Best for: Evergreen structure, low-maintenance gardens
6. Spirea (Spiraea spp.)
Spirea is a versatile flowering shrub that offers long-lasting blooms and colorful foliage. With varieties that bloom in white, pink, or red, spirea adds a bright burst of color to your foundation plantings.
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Best for: Long bloom periods, low-maintenance gardens
7. Lavender (Lavandula)
Lavender is an aromatic herb that brings soft purple flowers and a pleasing scent to your foundation garden. It thrives in sunny spots and adds a Mediterranean flair to your landscape.
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Best for: Fragrance, drought-tolerant gardens
8. Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
Arborvitae is a popular evergreen shrub often used in foundation plantings for its tall, narrow form. It provides year-round privacy and structure while being easy to care for.
- Height: 8-15 feet
- Best for: Evergreen privacy screens, year-round interest
9. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral Bells are known for their stunning foliage, which comes in a variety of colors, including deep burgundy, lime green, and purple. These perennials thrive in partial shade and bring color and texture to the front of your home.
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Best for: Foliage interest, partial shade gardens
10. Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’)
The Dwarf Alberta Spruce is a compact evergreen with a dense, conical shape. It’s perfect for framing entrances or providing vertical interest in smaller spaces.
- Height: 4-6 feet
- Best for: Vertical interest, evergreen structure
11. Peonies (Paeonia spp.)
Peonies are beloved for their large, fragrant blooms that appear in late spring. These perennials can be the star of your foundation planting with their bold, colorful flowers.
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Best for: Spring blooms, fragrant flowers
12. Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
Wintercreeper is a fast-growing, evergreen ground cover that works well in foundation plantings. It provides year-round greenery and can be trained to climb, adding vertical interest.
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Best for: Ground cover, evergreen structure
13. Roses (Rosa spp.)
Roses add a touch of elegance and romance to the front of your house. With a wide range of varieties, colors, and fragrances, they can be used as standalone foundation plants or mixed into beds.
- Height: 3-6 feet
- Best for: Fragrant blooms, formal gardens
14. Yew (Taxus spp.)
Yew shrubs are evergreen plants that are ideal for shaping into hedges or topiaries. They tolerate pruning well and provide a clean, formal look to the foundation of your house.
- Height: 4-8 feet
- Best for: Year-round structure, hedges
15. Knock Out Roses (Rosa ‘Knock Out’)
For a low-maintenance rose option, Knock Out Roses offer repeat blooms from spring to fall and are resistant to common rose diseases. They are excellent for adding color to your foundation plantings.
- Height: 3-4 feet
- Best for: Long blooming season, low-maintenance flowers
16. Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii)
Dwarf Fothergilla is a compact shrub known for its fragrant white flowers in spring and stunning fall foliage in shades of red, orange, and yellow. It’s a great option for smaller foundation plantings.
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Best for: Seasonal interest, fall color
17. Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Butterfly Bushes are fast-growing shrubs that attract pollinators with their long, fragrant flower spikes. They thrive in sunny areas and add height and color to foundation plantings.
- Height: 5-7 feet
- Best for: Pollinator gardens, fragrant blooms
18. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Russian Sage is a drought-tolerant perennial with silvery foliage and tall spikes of lavender-blue flowers. It adds a soft, airy texture to foundation plantings and thrives in sunny areas.
- Height: 3-4 feet
- Best for: Drought-tolerant gardens, long bloom period
19. Dwarf Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’)
This compact lilac variety offers fragrant, lavender-pink blooms in late spring. Its small size makes it ideal for foundation plantings, adding both color and fragrance.
- Height: 4-5 feet
- Best for: Fragrant blooms, compact size
20. Evergreen Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)
Evergreen Euonymus is a versatile shrub with glossy green leaves that add texture to foundation plantings. Its compact growth habit makes it easy to shape and maintain.
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Best for: Evergreen foliage, formal gardens
21. Dwarf Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’)
Dwarf Mock Orange offers fragrant white flowers in late spring, and its bright golden foliage adds color throughout the growing season. It’s an excellent choice for smaller foundation plantings.
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Best for: Fragrance, colorful foliage
22. Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Barberry shrubs are known for their vibrant, colorful foliage, ranging from red to gold. They are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and can add a burst of color to foundation plantings.
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Best for: Colorful foliage, low-maintenance gardens
23. Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Daylilies are hardy perennials that produce a profusion of colorful blooms throughout the summer. They are perfect for filling in gaps in foundation plantings and work well in sunny spots.
- Height: 1-3 feet
- Best for: Long bloom season, low-maintenance perennials
24. Camellia (Camellia japonica)
Camellias are evergreen shrubs that produce beautiful flowers in shades of white, pink, and red during the winter and early spring. They bring year-round greenery and seasonal interest to foundation plantings.
- Height: 6-12 feet
- Best for: Winter blooms, evergreen
25. Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’)
Dwarf Fountain Grass is an ornamental grass with graceful, arching foliage and fluffy, bottlebrush-like flower spikes in late summer. It’s perfect for adding texture and movement to foundation plantings.
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Best for: Texture, low-maintenance gardens
26. Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
Heavenly Bamboo is a versatile evergreen shrub with colorful foliage that shifts from green to red and orange throughout the year. In winter, it produces clusters of red berries. It’s a great low-maintenance option for adding color and texture to your foundation plantings.
- Height: 3-6 feet
- Best for: Year-round color, low-maintenance gardens
27. Box Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida)
Box Honeysuckle is a compact evergreen shrub with small, glossy leaves. It’s a hardy plant that can be pruned into shapes, making it ideal for formal gardens or as a neat, low-growing hedge for your foundation planting.
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Best for: Formal hedges, evergreen structure
Final Thoughts
The right foundation plants can transform the look of your home, adding color, texture, and structure to your landscape. Whether you prefer the classic look of evergreen shrubs or the seasonal interest of flowering perennials, there are plenty of options that will thrive in the front of your house. With these 27 best foundation plants, you can create a welcoming and well-balanced garden that enhances your home’s curb appeal year-round.