Are you looking for some easy to maintain evergreen shrubs perfect to make the front of your house look fabulous?
Well you came to the right place. In this quick article you will find all the best, low maintenance shrubs you can grow in your front lawn. And they will give your landscape some real curb appeal.
Easy to Care for Evergreen Shrubs for the Front of your House
So what are the best low maintenance shrubs?
The top easy to care for evergreen shrubs are the arborvitae, yew, boxwood, Oregon grape, mountain laurel, juniper, inkberry holly, winter heath, bearberry, golden euonymus, abelia, yucca, and cotoneaster.
If you want to learn which of these evergreen shrubs is best for the front of your house, read on for the complete rundown.
Arborvitae
Plant Hardiness Zones: 2-8
Size: Depending on type height ranges from three feet to over seventy feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial
One of the most popular home shrubs is the family of arborvitae. These evergreens come in many beautiful varieties making it a great option for all types of landscapes.
They grow fast and they are easy to maintain. Most popularly used as a natural privacy barrier, these lush shrubs can be incorporated into all types of landscapes.
Related: Emerald Green Arborvitae Care
Yew
Plant Hardiness Zones: 3-10
Size: Depending on the type, they grow from three to over twenty feet tall. There are narrow and wide growing varieties as well.
Sun requirements: Full, partial, and shade
Yew are another popular plant type used to create a natural privacy barrier. But they are also equally well suited for planting around the foundation of your home and even in topiaries.
They thrive in all sun conditions and are easy to maintain.
There are two primary cautions about planting yews around the home. They require well draining soil and they are toxic to humans and pets.
Boxwood
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Size: Depending on type, boxwood grows to a maximum height of two to eight feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Full, partial, and shade
If you are looking for a shrub that you can shape however you please, the boxwood is the best evergreen around.
It is popularly used to create a hedgerow and is ideal for planting around the border of your front lawn.
The boxwood is a fast grower and is low maintenance making it one of the best shrubs for planting in any front yard.
Oregon Grape
Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Size: When fully mature, Oregon grape will reach from three to six feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Partial to full shade
The Oregon grape is a lovely, low growing evergreen that produces bright yellow flowers in the spring that bring a wonderful level of interest to any front of house landscape.
Their leaves will also show varied color throughout the year for an all year interest plant.
The summer berries it produces are edible and the plant is quite easy to maintain.
Mountain Laurel
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Size: Mature plants will reach from five to fifteen feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
These flowering evergreens are a great way to add some color to the front of your house.
It produces lovely flowers and the glossy green leaves provide interest year round.
Depending on type, flowers come in colors from white and purple to rose and pink.
The stems are gnarled for adding interesting texture to your landscape.
Juniper
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Size: Depending on variety, junipers will reach heights from two to over twenty-five feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Full sun
These evergreens are a part of the cypress family of trees and shrubs. They are striking and offer year round interest to your landscape.
They can be used to create a natural privacy barrier or placed in open areas along slopes for a beautiful break to your landscape.
You can select from many types. Some juniper stay low to the ground while others will grow to impressive heights.
Inkberry Holly
Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Size: When mature, inkberry holly will reach from two to ten feet tall and equally wide.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
These slow growing, evergreen shrubs offer a lovely rounded appearance perfect for adding to the front of any home.
Inkberry holly can be pruned and shaped making them an excellent alternative to the boxwood.
They are easy to maintain and if you are patient you will be richly rewarded with a lovely evergreen shrub.
Winter Heath
Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-7
Size: Winter heath reaches a height of up to one and a half feet when mature.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
If you have well draining soil and want a low cover evergreen shrub then the winter heath is an excellent choice.
It provides year round interest to any yard and it produces pink flowers in the winter for a burst of color in the grayer months.
These plants are easy to maintain and can be incorporated in any landscape.
Bearberry
Plant Hardiness Zones: 2-7
Size: Mature bearberry reaches about one foot tall. They spread from two to six feet wide.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
Bearberry is a wonderful, low growing ground cover evergreen that is easy to maintain.
Also known as kinninnick, the bearberry is incredibly hardy and a wonderful option for those looking for an evergreen ground cover shrub.
If you live in a region with cold winters, this is an excellent option as it can stand up to harsh conditions.
Golden Euonymus
Plant Hardiness Zones: 6-9
Size: When fully grown, the golden euonymus will reach up to six feet tall and three feet wide.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
If you are looking for an evergreen shrub that provides bold and interesting color year round, the golden euonymus is an excellent choice.
Green and yellow variegated leaves will look wonderful with any landscape.
These evergreen shrubs are also incredibly easy to grow and maintain making them an excellent all around option.
Abelia
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-11
Size: Depending on type, abelia will reach from two to ten feet tall when fully mature. They spread from two to nine feet wide.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
If you are looking for an evergreen shrub that produces wonderful color the abelia is the plant for you.
With three seasons of color ranging from gold to red, to winter green you will never bore of this shrub.
It also produces lovely flowers that will attract all sorts of pollinators. This is an excellent shrub to add to any home landscape.
Yucca
Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-10
Size: Depending on type, yucca can reach between two and over thirty feet tall.
Sun Requirements: Full to partial sun
Whether you are looking for a short evergreen shrub or a towering specimen, the yucca has so much to offer any homeowner looking to create more interest in their landscape.
Yucca are easy to care for and they are quite drought tolerant making them a great, hands off option.
There are many varieties to choose from and they produce beautiful flowers.
Cotoneaster
Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Size: When fully mature, cottoneaster grows to about one foot tall with a spread up to six feet wide.
Sun Requirements: Full sun
The cotoneaster comes in many types and they provide a wonderful evergreen shrub with interesting color ideal for any landscape.
Most types will bloom in the spring with flowers of creamy white. In the fall and winter the leaves will range from bronze to red meaning you will be rewarded with lovely color year round.
Bottom Line
If you are planning to liven up the front of your house with some evergreen shrubs you have many great options.
You can even mix and match the options above to create a lively and vibrant landscape that will look great all year long.