Low-Maintenance Shrubs for the Front of Your House: Foundation Plants That Stay in Bounds

Low-Maintenance Shrubs for the Front of Your House: Foundation Plants That Stay in Bounds

The best low-maintenance shrubs for the front of your house are ones whose full-grown size already fits the space, usually 2 to 4 feet tall under windows, planted far enough from the wall that they never touch it. Mix a few compact evergreens with flowering or colorful shrubs, and match each one to the sun on that side of the house. Do that, and you'll do very little trimming.

Right plant, right place: start with the mature size

Most front-yard trimming comes from planting a shrub that wants to be 10 feet tall in a spot with room for 3.

Clemson University's Home and Garden Information Center puts it plainly: "Do not use tall plants in locations where they will eventually cover windows." Clemson also advises that foundation shrubs "should generally be low and moderate in growth rate to reduce maintenance needs." NC State Extension's landscape design handbook makes the same point, saying foundation plants should enhance the house "while not blocking doors or windows or creating future maintenance issues."

Here's a simple way to apply that:

  1. Measure from the ground to the bottom of each window. That number is your height limit for shrubs in front of it.
  2. Read the mature height and width on the plant tag or product page, not the size of the pot you buy. A small shrub in a nursery pot can triple in size.
  3. Pick a shrub whose mature height is at or below your limit. If the space under a window is 3 feet, choose something that tops out at 2 to 3 feet.
  4. Save taller shrubs for corners and blank walls, where extra height softens the house instead of hiding it.

This matters even more for needled evergreens. According to Penn State Extension, most narrowleaf evergreens "function best in the landscape if they are left unpruned," and "junipers do not respond well to heavy pruning and shearing, so you should give them plenty of space."

How far from the foundation to plant shrubs

Foundation plants (the shrubs along the base of a house) jammed against siding trap moisture, block air flow, and make it hard to paint or clean gutters. Plant out from the wall instead, and avoid planting right under the eaves: per Clemson, those spots get "little or no rainfall if gutters are present."

Clemson Extension gives these guidelines:

  • Shorter shrubs should have at least 3 feet of clearance from the house.
  • Shrubs taller than 6 feet at maturity should sit so their foliage stays at least 5 feet away from the walls.
  • Shrubs near a foundation need room to reach their mature width while still leaving a 12- to 18-inch air gap next to the wall.
  • Keep mulch and groundcovers at least 12 inches away from the foundation so they don't create a bridge for termites.

A quick rule of thumb that combines those: measure out from the wall half the shrub's mature width, plus about 18 inches, and dig there, but never closer than 3 feet. For a boxwood that matures 4 feet wide, that puts the center of the plant about 3 1/2 feet from the house.

Spacing between shrubs

The University of Maryland Extension's foundation planting designs space shrubs based on their mature size:

  • Small shrubs (2 to 4 feet tall and wide): about 3 feet apart
  • Medium shrubs (4 to 6 feet tall and wide): about 4 feet apart
  • Large shrubs (6 to 10 feet tall and wide): about 5 feet apart

The bed will look sparse at first. That's normal. Clemson recommends using "fewer plants of more mature size" rather than crowding in lots of small ones you'll have to thin or trim later. Fill gaps with mulch or a few perennials while the shrubs grow in.

Mix evergreens with flowering shrubs for year-round interest

An all-flowering foundation looks like bare sticks in January; an all-evergreen one can feel flat. The best front yards use both.

Clemson recommends using "evergreens and plants with strong winter forms" for year-round structure and keeping the design "simple and predominantly green." Penn State Extension adds that in winter, "evergreen shrubs may be the only bit of green gracing a smaller garden."

A layout that works for most houses:

  • Evergreens as the backbone. Use them at the corners, by the front steps, and in a repeating line under windows.
  • Flowering shrubs in groups of three or five between the evergreens, where their blooms can be seen from the street.
  • One or two colorful-foliage shrubs to add gold, burgundy or blue that lasts all season, not just when flowers are open.
  • One standout plant near the front door. Clemson suggests "one striking specimen plant in most foundation plantings."

Sun side vs. shade side of the house

Each side of a house is its own small climate, so the shrub that thrives by the garage may struggle by the front door. NC State Extension recommends watching how the sun moves across your property during the day before choosing plants.

