10 Shrubs for Front of House Ideas: Boost Your Curb Appeal with These Easy-to-Grow Plants

As a homeowner, I know how important it is to have an attractive front yard.

After all, it’s the first thing visitors see when they come to your home.

One of the best ways to improve the look of your front yard is by adding some shrubs.

Not only do they add color and texture, but they also provide privacy and help to frame your home.

In this article, I will share with you 10 shrubs for front of house ideas that will enhance your curb appeal and make your home the envy of the neighborhood.

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Without further ado, let’s dive into the 10 shrubs for front of house ideas that will elevate your landscaping game and make your home the talk of the town.

01 of 10

Bearberry

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When you need a low-growing small shrub for your front yard border garden, bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is perfect. 

Grow it as a dense groundcover that will block weeds.

It offers four-season interest: its small pink spring flowers give way to bright berries favored by wildlife, and its dark green evergreen leaves turn purple in winter.

This drought-tolerant plant will even grow in rocky and sandy soils where many other plants might struggle.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and average to poor soil

Size: 1 foot tall

Zones: 2-8

02 of 10

Bluebeard

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Like most members of the mint family, bluebeard (Caryopteris spp.) requires very little care to look gorgeous.

This naturally mounding shrub is best for sunny front yards, where it will produce beautiful, small, purplish-blue flowers that draw pollinators from July through September.

In colder regions within its hardiness range, bluebeard will die back to the ground most years, but quickly jump back up again each spring.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil

Size: 3 feet

Zones: 5-9

03 of 10

Dwarf Fothergilla

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Also known as bottlebrush, dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) is a low-maintenance small shrub that can take some shade.

In spring, it produces lots of feathery white flowers that are pollinator magnets.

In fall, the leaves of this deciduous native shrub turn from green to multiple shades of yellow and orange.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

04 of 10

Dwarf Oregon Grape

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Dwarf Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) is a low-growing native shrub that can add year-round interest to your front yard.

Its evergreen, holly-like leaves are deep green throughout the summer before darkening to shades of red and purple as the cold of winter arrives.

Its small yellow flowers appear in spring, followed by little bluish grape-like fruits.

Topping out at about 4 feet, dwarf Oregon grape slowly spreads underground but never aggressively.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade with consistent moisture

Size: 2-4 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

05 of 10

‘Nana’ Purple Willow

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Technically, purple willow (Salix purpurea) is a large shrub (or small tree) that grows about 10 feet tall, but ‘Nana’ is a more compact variety that only gets about half as tall.

Plus, it can be kept shorter by being pruned to the ground every couple of years.

Otherwise, it doesn’t need much maintenance to look beautiful. This willow offers fine-textured, blue-green leaves throughout the summer and purplish stems.

It’s especially useful planted in a rain garden or low-lying spot prone to flooding.

Growing Conditions: full sun with consistent moisture; can tolerate soggy soils

Size: 3-5 feet tall

Zones: 3-7

06 of 10

Oakleaf Hydrangea

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Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a beautiful native shrub that provides long-lasting flowers, colorful fall leaves, and interesting peeling bark for winter interest.

Naturally occurring in woodlands, they fit right into a front yard landscape with mature shade trees overhead.

Because they stay under 8 feet tall, they can easily hold their own in an established garden but rarely get out of hand.

If you’d prefer a small shrub version, try ‘Ruby Slippers’. This variety grows about 4 feet tall and wide, perfect for a small front yard.

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 4-8 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

07 of 10

Paperbush

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Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) is a small shrub that will add some uniqueness to your front yard thanks to its creamy yellow, very fragrant flowers that bloom on its bare branches in late winter to early spring.

It also has a striking, architectural branch structure that naturally forms a tidy dome of green leaves.

Paperbush is a slow grower, eventually reaching about 7 feet tall and wide, and rarely needs pruning. ‘Gold Rush’ is a more compact variety that gets about 5 feet tall.

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 5-7 feet

Zones: 7-10

08 of 10

Showy Hebe

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For those who live in mild climates and along the coasts, showy hebe (Veronica speciosa) is a gorgeous evergreen shrub hailing from New Zealand that should be on your short list of additions to your front yard landscaping.

While showy hebes produce thick, shiny green leaves, they’re primarily grown for their bright pink flower spikes, which are produced throughout the growing season.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 6 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-9

09 of 10

Virginia Sweetspire

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Native Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) has gracefully arching branches that grow into a tidy, mounding shape without pruning.

Pendulous, white flowers in summer give off a sweet fragrance.

In fall, the leaves turn varying shades of yellow, red, and orange.

This low-maintenance small shrub can take a bit of shade and will grow in a wide variety of soils–even clay.

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade in average soil

Size: 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

10 of 10

Weigela

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Although a regular weigela (Weigela florida) can get quite large (up to 10 feet), there are many compact varieties that work beautifully as a small shrub for the front of your house.

For example, ‘Minuet’ maxes out around 3 feet tall. Weigelas bloom profusely for weeks in late spring and again in summer, with colors ranging from white to pink and red.

Leaves can be green to wine red or variegated.

Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade in average soil

Size: 2-10 feet (depending on variety)

Zones: 4-9

Add Container Shrubs to Your Garden

If you want to add containers to your patio or balcony, consider small shrubs instead of flowers for a more substantial-looking planter.

Container shrubs will add the privacy you want in a smaller setting where planting in the ground isn’t possible.

If you have a sunny spot, spirea is a low-maintenance plant that attracts bees and butterflies in the spring. Beautiful camellia grows in containers in the shade with pink, white, or red blooms.

For fine-textured foliage, opt for boxwoods that can be pruned into spheres or other unique shapes.

Containers are a convenient way to add greenery where it might otherwise be challenging to grow due to lack of space or other restrictions.