9 of the Best Shrubs for Any Garden

Often called spotted laurel, this variety of aucuba brings panache to even a low-light yard with the most difficult growing conditions. Its multihued foliage serves well as a border around your home's foundation or as privacy planting surrounding an outdoor living space. Once established, it needs very little care, water, or pruning.

Forsythia is a perennial winner, loved for the cheerful yellow blossoms that cover its stems in early spring. The rest of the growing season, the tall shrub remains leafy and green. It can be shaped into a hedge or lightly pruned to accent its natural shape. Either way, this lively shrub makes a low-maintenance addition to your landscape.

Although it's deciduous, 'Red Dragon' ornamental hazelnut provides year-round interest in your yard. After its dramatic foliage fades and falls, the branches are festooned with burgundy catkins that dangle from curling stems. Once established, the easy-care tree requires little watering and grows anywhere from six to eight feet tall, and about half as wide.

The holly family is well loved for its low-maintenance shrubs and trees that come in many sizes. Blue Princess holly is no exception. Hardy and strong, the variety grows between 10 and 15 feet tall and as much as 10 feet wide. Its red berries attract songbirds and other wildlife that feed on the beautiful fruit.

Oakleaf hydrangea is a stunning bloomer that thrives with very little attention, even in harsh, dry climates. More cold hardy than other hydrangea varieties, it also provides four seasons of interest, with leaves that turn brilliant shades of burgundy and orange in fall. In winter, it shows off peeling bark in shades of cinnamon—a welcome contrast to a bleak and snowy winter landscape.

Discover and admire beautiful and innovative home architecture, from grand Victorians to quaint cabins and all the styles in between. Take a look at the latest images and inspiration!