What Clemson Extension says about each exposure:

  • North side: "colder winter temperatures occur on the northern side of a house," and it is usually the shadiest.
  • South side: the warmest in winter, but plants there "may experience winter damage when mild daytime temperatures stimulate new growth."
  • West side: "hotter summer temperatures occur on unshaded western exposures."

The east side typically gets morning sun and afternoon shade, which is a comfortable spot for many part-sun shrubs.

Penn State Extension adds a useful warning: most broadleaf evergreens (such as boxwood and rhododendron) "will not do well when subjected to the hot winter sun associated with a southern or southwestern exposure." On those walls, junipers and other sun-loving shrubs are usually a better fit.

To read the light labels on a plant, Penn State defines full sun as 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, part sun as 4 to 6 hours, and part shade as 2 to 4 hours. The University of Minnesota Extension describes full shade as less than 3 hours of sun. Count the hours on each side of your house, then shop by that number.

Compact, low-care shrubs for the front of the house

All of these stay small enough to sit in front of most windows or along a walk. Sizes are mature height and width. Check the USDA hardiness zone for each one (that's the government map of the coldest winter temperatures a plant can survive); our growing zone guide shows you how to find yours.

Evergreens (the year-round backbone)

  • Green Velvet Boxwood: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 9. A naturally rounded shape that looks tidy without regular shearing. Give it some protection from hot winter sun on south and southwest walls.
  • Wilson Northern Charm™ Boxwood: about 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 8. A compact, cold-hardy choice for flanking steps or lining a front walk.
  • Erie Shores™ Yew: 2 to 3 feet tall, 4 to 6 feet wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 7. A low, spreading evergreen for the shadier side of the house. Penn State notes yews handle trimming better than most needled evergreens, so a light touch-up is all it needs.
  • Blue Star Juniper: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, full sun, zones 4 to 8. Silvery-blue color and slow growth for a hot, sunny bed.
  • Youngstown Andorra Juniper: 2 to 3 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet wide, full sun, zones 3 to 9. A low spreader for corners and slopes. Leave room for its full width, since junipers don't like being cut back.

Flowering shrubs (seasonal color)

  • PJM Rhododendron: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 8. Lavender-pink spring flowers and evergreen leaves, so it does double duty. Best on an east or north wall.
  • Dragon Baby™ Hardy Hydrangea: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 3 to 8. A compact panicle hydrangea with big summer blooms that fits under a window.
  • Tilt-A-Swirl® Bigleaf Hydrangea: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, part sun, zones 5 to 9. A good pick for an east-facing entry with morning sun and afternoon shade.
  • Bloomerang Lilac Bush: a compact lilac that blooms in spring and again in summer, full to part sun, zones 3 to 7. Lilac fragrance in a size that won't swallow a window.

Colorful foliage (color that lasts all season)

  • King's Gold Threadbranch Cypress: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 9. Soft, golden, thread-like evergreen foliage that brightens a green bed year-round.
  • Double Play® Candy Corn® Spiraea: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 4 to 8. New leaves come in red-orange and age to yellow, with purple flowers in summer. A great front-of-the-bed edger.
  • Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spiraea: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, full to part sun, zones 3 to 9. Bright chartreuse leaves and white early-summer flowers.

Want more choices? Browse all our shade and part-sun plants for the north and east sides of your house.

Common questions

What is the lowest-maintenance shrub for the front of a house?

The lowest-maintenance shrub is one whose mature size already fits the spot, so it never needs cutting back. Compact evergreens such as dwarf boxwood and low junipers are popular because they keep their shape and color all year with little pruning.

How close to the house should I plant foundation shrubs?

Clemson Extension recommends at least 3 feet of clearance for shorter shrubs and at least 5 feet for shrubs over 6 feet tall, with a 12- to 18-inch air gap between the wall and the plant at full size.

What shrubs stay small under windows?

Look for a mature height of 2 to 3 feet. Blue Star Juniper, Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea and Double Play® Candy Corn® Spiraea all stay in that range.

What grows well on the north side of a house?

The north side is usually the shadiest and coldest. Choose shrubs labeled part sun or part shade, such as yews, rhododendrons and bigleaf hydrangeas, and skip sun-lovers like junipers there.

When is the best time to plant foundation shrubs?

Spring and fall both work. Fall is often easier because cooler air and warm soil help roots settle in; read why fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs for details.

Start planning your front yard

Measure your windows, note which side gets sun, and pick shrubs that already fit. Then browse our evergreen shrubs for the backbone and our full shrub collection for flowers and color.

Sources and further reading

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