Bushes That Look Great In Front Of Houses – The Best Bushes To Plant In Front Of Your Home
The warm months are the best time of year, not just for fun in the sun but also sprucing up your property. Gardening projects can seem daunting, but there's no better time of year to get outdoors and utilize your green thumb.
One project worth considering is planting new shrubs and bushes around your house. Not only do they add curb appeal and privacy, but they also help insulate your home when planted strategically around your outside walls. Let's take a look at some of the best bushes to plant around your property.
Dwarf flowering almond
The dwarf flowering almond only offers color or visual interest in the spring months. But that's no reason to overlook this pretty plant, which grows to a convenient size of five feet tall and three or four feet wide.
While the flowery show is over come summer, the dwarf flowering almond keeps thriving during the warm months and is fairly drought resistant. It's toxic to humans and pets, but strategic planting locations can alleviate this issue.
Common ninebark
Ninebark gets is name from its distinctive bark, which exfoliates itself to peel back in thin layers. The plant itself offers some color in its yellow, green, or even reddish leaves, along with red fruit.
For those who want to add significant foliage in a hurry, ninebark is an ideal candidate because it can reach full maturity in just a single growing season. It does best in areas that receive at least some sun.
Golden mop false cypress
This small, slow-growing perennial shrub lives up to its name as it grows a greenish-golden mop-like plant that hugs the ground. It's also known as false cypress, and it'll often grow to be more wide than it is tall.
Because of its distinctive color, this makes for a great bush to add some contrast to the standard dark green of other evergreen bushes. It's also a good basis for a hedge, as it grows thick and low to the ground.
Beautyberry
The beautyberry lives up to its name, producing delicate berries in the fall months. It grows moderately, adding a foot or two per year until it reaches its full height of three to six feet tall.
Beautyberry bushes are also quite wide and dense, and can thrive in a variety of conditions from full sun to partial shade. They're a good option for privacy hedges, as they'll join together and form thickets.
Wintergreen boxwood
These evergreen plants are hardy and can thrive in multiple climates. They'll stay green (or greenish) throughout the winter months and add visual flair to the outside of your house.
For those who live in rural areas or places with lots of large pests, wintergreen boxwoods have the added benefit of standing up well to deer and other animals. At two to four feet high, these shrubs are a great all-around choice and an ideal size.
Red-twig dogwood
Red-twig dogwood lives up to its name with its stunning reddish bark. The vivid color alone is reason enough to plant it on your property, as it'll add a pop of color to any garden during the drab winter months.
Unlike other dogwoods, the red-twig dogwood grows in thin, twiggy clusters that fan out from the base to form dense shrubs. It's a good option to use as a woodland border for rural properties.
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster shrubs are great in the background, as their small dark green leaves create a neutral backdrop for more colorful and vivid plants in your garden. That isn't to say that cotoneaster bushes don't have a visual impact, though.
They'll bloom with delicate five-petal blossoms in the spring, and these blossoms are replaced with berries — generally red — in the summer months. These berries will hang around into the autumn and winter.
Doublefile viburnum
Those who live in new developments — or areas that don't have much shade from trees — might want to consider doublefile viburnum bushes, as these hardy shrubs do well in full sunshine.
These bushes grow quite tall, reaching eight to 16 feet at maturity. This makes them almost like small trees, and they provide a good amount of privacy. Their standout feature is their distinctive flowers, which offer some visual interest.
Forsythia
These deciduous flowering shrubs are actually a member of the olive family, and are a great all-around choice for any property. They grow quickly and enter full bloom early in the spring, providing a welcome burst of color early in the year.
Depending on the type of forsythia, these bushes can grow anywhere from a couple of feet to ten feet tall, offering plenty of flexibility when it comes to planting for privacy.
Soft touch holly
This shrub is versatile and low maintenance — once it's planted, it doesn't need any coaxing in order to get growing. Unlike other, more conventional hollies, its foliage is soft to the touch — hence its name.
The large, soft leaves are a deep green in color, which can add a mellow, lush vibe to any property. While it's a low maintenance plant that can thrive in dry conditions, it doesn't do as well in humid climates.
Mock orange
Actual orange trees can only grow in limited regions, but for those who want some of the sweet-smelling ambiance of orange trees, the aptly named mock orange is a fantastic choice.
