17 Best Foundation Plants That Look Good Year-Round

The best year-round foundation plants unify the home and the landscape, anchoring the structure to its surroundings and connecting inside and out. Foundations that work are visually pleasing, boosting curb appeal as they frame the house and lay the groundwork for the rest of the garden.

Foundation designs incorporate a range of varying heights, colors, and textures. Structural evergreens will anchor the arrangement, while flowering specimens embellish it. Specimen trees also add vertical interest while perennials and annuals offer extra punch. 

Incorporating plants with multiseason appeal ensures there’s always something interesting going on in the garden. From needled evergreens to blooming deciduous features to interesting branching and bark, plants that look good all year are an easy choice for foundation plantings.

Boxwood

	botanical name Buxus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-15’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Boxwoods are quintessential evergreens to use as year-round foundation plants or create whole hedges. They’re structural shrubs with petite, glossy, deep green leaves and dense branches.

Buxus are appropriate as single specimens, in multiples repeated for rhythm, or as defined borders. These shrubs also highlight loose blooms and surrounding plantings.

Favorite varieties include ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Green Velvet.’ ‘Green Mountain’ forms a natural pyramidal shape and grows to five feet. Shape it or let it be with its easy conical form. These hybrids hold their fresh green color throughout the year. For a mounding boxwood, look to ‘Green Velvet’ at about three feet tall.

Sweetbox

	botanical name Sarcococca confusa
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 6-9

For shady spots and warm climates, fragrant sweetbox offers shiny, dark green foliage and a dense form. The compact shrubs produce tiny white flowers in spring, with a vanilla perfume that drifts in the air. Place them near the entry, porch, or patio to enjoy the fragrance up close.

Sweetbox provides an evergreen backdrop, making it an ideal year-round foundation plant. It thrives in rich, moist, well-drained soils. After they flower in spring, prune them to tidy the habit if needed.

Sarcococca hookeriana is more hardy for colder climates. Also available in dwarf varieties, it’s hardy to zone 5. Sweetbox is drought-tolerant once established.

Ninebark

	botanical name Physocarpus opulifolius
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 2-8

Ninebark is a flowering shrub with rugged durability, exceptional hardiness, and ease of care. Native to eastern North America, common ninebark is drought-tolerant and withstands various soils, from clay to rocky. With numerous varieties in colors like burgundy and gold, from large to compact and dwarf, they fit a variety of garden situations as year-round foundation plants.

Ninebark’s ornamental features make it look good year-round. Pinkish-white flower clusters cover the shrubs in spring. New leaves emerge light green and age to deeper green, turning yellow in late summer and fall. Drooping red berries develop after flowering. In winter, peeling bark reveals shades of red, copper, and light brown.

Ninebark is a favorite for pollinators and beneficial insects due to the rich nectar and number of blooms. Birds and small mammals forage on the fruits.

Abelia

	botanical name Abelia x grandiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-8’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Abelia has glossy evergreen foliage in shades from medium green to bright lime and orange. Delicate, tubular blooms entice pollinators in summer through frost. Leaves are small and pointed, lining the woody stems.

‘Miss Lemon’ is a dwarf variety with pretty sprays of creamy yellow and green leaves and adorable light pink flowers. ‘Kaleidoscope’ brings color-shifting foliage, from green and golden yellow in spring to red-orange in fall.

Abelia is a tough shrub that handles heat, humidity, and dry conditions. Disease- and pest-resistant, they’re low-maintenance in the landscape.

Box-Leaved Holly

	botanical name Ilex crenata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-10’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Box-leaved (or Japanese) holly has small, dark green leaves on dense, rigid stems. The compact shrubs have an upright, rounded habit and make a good boxwood stand-in as an alternative year-round foundation plant.

Numerous cultivars make great foundation options for their evergreen appeal and forms. From narrow and upright like ‘Sky Pencil’ to tall and broad like ‘Convexa,’ they suit a variety of spaces.

‘Helleri’ is a versatile variety that reaches four feet tall and wide. ‘Soft Touch’ mounds with compact, tender foliage for a soft look and feel. ‘Golden Gem’ has bright gold and green leaves and reaches only two feet tall.

Japanese hollies take shearing and shaping well, though they don’t often require it. Once established, they’re slightly drought-tolerant. They may not handle high heat and humidity above zone 8, and benefit from protection from drying winter winds in lower zones.

Viburnum

	botanical name Viburnum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 2-30’
	hardiness zones 2-10

Viburnums bring all-season appeal with textural leaves, clusters of creamy white and pink flowers, and fruits for lasting interest and wildlife value. They also offer fragrance and fall color in yellow, red, and purple.

Viburnum obovatum ‘Mrs. Schiller’s Delight’ is a small selection native to the Southeastern U.S. Twiggy stems form a dense mound with domed clusters of dainty white blossoms. Indigo-black fruits ripen in the fall.

‘Raulston Hardy’ and ‘Reifler’s Dwarf’ are other excellent dwarf cultivars for the foundation. Once established, these year-round foundation plants tolerate various soil conditions, including wet and dry.

Daphne

	botanical name Daphne odora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 7-9

Winter daphne is an evergreen species with multi-season interest. Its pink and white flower clusters have an intensely sweet perfume that drifts through the cold-season landscape. Dark blue berries follow the blooms, and variegated foliage brightens the arrangement.

Daphne prefers moist soils with exceptional drainage. Roots are slow to establish and don’t respond well to disturbance once planted. Place daphne near a walkway, entrance, or patio to experience the fragrance.

Dwarf False Cypress

	botanical name Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Nana’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 5-8

False cypress has thread-like, feathery foliage and a loosely pyramidal habit. Slow-growing, they’ll remain compact and bring color and texture as year-round foundation plants.

‘Filifera Nana’ takes a decade to reach its maximum height and has a dense, compact mound of blue-green fan-like leaves. ‘White Pygmy’ brightens with white tips and fine threads.

‘Sungold’ is a dwarf, mounding form with gold-tipped threaded foliage. ‘Vintage Gold’ has deep orange-gold tones that look good against green foliage.

Mahonia

	botanical name Mahonia spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Mahonia has leathery evergreen leaves and bright yellow bloom spikes with a spray of color in fall. Depending on the species and cultivar, leaves are broad and serrated or narrow and feathery. Dark berries develop on the stem in winter.

Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ is a dwarf cultivar with finely-textured foliage and a soft, airy, lush look. ‘Charity’ boasts ten-inch bloom spikes above broad, spiny leaves. Though it looks tropical, ‘Charity’ tolerates snow and frosty weather.

Gardenia

	botanical name Gardenia jasminoides
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-8’
	hardiness zones 7-11

As year-round foundation plants, gardenias bring a signature sweet fragrance, creamy white blooms, and dark green, glossy leaves. Best in southern climates, gardenias are a classic staple in mixed evergreen borders and foundations. Opt for a cold-hardy variety in the coolest ends of their hardiness zones.

In varying sizes and floral forms, gardenias generally bloom in late spring and early summer (and year-round in warm climates). They thrive in acidic, well-drained, consistently moist soils.

Pieris

	botanical name Pieris japonica
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-10’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Pieris is another white-blooming shrub, this one with delicate bells that hang gracefully from leafy stems. The buds develop in late summer and hang like pearls throughout the winter.

Late in the season and into early spring, they open to the blooms that resemble lily-of-the-valley (it’s also called lily-of-the-valley shrub). They carry a delicate fragrance and are a bumblebee favorite during the early season.

Bronze and red new growth adds to the interest, with mature leaves in deep, glossy green. The pointed leaves are narrow and form bushy rosettes along the stems.

Pieris thrives in acidic, well-drained soils. Prune stems for shape after the blooms fade to promote bud set for the next season. Feature pieris as a specimen in a mixed evergreen planting where it receives afternoon protection from intense sun.

Distylium

	botanical name Distylium spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Distylium is a scaffolding shrub with attractive blue-green leaves and copper, red, or purple new growth, depending on the variety.  Stems are long and slightly arching for a leafy, graceful aesthetic. Low-maintenance, they withstand heat, humidity, and coastal conditions.

‘Cinnamon Girl’ is a low-grower ideal as a border year-round foundation plant. New growth is purple-red. ‘Vintage Jade’ is one of the best-known and most compact, at three feet tall and four feet wide, making it optimal as a foundation plant. ‘Linebacker’ is unique as an upright selection that reaches 8-10 feet tall.

Spreading Plum Yew

	botanical name Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Prostrata’
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-6’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Japanese plum yew brings great texture with evergreen needled foliage on rigid, upright stems. Low-growing cultivars like ‘Prostrata’ feature loosely spreading branches. Yews grow slowly with neat forms that offer foliar contrast.

‘Duke Gardens’ is another dwarf selection with a vase shape and bright green foliage punctuating the stem ends. They thrive in hot, humid summers and are good yew options for southern climates, though they require some shade.

Spreading plum yew relies on consistent moisture to establish robust roots. Once established, this year-round foundation plant is tolerant of periods of drought.

Dwarf Azalea

	botanical name Rhododendron spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Dwarf azaleas make showy flowering groups in the shaded foundation. Trumpeted spring blooms bring high color, with some varieties, like the Encore series, repeat-flowering into fall. Depending on the variety, azalea blooms range from white, pink, and purple to apricot, orange, and red.

R. tsutsusi is a dwarf evergreen that grows less than two feet tall. ‘Gumpo’ azaleas are part of the Satsuki group, flowering later than other varieties into early summer. True gumpos are white with frilled blooms on two-foot plants.

Azaleas make the most significant impact in groupings or mass plantings. Provide rich, well-drained, evenly moist soils for best flowering and vigor.

Switchgrass

	botanical name Panicum virgatum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-7’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Switchgrass and other ornamental grasses add graceful movement and texture with enough heft to support a foundation arrangement.

Look to ‘Northwind’ as an upright, columnar variety with fine olive-green blades. Leaves turn yellow and tawny in the fall for lasting appeal. The blades of ‘Cheyenne Sky’ begin blue-green and transition to wine red in early summer, with plumes to match.

Switchgrass is a native North American prairie grass that grows across soil types, moisture levels, and light conditions. Durable, they prefer lean soils to overly rich ones.

Ornamental grasses soften structural evergreens and loosen the composition. Leave grasses standing in the fall rather than cutting them back. Their blades and dried seedheads are striking throughout winter, and the seedheads provide food for songbirds.

Juniper

	botanical name Juniperus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-50’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Junipers range in shape and size from trailing groundcovers to tall, columnar trees. With evergreen foliage from deep green to blue to gold, they add year-round visual interest.

Tidy and tough juniper varieties like ‘Blue Arrow,’ ‘Spartan,’ and ‘Moonglow’ are versatile across gardens and add richness in form, color, and texture. ‘Blue Point’ has a neat, columnar shape with blue needles that create a contrasting focal point.

Serviceberry

	botanical name Amelanchier spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 10-25’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Serviceberry is a low-maintenance specimen tree with an ornamental form, springtime flowers, and edible fruits. Several species and naturally occurring hybrids are native to North America, with a number of cultivars available. The blossoms are a valuable early food source for pollinators, and birds and wildlife enjoy the berries.