Best Shrubs for Foundation: Stonecrop, Catmint, Hosta, Ornamental Onion, Globe Arborvitae, Juniper, Panicle Hydrangea, Switch Grass, False Cypress, Rose of Sharon (2023)

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If you’re looking to spruce up your home’s exterior, the right foundation plants can create a beautiful and inviting landscape around your house. Shrubs are an important part of any foundation planting because they add texture, color and curb appeal.

• Stonecrop – An easy-care succulent with colorful foliage that thrives in hot, dry conditions.
• Catmint – A hardy perennial with fragrant silver-green foliage and purple blooms that attract pollinators.
• Hosta – A shade-loving perennial prized for its broad, decorative leaves.
• Ornamental onion – Features vibrant spherical flowers and grass-like foliage.
• Globe arborvitae – A dwarf evergreen shrub ideal for sculptural interest.
• Juniper – An adaptable needled evergreen available in many compact varieties.
• Panicle hydrangea – Produces large, spectacular creamy white blooms.
• Switch grass – Upright ornamental grass with reddish-pink plumes.
• False cypress – A conical-shaped shrub with soft, feathery foliage.
• Rose of Sharon – Vibrant and hardy flowering shrub suitable for screens.

All of these easy-to-grow perennials and shrubs thrive in average garden conditions, beautifully enhancing your home’s exterior.

Stonecrop

Go with Rock ‘n’ Round ‘Pure Joy’ sedum, a compact creeping stonecrop perfect for edging walkways or softening those foundation edges. This hardy perennial thrives in poor soil and withstands drought, heat, and humidity. Its succulent foliage forms a tight mat of brilliant golden blooms from early to late summer.

For the best stonecrop landscaping results, plant ‘Pure Joy’ sedum in full sun with well-drained soil. Space plants 10-12 in apart and water occasionally until established. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming. Divide overcrowded clumps in spring or fall.

‘Pure Joy’ sedum is low maintenance, deer resistant, and pollinator friendly. Let this cheerful, long-lasting perennial bring warmth and vibrancy to your foundation or pathway borders.

Catmint

Man alive, those catmint cultivars ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ and ‘Cat’s Meow’ springing up around the edges of your pad’ll make any cat think it’s in kitty heaven! These hardy perennials feature fragrant gray-green foliage and upright spikes of lavender-blue flowers.

• Pest and deer resistance
• Drought tolerance once established
• Weeks of blooms from late spring to summer
• Aromatic qualities cats find irresistible

Space Cat’s Pajamas and Cat’s Meow 18-24 inches apart in full sun or light shade. Plant with roses, peonies, salvia, and coreopsis. They make great foundation plants to edge walkways or soften home corners.

Mulch well and cut back after blooming to encourage new growth. With proper care, these catmint varieties’ll delight you and your feline friends for years.

Hosta

You’ll be thrilled by the vibrant colors of Shadowland® ‘Wheee!’ hostas around your home’s foundation. This variety features bright yellow leaves with dark green streaks. Its compact size makes it ideal for edging beds and walkways.

To keep hostas looking their best, ensure they get some morning sun but avoid hot, direct afternoon light. Amend soil with compost and mulch to retain moisture. Divide clumps when they outgrow their space, usually every 3-5 years.

Consider combining hostas with other shade-lovers like astilbe, coral bells, and ferns. Their contrasting colors and textures create an eye-catching display. Try planting hostas of different sizes together or edging them with low groundcovers.

With proper care, hostas make excellent foundation plants that offer versatility, durability, and beautiful foliage.

Ornamental Onion

Consider ‘Serendipity’ allium for unusual height and texture around your foundation.

• Its purple globe flowers on tall, slender stems create a whimsical effect.
• Plant in full sun for best performance.
• Space bulbs 8-12 apart in fall for late spring blooms.
• Cut back foliage after it fades to keep beds looking tidy.

‘Serendipity’ allium adds unique vertical interest to foundation plantings. The spherical blooms bob atop wiry stems, contrasting beautifully with the wide leaves of hostas or hydrangeas. Plant en masse for a showstopping display. Be sure to give bulbs room to expand for years of enjoyment.