These fast-growing shrubs produce delicate, fragrant white flowers that look similar to orange blossoms. These flowers are full of nectar, which helps attract pollinators. Because mock orange shrubs don't tend to have problems with pests or disease, they're relatively low maintenance.
Oakleaf hydrangea
If you're looking for a garden that offers visual interest in all four seasons, oakleaf hydrangea is a good candidate. This bush grows big white flowers in the summer months, then sees its foliage peak in the fall.
This bush will grow to four to eight feet tall at maturity, and a fully-grown oakleaf hydrangea will get quite wide as well. Be advised that this is another plant that's toxic to humans and pets.
Common lilac
The common lilac might have a boring name, but the otherworldly scent of its beautiful flowers is anything but common. A row of lilac bushes will keep any property smelling heavenly through the spring months.
Lilac will grow quickly to maturity if it's planted in an ideal area, but this growth will slow down as it matures. Its biggest downside is bloom time — once the spring bloom is over, it becomes just another bush.
Cherry laurel
Cherry laurel, also known as winter laurel, is a shrub that does well in warm and hot conditions. They grow quickly and their bright colors — white flowers and red fruits — attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.
This is an excellent choice for privacy hedges, as it grows fast and thick and blends well with other types of plants. Like other plants on this list, various parts of this plant are toxic to humans and pets.
Rugosa rose
Gardeners who want to take the step of adding roses to their property will see a few immediate benefits, the most obvious being the beauty and pleasing scent that make roses so popular.
Rugosa is a good choice as a rose plant because it grows dense stems. Naturally, these stems are thorny (they are roses, after all), but this characteristic also makes rugosa a good choice as a barrier shrub around the outside perimeter of your property.
Winterberry holly
The dark green leaves and vivid red berries of winterberry holly give it a Christmassy vibe, but it provides visual interest all twelve months of the year. It might not do much in its first season as it grows slowly, but will eventually mature into a large thicket.
While it's no doubt a beautiful plant, winterberry holly (like many other hollies) is toxic to humans and animals, so it should be planted with caution.
Northern bush honeysuckle
This deciduous shrub does well in cooler regions, and will take root in dry and shady conditions. In the spring and summer months, it'll bloom with trumpet-shaped yellow flowers to go along with its dark green leaves. Unlike some other flowering bushes, these flowers stick around for a long time.
Gardeners who appreciate honeysuckles will love this one, as it isn't considered to be invasive. This is quite rare among honeysuckle species.
Bottlebrush buckeye
Bottlebrush buckeye should do well in just about any conditions. While it can grow in the sun or the shade, it thrives in full sunshine. Gardeners who appreciate long bloom times will enjoy buckeye plants.
While bottlebrush buckeye can improve the biodiversity of your garden by attracting pollinators like bees, it's worth noting that the shrub is toxic to humans and pets — so those with curious dogs and outdoor cats might want to stay away.
Virginia sweetspire
This low-key bush doesn't have much wow factor, as its drooping flowers are delicate and don't stand out much from the surrounding foliage. Still, it's a good low-maintenance bush to use for borders and hedges, as it spreads and fills in quickly.
This characteristic also makes it an ideal choice for hilly properties, as its interlocking, fast-growing roots can hold the soil together and help prevent erosion. It reaches its peak in late spring and early summer.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas add a touch of elegance to any property, featuring eye-catching clusters of colorful flowers. They're easy to cultivate, thrive in most types of soil, and produce beautiful blooms of flowers with minimal work.
As perennials, hydrangeas carry the benefit of blooming every summer, meaning they'll only need to be planted once. If they thrive, though — and they thrive easily — they'll take up a good amount of space in your garden.
Summersweet
The summersweet starts slow and finishes strong. It takes a long time for it to get its leaves in the late spring, but this sparseness quickly gives way to a lush, fragrant bloom later in summer.
This one will do well in a variety of conditions, and its gorgeous flowers will bloom not just in direct sunlight but also in full shade. As an added bonus, it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
North pole arborvitae
This tough, no-nonsense bush doesn't offer a ton of visual interest, but it makes up for it in other areas. It grows in almost any conditions, withstands drought and other seasonal stressors (like salt in cold-weather climates).
It'll grow to a large size quickly, making it a great choice for privacy. A row of North Pole arborvitae makes for an excellent hedge that will grow to be upwards of 15 feet tall.
