Gardening Ideas Outdoor Plants 16 Landscaping Plants That Won’t Take Over Your Front Yard By Steve Bender Steve Bender Steve Bender, also known as The Grumpy Gardener, is an award-winning author, editor, columnist, and speaker with nearly 40 years experience as Garden Editor, Senior Writer, and Editor-at-Large for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 28, 2024 Close Photo: Courtesy of PDSI One of the most common requests we receive from readers is for a list of well-behaved bushes they can plant in front of the house that won't eventually swallow it. The following plants are quite varied but share two things. First, they're easy. They're compact growers, need little pruning, aren't fussy to grow, won't overtake your house, and deer won't eat them. Second, they all belong to our Southern Living Plant Collection. Read more about these great fuss-free landscaping plants for the front yard, and click on each link to find local retailers in your area that carry them. The Best Small Trees for Small Yards in the South 01 of 16 'Miss Lemon' Abelia Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Abelia hybrid ‘Hopleys’Sun Exposure: Full, partialSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Slightly acidic This mounding evergreen features variegated leaves with edges that age from yellow to ivory. Its light pink flowers attract pollinators all summer. It grows about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. 'Miss Lemon' likes full to part sun and well-drained soil and is suited to USDA Zones 6 to 9. Learn More 02 of 16 'Emerald Snow' Loropetalum Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense ‘Emerald Snow’Sun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic Giant purple loropetalums are notorious for devouring houses, but 'Emerald Snow' won't. This evergreen grows 4 to 6 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. It features green leaves and showy white flowers in spring. Give it full to part sun and acidic well-drained soil. We recommend it for USDA Zones 7 to 9. If necessary, prune it after it finishes blooming. Learn More 03 of 16 'Baby Gem' Japanese Boxwood Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Buxus microphylla ‘Gregem’Sun Exposure: Full, partialSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, alkaline This highly improved, glossy-leafed boxwood slowly grows into a tidy muffin shape about 4 feet tall and wide. It does well in the ground or in containers and is much more pest resistant than English or American boxwood. It likes full to part sun and well-drained soil. Plant it in USDA Zones 4 to 9. Learn More 04 of 16 'Light Show' Red Bottlebrush Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Callistemon viminalisSun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, slightly alkaline A good choice for people living in the milder parts of the South, this small thin-leafed evergreen grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Showy red flowers that attract pollinators appear atop the foliage in summer and fall. Give it full sun and well-drained soil. It tolerates drought and salt air (making it a good choice for the beach) and thrives in USDA Zones 8 to 10. Learn More 05 of 16 'Obsession' Nandina Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Nandina domestica ‘Seika’Sun Exposure: PartialSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Slightly acidic Many people hate Nandina, and if you're one of them, maybe this new kind will change your mind. 'Obsession' is dense and compact, grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, doesn't get naked at the bottom, and doesn't spread its roots. It also doesn't bloom or produce toxic berries, so you don't have to fret about poisoning those dear cedar waxwings. New foliage emerges bright red. Grow 'Obsession' in sun or light shade and in well-drained soil in USDA Zones 6 to 9. Learn More 06 of 16 'Everillo' Carex Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’Sun Exposure: Partial, shadeSoil Type: Moist, well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, alkaline, neutral 'Everillo' carex is a mounding, grass-like perennial that glows bright chartreuse all year. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, it's great for lining paths; illuminating shady areas; keeping in containers; and mixing with blue, orange, deep green, or burgundy plants. It likes partial sun to shade, takes some drought, and isn't attractive to deer. Plant in USDA Zones 5 to 9. Learn More 07 of 16 'Soft Caress' Mahonia Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’Sun Exposure: Partial, shadeSoil Type: Moist, well-drainedSoil pH: Alkaline Boy, do we love this plant! Growing about 3 feet tall and wide, this graceful evergreen boasts soft-textured foliage reminiscent of bamboo that's great for combining with coarser plants like hydrangeas. Pretty yellow flowers crown the shrub in winter. It thrives in partial sun or shade in moist, well-drained soil. Plug it into a border, or grow it in a container. It's suited to USDA Zones 7 to 9 and is not on Bambi's menu. Learn More 08 of 16 'Mojo' Japanese Pittosporum Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Pittosporum tobira ‘CNI Three’Sun Exposure: Partial, shadeSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, neutral