Globe Arborvitae

Globe Arborvitae

Arborvitaes add a wonderful pop of green to foundation plantings. The globe arborvitae is a dwarf evergreen shrub that’s ideal for landscaping around the house. Growing in a naturally rounded globe shape, it offers a unique, eye-catching look that complements both traditional and contemporary architecture.

Though small, the globe arborvitae makes a statement. It thrives with at least four hours of sunlight per day and is low-maintenance once established. Regular trimming is all that’s required to maintain its ideal globe form. In terms of placement, using globe arborvitaes symmetrically on either side of the front door or walkway creates a welcoming focal point.

For variety, mix in clusters with other foundation plants like junipers, boxwoods, or spirea. The globe arborvitae’s lush evergreen foliage and spherical shape make it a go-to choice to elevate curb appeal.

Juniper

Buckle up, folks, ’cause Junipers ’round these parts’ll give your landscape some pizzazz with their hearty evergreen needles and low-maintenance growth! Textured foliage and year-round color make these hardy shrubs a foundation planting favorite.

Give ’em full sun and well-drained soil for best results. Stick to planting Junipers in small groupings to avoid overwhelming your landscape.

With over 50 varieties available, you’re sure to find the perfect evergreen Juniper. Opt for compact types like Blue Star, Sea Green, or Gray Owl by the entryway. Try spreading kinds like Blue Mat or Blue Rug near steps.

Show off the beautiful structure of upright Junipers like Spartan, Emerald Green, or Golden Cone.

Their deer resistance and drought tolerance means low care for you. Let Junipers give your home’s foundation gorgeous greenery in any season!

Panicle Hydrangea

You’ll adore the gorgeous white blooms of Little Lime hydrangeas around your home’s foundation.

1. Little Lime can reach 4-5 feet tall and wide, remaining relatively compact.
2. The conical panicles can grow up to 10 inches long, blooming in late spring to fall.
3. Prune spent flowers in winter to encourage new growth.
4. Plant in morning sun and afternoon shade. Amend soil with compost.

With their reliability and low maintenance needs, Little Lime hydrangeas are ideal foundation plants to add charming curb appeal. Their lush green leaves contrast beautifully with the clouds of bright white blossoms.

Switch Grass

Stalking upward like great green totems, Prairie Winds’ Totem Pole’ switch grass sways gently round your home’s base, evoking the prairie’s windswept dance. This upright native grass makes a dramatic vertical statement with foliage that starts lime green in spring, deepens to dark green in summer, then turns golden as temperatures cool.

Clumps of stiff stems rise 5-6 feet tall, each bearing delicate pink-tinged seed heads by early fall.

‘Totem Pole’ thrives in full sun and a range of soil conditions, including poor or dry soils. Its resilience suits it for low-maintenance landscapes. For optimal propagation, divide overgrown clumps in early spring.

Enjoy Panicum virgatum’s graceful movement and evolving hues through the seasons.

False Cypress

Take stock, these wispy Chamaecyparis are delightfully delicate for foundational plantings. With feathery foliage in shades of green and blue-green, false cypress offers soft texture to complement architecture.

Though they hail from Japan, these adaptable evergreens thrive in average garden conditions.

Space false cypress 2 to 3 feet from the foundation, and plant at the same depth as the container. Prune to shape in spring or early summer. Prepare soil with compost; mulch and irrigate regularly.

Maintenance guidelines:

• Water 1 inch weekly
• Fertilize in spring
• Replenish mulch
• Prune for shape

The Soft Serve® and Pinpoint® series offer dwarf varieties under 3 feet tall, perfect for framing entryways or pathways.

Rose of Sharon

Celebrate strength with the Rose of Sharon’s vibrant beauty enriching your home’s spirit. This flowering shrub steals the show with its bold blooms in shades of red, pink, purple, and white. Though commonly known as the Rose of Sharon, it’s botanically classified as Hibiscus syriacus.

Give it a spot with full sun to encourage the most prolific flowering. To keep it looking its best, prune in late winter before new growth emerges. Remove crossing or dead branches along with any shoots growing inward. Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring.

Pair it with lower-growing shrubs like spirea or potentilla to highlight its majestic form. The Rose of Sharon’s carefree nature and steadfast beauty elevate it to a top choice for fabulous foundations.