One of the most common requests we receive from readers is for a list of well-behaved bushes they can plant that won’t eventually swallow it. Here it is. 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 swallow your house, and . Second, they all belong to our . 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.
‘Miss Lemon’ Abelia
- Botanical Name: Abelia hybrid ‘Hopleys’
- Sun Exposure: Full, partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil 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 6 to 9.
‘Emerald Snow’ Loropetalum
- Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense ‘Emerald Snow’
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil 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 . We recommend it for USDA Zones 7 to 9. If necessary, prune it after it finishes blooming.
‘Baby Gem’ Japanese Boxwood
- Botanical Name: Buxus microphylla ‘Gregem’
- Sun Exposure: Full, partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Acidic, alkaline
This highly improved, glossy-leafed boxwood slowly grows into a tidy muffin about 4 feet tall and wide. It does well in the ground or in containers and is much more pest-resistant than English or . It likes full to part sun and well-drained soil. Plant it in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
‘Light Show’ Red Bottlebrush
- Botanical Name: Callistemon viminalis
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil 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 () and thrives in USDA Zones 8 to 10.
‘Obsession’ Nandina
- Botanical Name: Nandina domestica ‘Seika’
- Sun Exposure: Partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic
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 its roots don’t spread. 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.
‘Everillo’ Carex
- Botanical Name: Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’
- Sun Exposure: Partial, shade
- Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
- Soil pH: Acidic, alkaline, neutral
‘Everillo’ carex is a mounding, that glows bright chartreuse all year. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, it’s great for lining paths, illuminating shady areas, growing in containers, and mixing with blue, orange, deep green, or burgundy plants. It likes partial sun to shade, takes some drought, and deer don’t like it. Plant in USDA Zones 5 to 9.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia
- Botanical Name: Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’
- Sun Exposure: Partial, shade
- Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
- Soil pH: Alkaline
Boy, do we love this plant! Growing about 3 feet tall and wide, this 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. or grow it in a container. It’s suited to USDA Zones 7 to 9 and is not on Bambi’s menu.
These Plants Are Grumpy Gardener Approved
‘Mojo’ Japanese Pittosporum
- Botanical Name: Pittosporum tobira ‘CNI Three’
- Sun Exposure: Partial, shade
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil 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’ pittosporum reaches only 3 feet tall and wide—perfect for . 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.
‘Chef’s Choice’ Rosemary
- Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Roman Beauty’
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Acidic, neutral
Why run out to the herb garden for a sprig of , 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.
‘Bayou Bliss’ Distylium
- Botanical Name: Distylium BLDY01 Hybrid
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained, wet
- Soil 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 , drought, and wet soil and enjoys sun or light shade in USDA Zones 7a to 9b.
Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum
- Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense ‘Peack’
- Sun Exposure: Full, partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic
Need a go-with-the-flow showstopper? If you live in , 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.
Cast in Bronze Distylium
- Botanical Name: Distylium hybrid
- Sun Exposure: Full, partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained, wet
- Soil pH: Acidic
The disease- and pest-resistant Cast in Bronze Distylium is a 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.
Yewtopia Plum Yew
- Botanical Name: Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Plania’
- Sun Exposure: Shade
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil 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, needle-like 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.
‘Orange Rocket’ Barberry
- Botanical Name: Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’
- Sun Exposure: Full, partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Acidic
This easy-care ‘Orange Rocket’ Barberry will bring a dose of 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.
‘Little Bonnie’ Dwarf Spiraea
- Botanical Name: Spiraea bumalda ‘Little Bonnie’
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Type: Average, well-drained
- Soil 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 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.
‘Ever Sapphire’ Agapanthus
- Botanical Name: Agapanthus
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained, sandy, loamy
- Soil 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 . It’s fast-growing to 20 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. Give it partial sun in USDA Zones 8a-11b.