Shrubs for Foundation Plantings

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Foundation plantings are well-chosen plants that frame a building and tie it to the site and make it appear an intrinsic part of its environment. Foundation plantings are almost always shrubs that remain in the landscape for years.

Most often, shrubs that are evergreen are chosen for foundation plantings. Shrubs that do not lose their leaves work best to tie a building to the natural landscape. Foundation plantings can be used to hide a building’s foundation–thus the name, but this is not always the case.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing foundation plants. First, the plants chosen should include both taller and shorter shrubs. Tall shrubs are commonly chosen first and are used at the corners. Medium-size and lower growing shrubs are then used to bring the planting mass down to the ground and outward from the building.

Foundation plants are commonly planted in mass. Plants chosen are not featured as specimens, but are planted as parts of the whole; it is the whole affect or picture that is important.

Generally, it is the outside corners of the building that furnish the starting point from which plantings advance along each of the walls. But it is not enough merely to set a row of plants from each corner each way along each wall. Instead, start at the corner with a group of plants pointing like an arrow from the corner outward. Never plant in straight rows anywhere along a foundation.

A-C Common Name	Botanical Name	Zones
Abelia, glossy	Abelia x grandiflora	6-9
Arborvitae, Emerald	Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’	3-8
Arborvitae, Little Giant	Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’	3-7
Acuba, Japanese	Aucuba japonica	7-10
Barberry, Japanese	Berberis thunbergii	4-8
Bayberry, northern	Myrica pensylvanica	2-6
Boxwoods	Buxus spp.	6-9
Burning bush, dwarf	Euonymous alatus ‘Compacta’	3-8
Camellia, sasanqua	Camellia sasanqua	7-9
Currant, alpine	Ribes alpinum	2-7

D-J Common Name	Botanical Name	Zones
Dogwood, corneliancherry	Cornus mas	4-8
Dogwood, gray	Cornus racemosa	4-7
Fir, dwarf balsam	Abies balsamea ‘Nana’	3-6
Fothergilla	Fothergilla spp.	4-8
Gardenia	Gardenia jasminoides	8-10
Hibiscus, Chinese	Hibiscus rosa-sinensis	9-10
Holly, compact Japanese	Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’	5-8
Holly, low growers	Ilex spp.	varies
Hydrangeas	Hydrangea spp.	varies
Indian hawthorn	Rhaphiolepis indica	8-10
Junipers	Juniperus spp.	4-8

L-R Common Name	Botanical Name	Zones
Laurel, cherry	Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’	6-8
Lilac, Korean	Syringia patula	3-7
Mountain laurel	Kolmia latifolia	4-9
Pittosporum, variegated	Pittosporum tobria ‘Variegata’	8-10
Potentilla, shrubby	Potentilla fruticosa	2-7
Privet, Amur	Ligustrum amurense	3-7
Privet, golden vicary	Ligustrum x vicaryi	5-8
Rhododendrons, Azaleas	Rhododendron spp.	Varies

S-Z Common Name	Botanical Name	Zones
Spirea, Limemound	Spirea japonica ‘Limemound’	4-9
Spruce, dwarf Norway	Picea abies ‘Pumila’	3-8
Viburnum, compact	Viburnum trilobum ‘Alfredo’	2-7
Viburnum, Korean spice	Viburnum carlesii	4-8
Viburnum, Mohican	Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican’	4-8
Witch hazel, common	Hamamelis virginiana	3-8
Yew, low growers	Taxus x media	4-7

Also of interest:

Designing with Shrubs

Designing with Flowering Shrubs