Click here to enlarge the illustration.
Keeping plantings under 3 feet tall might imply a boring and static landscape. But thoughtful plant placement and a varied hardscape help a space really shine, without obstructing the view from the house.
Shorter plants deserve some love. True, they aren’t hulking beasts, drawing your eye from a mile away, but they can be focal points. The following are some of my favorite small plants whose texture, color, or form is hard to ignore.
To learn more about designing with these low-growing plants, check out Landscaping With Low-Growing Plants.
1 foot tall and under
1. ‘Silver Shadow’ astelia
Astelia ‘Silver Shadow’
Zones: 8 to 10
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
2. ‘Cotton Tail’ thrift
Armeria maritima ‘Cotton Tail’
Zones: 3 to 8
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
3. ‘Hocus Pocus’ geranium
Geranium pratense ‘Hocus Pocus’
Zones: 3 to 9
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
2 feet tall and under
4. Autumn moor grass
Sesleria autumnalis
Zones: 5 to 8
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
5. ‘Blue Ice’ bluestar
Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’
Zones: 4 to 9
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
6. ‘Elsie’s Gold’ sedum
Sedum ‘Elsie’s Gold’
Zones: 3 to 9
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
3 feet tall and under
7. ‘Blue Gem’ mountain plum pine
Podocarpus lawrencei ‘Blue Gem’
Zones: 7 to 9
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
8. ‘Purple Gem’ rhododendron
Rhododendron ‘Purple Gem’
Zones: 4 to 8
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
9. ‘Merrist Wood Cream’ shrubby rockrose
Halimiocistus wintonensis ‘Merrist Wood Cream’
Zones: 8 to 10
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
This article first appeared as a sidebar in Landscaping With Low-Growing Plants by Susan Calhoun.
Comments
An interesting article. Good info to know and consider smaller scale plants in groupings.
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