Tolerant of wind, sandy soil, drought, and salt spray, this compact evergreen is great for the beach but thrives in suburbia too. Unlike other forms of pittosporum that get huge, 'Mojo' reaches only 3 feet tall and wide—perfect for planting under windows. It combines handsome, variegated foliage with sweetly fragrant spring flowers. Give it sun and well-drained soil. Deer turn up their noses at it. Grow it in USDA Zones 7 to 10. Learn More 09 of 16 'Chef's Choice' Rosemary Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Roman Beauty’Sun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, neutral Why run out to the herb garden for a sprig of rosemary for cooking when you can clip one or two at the foot of your front steps? Flaunting showy blue flowers in spring, 'Chef's Choice' also boasts a high oil content in its needles—very welcome in the kitchen. In the garden or in a container, this tidy, carefree evergreen forms a mound about 12 inches high and 18 inches wide. Deer hate it. Grow it in sun and well-drained soil in USDA Zones 7 to 10. Learn More 10 of 16 'Bayou Bliss' Distylium Courtesy of PDSI Botanical Name: Distylium BLDY01 HybridSun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-drained, wetSoil pH: Slightly acidic Looking for a nifty, easy-to-grow alternative to all-too-common boxwood, azalea, juniper, and holly? Give 'Bayou Bliss' distylium a go. Soft, thin, evergreen leaves line its refined, layered branches. 'Bayou Bliss' tops out at 2 to 3 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. Deer usually don't bother it. It tolerates heat, drought, and wet soil and enjoys sun or light shade in USDA Zones 7a to 9b. Learn More 11 of 16 Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum PDSI Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense ‘Peack’Sun Exposure: Full, partialSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Slightly acidic Need a go-with-the-flow showstopper? If you live in USDA Zones 7a through 9b, check out the evergreen Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum. It grows 1 to 2 feet high and spans 4 to 5 feet wide, thriving in full sun to partial shade. In the spring, expect showy pink flowers, though you'll enjoy its rich purple foliage all year long. Learn More 12 of 16 Cast in Bronze Distylium Southern Living Plant Collection Botanical Name: Distylium hybridSun Exposure: Full, partialSoil Type: Well-drained, wetSoil pH: Acidic The disease- and pest-resistant Cast in Bronze Distylium is a compact shrub that can reach a rounded 3 to 4 feet in height once mature. It's suited for USDA Zones 7a through 9b and tolerates full sun to part shade. New growth appears in bronzy shades of maroon and matures into a rich and shiny green. Learn More 13 of 16 Yewtopia Plum Yew Courtesy of the Southern Living Plant Collection Botanical Name: Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Plania’Sun Exposure: ShadeSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, neutral An evergreen shrub for a shady spot does not need to come down to a choice between holly and boxwood. Meet Yewtopia plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Plania'). Boasting handsome, deep green, needlelike foliage, it grows slowly to 3 to 4 feet high and wide and needs little pruning. It has few if any pests, and deer won't eat it. All it basically requires is well-drained soil. Once established, it tolerates heat and drought well. Grow it in USDA Zones 6 to 10. Learn More 14 of 16 'Orange Rocket' Barberry Southern Living Plant Collection Botanical Name: Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’Sun Exposure: Full, partialSoil Type: Well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic This easy-care 'Orange Rocket' Barberry will bring a dose of brilliantly colored foliage to your yard, starting with vibrant coral new growth maturing into ruby red foliage that'll keep the show going into the fall. It works best in USDA Zones 5a through 9b and tolerates full sun to partial shade. It's a vertically shaped shrub, reaching about 4 feet high and 1 1/2 feet wide once mature. Learn More 15 of 16 'Little Bonnie' Dwarf Spiraea Botanical Name: Spiraea bumalda ‘Little Bonnie’Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Type: Average, well-drainedSoil pH: Acidic, neutral Not all spirea varieties are suitable for the front of your house, as they can grow to be quite tall. But ‘Little Bonnie’ matures at 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Its lavender-pink blooms last from spring through summer and attract butterflies and birds, and deer tend to avoid it. Blue-green foliage is just as eye-catching. Grow in full sun to partial shade in USDA Zones 4a to 9b. Learn More 16 of 16 ‘Ever Sapphire’ Agapanthus Botanical Name: AgapanthusSun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-drained, sandy, loamySoil pH: Acidic, neutral Bright blue agapanthus blooms will bring birds and butterflies to your yard without attracting pests. This evergreen shrub reblooms from spring through summer, doesn’t need pruning, and is drought tolerant. It’s fast growing to 20 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. Give it partial sun in USDA Zones 8a to 11b. Learn More Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit