21 Plants to Add Instant Curb Appeal When Selling Your Home

Before you plant that "For Sale" sign in your yard, plant shrubs and flowers to boost your curb appeal.

Looking to sell your home soon? Good curb appeal creates a strong first impression for buyers, setting a promising tone for the rest of their home tour. Upgrading your landscaping with new plants for the front of the house and flowers is a cost-effective way to improve the looks of your property and can easily be done in a weekend. Read on for our favorite varieties and how to incorporate them into your landscaping or hardscaping.

Boxwoods

Front Yard Flower Bed With Tree and Petunias

Evergreens

When you're planting for curb appeal, start with evergreens to add structure to your yard. Then mix in annuals and other plants with year-round interest, says Julie Arnold Camp, a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers. "Annuals give color during the length of the listing. Using pots is also a good idea to add seasonal color, or to add color in an area that has no interesting character." Choose colors that accent or match your home and avoid plants that will grow up over your windows. Compact boxwoods that need little pruning are great around foundations; you can also find varieties that grow tall enough to use as hedges. Most boxwoods take both sun and shade.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

When you're ramping up your curb appeal, start with evergreens that give structure to your yard. Boxwoods make great foundation plants and come in many sizes, so you can also add them to beds and borders.

Mix in annuals and other plants with year-round interest, says Julie Arnold Camp, a realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers in Atlanta. "Annuals give color during the length of the listing. Using pots is also a good idea to add seasonal color, or to add color to an area that has no interesting character."

Tip: flats of annuals are usually cheaper than individual plants.

LEARN MORE: 26 Annual Flowers for Year-Round Color

Roses

Knock Out Roses

Knock Out Roses

In winter, roses aren’t much to look at. But some roses, like the Knock Out series, produce spectacular flowers from spring until frost, and because most buyers know they’re low-maintenance, they’re a great choice for curb appeal. Knock Outs can grow to 6’ tall, so they do need some pruning to keep them in check. Smaller Drift roses, which mature around 18" tall and 3’ wide, can be used as a groundcover in sunny spots or allowed to tumble gracefully over low walls.

Photo by: Rob Cardillo/Knock Out Roses

Rob Cardillo/Knock Out Roses

Roses aren't attractive in the winter, and even when they're blooming, they often need pruning, fertilizing and spraying. But some roses, like the Knock Out family, are low-maintenance, which many homebuyers know and appreciate, and they produce spectacular flowers from spring until frost.

Tip: Smaller Drift roses, which mature around 18 inches tall, are also easy to grow and make a pretty groundcover for sunny spots.

LEARN MORE: Growing Double Knock Out Roses

Hydrangeas

Invincibelle Mini Mauvette Hydrangea

Invincibelle Mini Mauvette Hydrangea

Hydrangeas give you a lot of bang for your curb-appeal buck. They’re easy to grow, need little care and put on a spectacular show when they bloom. Most of these flowering shrubs prefer morning sun with afternoon shade and are hardy in Zones 4 or 5-9. Invincibelle Mini Mauvette, shown here, is hardy in Zones 3-9 and takes full sun. If you use your lush, leafy hydrangeas to camouflage an unsightly foundation, but leave a couple a feet between the plants and your house, so they have room to grow.

Photo by: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®

Proven Winners® ColorChoice®

Hydrangeas give you a lot of bang for your curb-appeal buck. They’re easy to grow, need little care and put on a spectacular show when they bloom. Most of these flowering shrubs prefer morning sun with afternoon shade and are hardy in Zones 4 or 5-9. 'Invincibelle Mini Mauvette,' shown here, is hardy in Zones 3-9 and takes full sun.

Tip: If you use lush, leafy hydrangeas to camouflage an unsightly foundation, leave a couple of feet between the plants and the house so they have room to spread.

LEARN MORE: How to Plant, Grow and Care for Hydrangeas

Front Door Urns

Iron Front Door Flanked by Tall Planters With Plants

Urns

For fast curb appeal, post two urns by your front door, and plant each one with a feathery-textured Pinpoint Blue false cypress. These evergreen shrubs grow into tall, narrow columns, so they won't block your entrance. Here, they're underplanted with 'Spot On' lungwort (Pulmonaria); the pink buds will open into blue flowers. The urns also hold yellow pansies, creeping phlox, calibrachoas Superbells Honeyberry and Shadowland ‘Autumn Frost’ hostas. The calibrachoas are annuals outside Zones 9-11.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

For fast curb appeal, post urns on each side of your front door, and plant them with feathery-textured Pinpoint Blue false cypress. These evergreen shrubs grow into tall, narrow columns, so they won't block your entrance. Here, they're underplanted with 'Spot On' lungwort (Pulmonaria); the pink buds will open into blue flowers. The urns also hold yellow pansies, creeping phlox, calibrachoas Superbells Honeyberry and Shadowland 'Autumn Frost' hostas.

Tip: Urns are also ideal for growing topiary plants.

FIND MORE IDEAS: 20 Ways to Use Large Garden Containers

Hostas

Hostas

Hostas

Frustrated by areas where nothing will grow? Bare spots don’t make a good impression when you’re asking top dollar for your home. Tuck shade-loving hostas into beds and borders or group them under trees and taller shrubs. Their flowers aren’t showy, but their leaves, which come in shades of green, gray, blue, cream, and yellow-gold, are standouts. Choose small, medium or large varieties; most are hardy in Zones 3-9. Here, hostas Shadowland ‘Autumn Frost’ and Shadowland ‘Coast to Coast’ get dressed up with pots of begonias, impatiens and Torenias.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Bare spots under your trees don’t make a good impression when you want top dollar for your home. Tuck shade-loving hostas into those areas or use them around shrubs and in borders. Their flowers aren’t showy, but their leaves, which come in shades of green, gray, blue, cream, and yellow-gold, are standouts. Choose small, medium or large varieties; most are hardy in Zones 3-9.

Tip: Add containers of shade-loving begonias and impatiens for pops of color. Shown here: Shadowland 'Autumn Frost' and Shadowland 'Coast to Coast.'

LEARN MORE: Hostas: How to Plant, Grow and Care for Hostas

Annuals

Supertunia 'Bordeaux' Flowers

Supertunia 'Bordeaux'

Don’t forget annuals when you’re planting for curb appeal. Use them as inexpensive fillers when your perennials or flowering shrubs stop blooming, or pop them into containers, hanging baskets and window boxes for splashes of seasonal color. Marigolds, petunias and geraniums are popular and easy to grow. Tuck in a few trailing plants like bacopa, creeping jenny or calibrachoas to add interest. If you're selling in the cooler months, switch to flowers like pansies and mums or ornamental kales and cabbages.

Photo by: Garden Answer

Garden Answer

Inexpensive annuals are easy to establish and they make good fillers when your bulbs, perennials or flowering shrubs stop blooming. For fast curb appeal, pop them into containers, hanging baskets or window boxes for splashes of color. Marigolds, petunias and geraniums are popular and easy to grow.

Tip: If you're selling in the cooler months, try flowers like pansies and mums or ornamental kales and cabbages. Supertunia 'Bordeaux,' pictured here, blooms profusely until frost.

LEARN MORE: 22 Easy-to-Grow Annual Flowers That Thrive in the Shade

Arborvitae

Low Maintenance Dwarf Evergreen Shrub

Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae

Naturally dwarf, Mr. Bowling Ball arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Bobazam’) grows in a spherical shape. Plants never need pruning, topping out at a tidy 30 inches tall and wide. Use Mr. Bowling Ball as a path or driveway edging, foundation planting or container plant in the warmer end of its range. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

Photo by: BaileyNurseries.com

BaileyNurseries.com

Fast-growing, evergreen arborvitaes are available in a range of sizes and are popular to use as hedges, privacy screens and borders. True to its name, Mr. Bowling Ball arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Bobazam'), shown here, grows into a spherical shape. Since it tops out around 30 inches tall and wide, it doesn't need pruning. Dress up your foundation or let these compact shrubs edge a walkway or driveway. Hardy in Zones 3-8, Mr. Bowling Ball is also great for containers.

Tip: Some arborvitaes grow faster and some are more drought-tolerant than others. Read the plant's tag or label to be sure it will suit your needs.

Mailbox Plants

Flowers and Plants Surrounding Mailbox at Street Curb

Mailbox Plants

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Don't forget to see your mailbox as a potential buyer will see it. If it's a plain Jane, dress it up with a mix of plants. Try evergreens like compact inkberry holly Gem Box, assorted perennials and colorful annuals like ColorBlaze Lime Time coleus or Luscious Berry Blend lantanas. Choose sun lovers for a spot that gets full sun.

Tip: Avoid plants that need frequent watering, unless you have a faucet nearby.

Azaleas

Encore Azalea 'Autumn Carnation'

Encore Azalea 'Autumn Carnation'

Catch a buyer’s eye with masses of azaleas planted in beds or around your mailbox or front porch. Most are hardy in Zones 6-9 and need filtered sun or a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. If your budget is tight, use a few dwarf varieties in containers near your entrance, or choose Encore Azaleas, which bloom in spring and again in summer. These flowering shrubs come in a variety of colors and sizes. Pictured here: ‘Autumn Carnation'.

Photo by: Encore Azalea

Encore Azalea

Catch a buyer’s eye with sweeps of azaleas planted in beds or around your mailbox or porch. Most are hardy in Zones 6-9 and need filtered sun or a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The shrubs come in a variety of colors and sizes.

Tip: If your budget is tight, put a few dwarf azaleas in containers near your entrance, or choose reblooming types that flower in spring and again in summer. Pictured here: Encore Azalea 'Autumn Carnation.'

SEE MORE PHOTOS: Stunning Biltmore Estate Azaleas

Portulacas

Fuchsia Colored Portulacas Flowers in Lime Green Pots

Potted Portulacas

You don't have to spend a lot of time or money to amp up your home's curb appeal. These matching pots compliment the Mojave series of portulacas in bold colors like fuchsia, pink, red, yellow and tangerine. Portulacas, also called sun roses or moss roses, are low-maintenance, drought-resistant annuals that bloom vigorously in sunny spots. If you want different colors when the seasons change, pop out the plants and grow other annuals or perennials. For a big impact, use the same plants or combination of plants in each pot.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

You don't have to spend a lot of time or money to amp up your home's curb appeal when you fill matching containers with heat and drought-tolerant plants. Yellow pots complement the Mojave series of portulacas in bold colors like fuchsia, pink, red, yellow and tangerine. Portulacas, also known as purslane, sun roses and moss roses, are nearly carefree annuals that bloom vigorously in sunny spots.

Tip: If your home doesn't sell right away, and the seasons change, just pop out the plants and replant with flowers or foliage in different colors.

LEARN MORE: Drought- and Heat-Tolerant Annuals

Daylilies

Stella de Oro Daylillies

‘Stella de Oro’ Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’)

Golden lily-type flowers punctuate a mound of strappy leaves. This is a reblooming daylily, so you can expect blossoms to open all season long. Full sun coaxes the most flowers to form. Combines well with: Siberian iris, purple coneflower and bee balm. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

Photo by: Image courtesy of PerennialResource.com

Image courtesy of PerennialResource.com

Sun-loving daylilies add cheerful color to your home when they're planted in masses. These tough perennials tolerate heat, drought and many pests and diseases. Grow early, mid- and late-season varieties, and you’ll have a flower show that lasts for weeks.

Tip: If your home doesn't sell, divide the clumps after the flowers fade and you'll have extra daylilies to plant. This variety is Rainbow Rhythm 'Going Bananas.'

LEARN MORE: How to Grow Daylilies

Porch Planters

Planters

Planters

Photo by: Doreen Wynja/Monrovia

Doreen Wynja/Monrovia

You'll probably stage your home to help buyers imagine living in it. Why not stage your porch, too? Fill big planters with fabulous flowers like SunBelievable Brown Eyed Girl Helianthus and add a comfortable lawn chair. These award-winning sunflowers bloom on compact, multi-branched plants from spring to frost.

Tip: Cut the blooms for indoor bouquets, too; the plants can produce up to 1,000 flowers in just one season.

LEARN MORE: 15 Home-Staging Essentials

Loropetalums

'Crimson Fire' fringe flower (Loropetalum)

Loropetalum

'Crimson Fire' fringe flower is a compact Loropetalum that holds its ruby-red foliage throughout the year. The shrubs form neat, small mounds, so they’re ideal for use around your foundation or in small garden beds. Their bright pink flowers open in the spring, and they're hardy to USDA Zones 7 to 9. Give ‘Crimson Fire’ full sun to part shade and grow it containers or the landscape. It's combined here with evergreen shrubs for a striking combination.

Photo by: Tracy Walsh/First Editions

Tracy Walsh/First Editions

'Crimson Fire' fringe flower is a compact shrub (Loropetalum) that holds its ruby-red foliage throughout the year. It forms neat, small mounds, so it's ideal for growing around your foundation or in small beds. Bright pink flowers open in the spring; the plants are hardy to Zones 7-9. Give ‘Crimson Fire’ full sun to part shade and grow it in containers or the landscape. It's combined here with evergreen shrubs for a striking, easy-care combination.

Tip: Remind prospective buyers that beds planted with shrubs like these will cut down on how much grass they have to mow.

Nandinas

Nandina 'Firepower' Shrub Plants

Nandina 'Firepower'

Nandina, or heavenly bamboo, provides curb appeal for all four seasons. These practically carefree shrubs have delicate, airy-looking foliage and white spring flowers. In the fall, their leaves turn vibrant shades of red, bronze and purple, and showy red berries appear that often last into the winter. Plant low-growing nandinas in front of shrubs with broad leaves or use them to soften the edges of a porch.. ‘Firepower,’ shown here, is a dwarf variety that develops its richest colors in full sun.

Photo by: Bailey Nurseries, Inc.

Bailey Nurseries, Inc.

Nandina, or heavenly bamboo, provides four-season curb appeal in some regions (the plants are evergreen in USDA Gardening Zones 8-10 and semi-evergreen or deciduous in Zones 6-8). These practically care-free shrubs have airy-looking foliage and white flowers in the spring. In fall, red berries appear and the foliage turns vibrant shades of red, bronze and purple.

Tip: 'Firepower,' shown here, is a dwarf variety that develops its richest colors in full sun. Look for it at home and garden stores like Home Depot or on Amazon and other websites.

Distyliums

Distylium Shrubs

Distylium

Introduced in 2015, Distyliums are shrubs with a spreading habit. They adapt to heat , drought or wet soils and produce small, maroon flowers in the winter. These tough evergreens also resist pests and diseases and need little pruning, so they're great for dressing up walkways and foundation plantings. Small cultivars like 'Vintage Jade,' shown here, stay low enough to grow as ground covers. Hardy in Zones 7-9, they're a good alternative to hollies, junipers or boxwoods.

Photo by: Tracy Walsh/First Editions

Tracy Walsh/First Editions

Introduced in 2015, Distyliums are shrubs with a spreading habit and they're still a relatively new look for homes on the market. They adapt to heat, drought or wet soils and bear small, maroon flowers in the winter. These tough evergreens also resist pests and diseases and need little pruning, so they're great for dressing up walkways and foundation plantings. Small cultivars like 'Vintage Jade', shown here, stay low enough to use as ground covers.

Tip: Hardy in Zones 7-9, these plants are a good alternative to overused hollies, junipers or boxwoods.

Peonies

Fuchsia Colored Peonies

Peonies

Spectacular peonies, with their brilliant colors, bloom from spring into early summer. They're old-fashioned favorites for curb appeal that can grow in large containers with excellent drainage, in raised beds or in the landscape. In USDA Zones 3-8, gardeners should move potted peonies into a spot that stays above freezing. These very long-lived plants don't need much care and love full sun. To keep the flower show going, choose early, mid-season and late blooming varieties.

Photo by: LandCrafters LLC/NALP Awards of Excellence

LandCrafters LLC/NALP Awards of Excellence

Spectacular peonies, with their brilliant colors and huge flowers, bloom from spring into early summer. They're old-fashioned curb appeal favorites that can grow in large containers with good drainage, raised beds or the landscape. These very long-lived plants don't need much care and love full sun. To keep the flower show going, choose early, mid-season and late-blooming varieties. Courtesy of the National Association of Landscape Professionals and LoveYourLandscape.org. Peonies are sold at Lowe's and many other online or brick-and-mortar garden centers and nurseries.

Tip: In the winter, gardeners in Zones 3-8 should move potted peonies into a spot that stays above freezing.

LEARN MORE: Peonies 101: How to Transplant, Grow and Divide Peonies

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental Grasses Surrounded by Purple and White Petunia Flowers

Ornamental Grasses

Easy-to-grow ornamental grasses boost your home’s curb appeal with interesting textures and add movement to the landscape as they sway in the breeze. Use them for a contemporary look in beds or large containers or let them soften a rock garden or area mulched with coarse bark, stone or gravel. Graceful Grasses ‘Sky Rocket’ combines here with Supertunia Mini Vista petunias in indigo, violet and white. ‘Sky Rocket’ turns brown in the fall, but you can find winter-hardy, ornamental grasses that stay attractive year-round.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Easy-to-grow ornamental grasses boost your home’s curb appeal with interesting textures and add movement to the landscape as they sway in the breeze. Use them for a contemporary look in beds or large containers or let them soften a rock garden or bed mulched with coarse bark, stone or gravel. Graceful Grasses 'Sky Rocket' combines here with Supertunia Mini Vista petunias in indigo, violet and white.

Tip: 'Sky Rocket' turns brown in the fall, but you can find winter-hardy, ornamental grasses that stay attractive year-round.

LEARN MORE: The Prettiest Ornamental Grasses for Sun and Shade

Mixed Pots

Galvanized Tub With Verbena, Calibrachoa and Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush In Pot

Shrubs are the ultimate best buy when it comes to filling container gardens. They deliver strong color all season long, even year-round in warmer zones. After spending their first season in a container, you can transition shrubs to a permanent home in a planting bed, where they’ll enhance your landscape for years to come. It’s not hard to design container gardens with a few shrubs in the mix. This galvanized tub features a patriotic theme with red Superbena Scarlet Star verbena, Superbells White calibrachoa and blue-purple dwarf butterfly bush (Lo & Behold ‘Lilac Chip’ Buddleia x), which grows 2 feet tall—an ideal shrub size for a pot. Hardy in Zones 5-9.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Stately urns or traditional stone and resin pots of flowers and foliage will catch a buyer's eye, but they don't suit every home style. Galvanized tubs, half barrels and other informal containers add charm to cottages, ranch houses, mountain retreats, log cabins, farmhouses and more. This blue-purple butterfly bush, Lo & Behold 'Lilac Chip' Buddleia, grows 18 to 30 inches tall and plays nicely with red Superbena Scarlet Star verbena and Superbells White calibrachoas. The butterfly bush is hardy in Zones 5-9, while the other plants are annuals in cold winter areas.

Tip: When combining plants, be sure they have the same basic needs for water and light.

Caladiums

White and Red Caladiums in Flower Bed

Caladiums

Caladiums grow in shade or filtered sun, and some varieties can take full sun. In USDA Zones 9-11, they behave as perennials, but they’re grown as annuals elsewhere. Plant them in masses for eye-catching color in your front yard or containers, and they’ll spread up to 10 inches. They need little care, but Northern gardeners shouldn’t plant these tropicals until the temperatures are above 50 degrees F. Look for them in cherry red, chartreuse, raspberry, violet-pink, cream and other shades. Shown here: ‘Scarlet Flame’ and ‘White Wonder’ in the Heart to Heart caladium series.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Draw a buyer's attention with caladiums that grow in shade or filtered sun; some varieties can take full sun. In Zones 9-11, they behave as perennials but they grow as annuals elsewhere. Plant them in masses for eye-catching color in your front yard or containers, and they’ll spread up to 10 inches. Look for them in cherry red, chartreuse, raspberry, violet-pink, cream and other shades. Shown here: Heart to Heart caladiums 'Scarlet Flame' and 'White Wonder.'

Tip: Caladiums need little care, but northern gardeners shouldn’t plant these tropicals until the temperatures are above 50 degrees.

Ornamental Trees

Snowdance Lilac Tree

Snowdance Lilac Tree

Ornamental trees like this Snowdance Japanese tree lilac are traffic-stoppers, but for best results, plant a tree that grows fast if you plan to sell soon. This species grows about 12 to 18 inches a year and opens a cloud of fragrant, creamy-white flowers in the summer, usually on a biennial basis. Even if you don’t plant a flowering tree, many others offer attractive fall color, shade or other desirable features. Fast-growing trees for curb appeal include weeping willow, quaking aspens, river birches and red maples.

Photo by: Tracy Walsh/First Editions

Tracy Walsh/First Editions

Ornamental trees like this Snowdance Japanese tree lilac are traffic-stoppers, but plant a fast-growing tree if you plan to sell soon. This species grows about 12 to 18 inches a year and opens a cloud of fragrant, creamy-white flowers in the summer. Even if you don’t plant a flowering tree, many others offer attractive fall color, shade or other desirable features. Fast-growing trees for curb appeal include crape myrtle, quaking aspens, river birches and red maples.

Tip: Snowdance Japanese tree lilacs tend to bloom biennially, but others, such as dogwoods and flowering cherries, flower annually.

LEARN MORE: The Best Ornamental Trees

Window Boxes

Well-Manicured Front Lawn With Flower Bed

Window Boxes

Lushly planted window boxes that match the flowers and foliage in your beds and borders really kick up your home’s curb appeal. The key to success is using complementary color combinations. Just don't use so many different colors and kinds of plants that your landscape feels too “busy.” These borders, with their graceful curves, lead the eye across the grassy lawn and their colors draw your attention to the plants repeated in the window boxes.

Photo by: ProvenWinners.com

ProvenWinners.com

Lushly planted window boxes that match the flowers and foliage in your beds and borders really kick up your home’s curb appeal. The key to success is using complementary color combinations. These borders, with their graceful curves, lead the eye across the grassy lawn and echo the plants in the window boxes. The flowers in this front yard include Amazing Daises Daisy May Shasta Daises, 'Tuscan Sun' perennial sunflowers and Rainbow Rhythm 'Primal Scream' daylilies.

Tip: Don't use too many different colors and kinds of plants or your landscape will feel "busy."

LEARN MORE: Easy Tips for Adding Beautiful Window Boxes

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