Black chokeberry
Also known as Aronia, this small shrub has a neat, relatively symmetrical shape and produces glossy dark green leaves. The plant is highlighted with delicate reddish foliage and white flower petals that change with the seasons.
The black chokeberry will grow to be three to six feet tall when fully mature, and is fairly wide as well. It can thrive in a variety of conditions, from full sun with no shade to partially shady areas.
Stewartstonian azalea
This variety of azalea is evergreen, so it'll provide color, foliage, and privacy all year round, even during the winter season. It has two epochs throughout the year, as it flowers in spring and turns red in the fall.
These pretty, hardy bushes are medium in size, growing to a height of four or five feet, and spread close to the ground. They're a great choice for creating a hedge with some curb appeal.
Euonymus
Euonymus are versatile shrubs that come in a number of colors, from gold to vibrant red. When planted strategically, they can add a welcome pop of vivid color to an otherwise green landscape.
They're also a great choice to those who like to tinker with their garden, as they're easy to prune into different shapes and sizes. A euonymus can easily be a statement piece when it comes to home landscaping.
Rose of Sharon
Many bushes peak around the same time, with a bloom that lasts from late spring into early summer. If your garden is full of these shrubs, consider planting rose of Sharon, as it comes into bloom in late summer.
Its pretty flowers come in a number of colors and offer a nice scent to the surrounding area. It'll need some coaxing in the weeks and months after it's planted, but maintenance isn't as necessary when it reaches maturity.
Mountain laurel
The mountain laurel's beautiful clusters of pinkish flowers bloom in the late spring and early summer and offer some visual interest, along with a pleasant scent, for any property they're planted in.
These bushes reward patient gardeners because they grow slowly and might not reach their full potential in the season in which they're planted. Because they're toxic to humans and animals, they may not be the best choice for some families.
Witch hazel
Witch hazel blooms early in the year — often during the late winter months — so it's a good plant to opt for if you like to see signs of spring. Because it blooms so early, it stands to reason that witch hazel is a hardy plant that does well in cold temperatures.
Throughout the year, it'll produce fragrant flowers and bright green leaves that turn yellow with the passage of the seasons.
Rose bushes
Rose bushes may be seen as a bit of a cliché, but they're classic for a reason. There's no mistaking a rose bush in full bloom, as the bright flowers and heavenly scent will draw attention from far away.
There's a stereotype that roses are hard to grow and should be left to more serious gardeners. While this can be true, plenty of varieties exist that are easier to maintain.
American yew
The American yew — which is also known, confusingly, as the Canadian yew — is a needly evergreen shrub. It's a good choice for parts of the yard that don't see much sun, as it favors shady conditions.
Its roots spread quickly, and a series of American yews planted together can help stabilize the soil as their roots spread and join together. It'll grow to be about four or five feet tall.
Gardenia
Gardenias are a great shrub for gardeners and landscapers who enjoy a challenge. The shrub — which does best in warmer and subtropical regions — actually belongs to the coffee family and blooms with gorgeous, fragrant white flowers.
It's important to maintain proper drainage for gardenias. Gardeners can expect to see them bloom from late spring into early summer, though some varieties offer later blooms. Because of their toxicity, they're not a great option for families with pets or kids.
Banana shrub
An evergreen shrub in the magnolia family, the banana shrub blooms with flowers that emit a fruity scent — almost akin to cantaloupe or banana, hence its name (despite this name, the plant is actually part of the magnolia family).
The banana shrub can grow up to 15 feet tall under the right conditions, and can survive in full sunlight or partial shade. It's especially resistant to the pests and diseases that plague other shrubs.
Honeysuckle
The honeysuckle family encompasses a wide variety of shrubs, but the most common honeysuckles are characterized by their vine-like ability to climb walls and fences, along with their pretty, tube-shaped flowers.
Because honeysuckle flowers bloom in a variety of colors, gardeners can choose a variety whose flowers match their outdoor aesthetic. For the most spectacular flower displays, it's best to opt for deciduous varieties of honeysuckle rather than evergreen or semi-evergreen.
Sevon-son flower
The seven-son flower is more of a small tree than a shrub, but its diminutive size generally sees it treated more like a shrub in a gardening context. Depending on conditions, it can grow 15 to 20 feet tall and eight to 12 feet wide.
