The Best Shrubs for the Entrance of a Home

Landscaping with shrubs in front of the entrance to your home is a great way to make your home inviting. The right shrub can add elegance, give a burst of color and turn a drab setting into a picturesque one. It can give your home a formal or informal look depending on your preference. You can choose between evergreen varieties that stay green all year or deciduous shrubs.

Japanese pieris, also known as Japanese andromeda or lily of the valley, is an evergreen shrub. It is drought resistant so you don't have to worry about watering so much that it ruins the foundation of your house. Although the Japanese pieris is not fussy about the type of soil that it grows in, it does prefer the pH balance to be acidic to slightly alkaline. This shrub grows well in a shady place, as well as a sunny one. The Japanese pieris is disease free, but it is susceptible to lace bugs, mites and nematodes. Apply an insect and disease control for rhododendron and azaleas every six weeks starting April 1st to help control lace bugs and mites. Pruning is not necessary, but if you need to do so, prune right after the flowers fade. Depending on the variety, the pieris will grow to a height of 3 to 7 feet. Flowers bloom in different colors of deep red, pink and white. The bloom time is early spring to mid-spring.

Japanese spirea, also known as Nippon spirea or Vanhoutte spirea, is a deciduous shrub. This shrub is drought resistant and grows well in most soils as long as it has a pH that is acidic to slightly alkaline. This shrub prefers to grow in full sun. It has no pests that bother it, but you may need to watch it for fire blight, leaf spot and powdery mildew disease. The only care that this shrub may require is to remove the spent flowers if you want a neat looking plant beside your doorway. The bloom time is most of the summer and the flower colors are white, crimson, pink and magenta. The foliage ranges in color from blue to green. Depending on the variety you pick, the shrubs range in height from 1 foot to 8 feet tall.

Ilex glabra holly (Aquifoliaceae) is an evergreen shrub resembling the boxwood, but it grows lower and has more spreading. The holly has dark green leaves with slightly scalloped edges. It has many tolerances, making it a good plant to grow. It tolerates deer, heat, humidity, rabbits and wind. It grows well whether in sun to part shade. If you want your female shrub to bear berries, it needs a male nearby. It grows from 10 to 15 feet tall, but you can prune it to a height you want.

Nandina domestica, or heavenly bamboo, is a native of China and Japan. It prefers to grow in rich soil, but it will not grow in sand. This shrub is pest and disease free, making it a wonderful shrub to grace your entrance. The only thing that many hinder this plant in growing is stress. The heavenly bamboo has airy foliage, yellow stems, flowers and berries. It is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub. Some of these shrubs can live over 100 years and will grow well in the sun or shade. This shrub grows in zones 6 through 9. This shrub has one drawback in certain areas like Florida. It is an invasive species, so you may want to check to make sure it is non-invasive in your area.