This plant flowers in the late summer months with blooms of delicate white flowers. Its light tan bark can be striking, especially on larger specimens.
Butterfly bush
The butterfly bush grows quickly, making it a great choice for gardeners who want to see fast results. It's best to plant this bush during the cooler months — either in spring or before the first frost in the fall.
The bush is immediately recognizable for its long, spiky arrays of purple and pink flowers, which can be cut and added to a summer bouquet. It'll grow to between five and ten feet tall.
Oleander
Oleander plants add some southwestern flair to gardens that can tolerate these warm-weather plants. It grows naturally in the southwest, and can also thrive in gardens when properly cared for.
One attractive characteristic of oleander is that it'll bloom throughout the year, producing its most vivid colors during the warmer months. It's resistant to deer and other pests, but this is a double-edged sword, as all components of the plant are toxic to humans and pets.
Harry Lauder's walking stick
This plant might be named for old-school comedian Harry Lauder, but its proper (less-used) name is Corylus avellana. This woody shrub is distinctive for its gnarled branches that veer out in all directions.
These shrubs work well to form a hedge, as their trademark branches will twist into one another, creating a solid barrier. In the late winter and early spring, it'll flower — adding a welcome burst of color to the drab landscape.
Andromeda
You might know the Japanese andromeda by any number of alternative names, including Japanese pieris or lily-of-the-valley. Its flowing, dangling clusters of small white flowers add plenty of visual interest to any garden, with blooms peaking in spring.
This can be a tricky one for novice gardeners, as it's very particular about the amount of light and type of soil it utilizes. Unfortunately, it's classified as highly toxic to humans and pets.
Boxwood
The boxwood shrub can be found virtually everywhere as a versatile all-rounder than can thrive in pretty much any conditions. It's a straightforward plant that stays consistently green throughout the seasons.
Gardeners will want to check out the different varieties of boxwood to find one that suits their needs, because these shrubs come in all shapes and sizes — ranging from just a foot or two high to more than 20 feet tall.
Firethorn
Firethorn shrubs feature eye-catching glossy leaves in a rich deep green hue, complemented with plenty of seasonal interest — white flowers in the spring, and vivid orange berries in the fall, which provide a burst of autumnal color.
They're not a great choice for play areas as their thorny branches can cause pricks, but this also makes them a good choice for barriers and hedges. For best results, they need to be pruned fairly regularly.
Purple leaf sand cherry
This ornamental shrub is a great way to add some visual interest to an otherwise green garden landscape. Its leaves feature a wine-red or purple color, which gives way to an equally eye-catching bronzey-green color in the fall.
An added benefit of the purple leaf sand cherry is that it's easy to maintain and tolerates seasonal changes. Unfortunately, it isn't nearly as hardy when it comes to fighting off pests and diseases.
Oregon grape holly
This evergreen shrub showcases many seasonal changes, with bright yellow flowers blooming early in the year, followed by dark berries in the summer. These purple-blue berries look somewhat like grapes and are edible.
The berries and fragrance make the Oregon grape holly a popular choice for pollinators, and any gardener with these bushes in their yard will see an increased bird presence. These shrubs thrive in slightly shady areas.
Dwarf fothergilla
The dwarf fothergilla takes its time growing to maturity, but patient gardeners will be rewarded when this shrub blooms in the spring months with sweet-smelling creamy-white flowers. After the spring bloom, the leaves will darken to a bluish-green hue.
The fall months bring one more change, with the bush taking on a seasonally-appropriate color palette of yellow, orange and red. The dwarf fothergilla is a small shrub, maxing out at two or three feet high.
Bayberry
The bayberry shrub stays relatively consistent through the seasons, with its tough, dark green leaves persisting from winter through summer. It grows small bluish-grey fruit throughout the year, which will attract birds — especially in the winter.
Commonly found in eastern North America, the bayberry shrub isn't particularly spectacular, but its hardy nature and ease of growing make it a popular choice for hedges and boundary areas of any garden.
Carolina allspice
The Carolina allspice features leathery green leaves that grow to a good size, but the main attraction is its flowers, which come in a variety of maroon and red colors. These flowers emit a fragrant scent that resembles strawberry or pineapple.
In late summer and early fall, the Carolina allspice blooms with distinctive seed capsules, which start out red and turn brown, staying on the bush through the winter months.
