Below is a listing of shrubs that are excellent for use in front foundation plantings of homes or buildings. These shrubs were selected for their hardiness in Zone 8, low maintenance, appearance, and tolerance of extreme environmental conditions. We use the list below ourselves when designing foundation plantings.

Name: Dwarf Abelia 'Little Richard' Botanical: Abelia Height x Width: 2-3' H x 2-3' W Exposure: Full sun or partial shade Bloom Color: White Bloom Time: Summer through Fall Water: Low once established Features: Clusters of small white bell-shape flowers are produced in abundance summer thru fall. Low mounding habit. Drought tolerant Companions: Barberries, Loropetalums, Junipers, Ornamental Grasses

Name: Arborvitae 'Berkman's Golden' Botanical: Arborvitae Size: 5-6' H x 3-4' W Exposure: Full sun or light shade Bloom Color: Golden foliage Bloom Time: None Water: Low once established Features: Bright golden evergreen foliage all year. Good for corners, low screen, or as a specimen. Companions: Dwarf Nandinas, Barberries, Soft Touch Holly, as an accent in perennial gardens, and many other plants.

Name: Arborvitae 'Emerald Green' Botanical: Arborvitae Size: 10-15' H x 4-5' W Exposure: Full sun or light shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water: Low once established Features: Conical shape to this evergreen excellent for the corners, as a screen, or specimen. Companions: Barberries, Loropetalums, Carissa Holly, and many more.

Name: Boxwood 'Wintergreen' Botanical: Buxus macrophylla Size: 4-5' H x 4-5' W Exposure: Full Sun or Light Shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome dark green foliage sheers well into various shapes. Excellent foundation shrub or hedge. Companions:

Name: Boxwood 'Harlandi Dwarf' Botanical: Buxus Size: 2-3' H x 2-3' W - Ca be maintained at 18" H x 18" W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Bloom Color: None Growth Rate: Moderate Water Needs: Low to moderate Features: Handsome dark green foliage sheers well to form low hedge. This boxwood has shown itself to be very hardy in our area. Companions: Harbour Dwarf Nandina, Stella De Oro Daylilies, low growing Junipers

Name: Camellia Japonicas - Spring Flowering Botanical: Camellia Size: 5'+ H x 4'+W Exposure: Sun or Afternoon Shade Bloom Color: Red's, Pink's, White's, and Bi-Colors Bloom Time: Late January to early April Water Needs: Low Features: Outstanding large flowers are produced in abundance from late January thru March. Very handsome dark green glossy foliage is evergreen. Can be used in foundation plantings or in islands. A must in every southern garden. Companions: Azaleas and other plants that prefer afternoon shade.

Name: Camelia Sasanquas - Fall Blooming Botanical: Camellia Size: 5'+ H x 5'+ W Exposure: Sun or Afternoon Shade Bloom Color: Red's, Pink's, White's, Bi-colors Bloom Time: Fall Water Needs: Low Features: Double or single flowers are produced in abundance in fall. Handsome dark green evergreen foliage. Useful as espalier (against a wall), in islands, or as a specimen. Excellent for tree-forming. A must in southern gardens. Companions: Many varieties of Camelias are available at the nursery - too many to name!

Name: Cleyera Botanical: Ternstroemia Size: 8-10' H x 5-6' W Exposure: Full Sun or Afternoon Shade Foliage Color: New growth is red, burgundy, or orange Growth Rate: Fast Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome glossy evergreen foliage on this upright rounded shrub. New growth is red to orange.Excellent foundation plant in or on the corners, or under high windows. Excellent as a small tree specimen. Companions: Dwarf Yaupon, Junipers, Crimson Pigmy Barberry, Soft Touch Holly, Cotoneaster,Gold Mound Spirea, and other small leaved shrubs.

Name: Cryptomeria "Dwarf Global' Botanical: Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' Size: 5' H x 5' W Exposure: Full Sun or Part Shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low Features: Very attractive soft-textured foliage on this unique evergreen shrub. Excellent foundation plant that can be used to accentuate entryways. Also useful as a specimen in the landscape or evergreen accent in the perennial garden. Companions: Soft Touch Holly, Loropetalums, Harbour Dwarf Nandinas, Big Blue or Variegated Liriope, Stella De Oro Daylily, and many other low growing plants.

Name: Holly 'Carissa' Botanical: Ilex Size: 4' H x 5' W Exposure: Full Sun or Afternoon Shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low Features: A fast growing hardy, evergreen shrub that never needs pruning! Perhaps the best foundation shrub available. Tolerates extreme cold or heat. Very drought tolerant. Companions: Dwarf Yaupon, Junipers, Dwarf Abelias, Variegated Pittosporum, Ornamental Grasses, Loropetalums, just to name a few! A Wilson Bros. Favorite!

Name: Holly 'Compacta' Botanical: Ilex crenata Size: 4-5' H x 4-5' W Exposure: Full Sun or Part Shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low once established Features: Dense shrub most often used as a foundation plant or to form a hedge. Sheers well into various shapes. Often confused with Boxwoods. Companions: Carissa Holly, Dwarf Burfordi Holly, Junipers, Nandinas, Ornamental Grasses, Aborvitaes, to name a few.

Name: Holly 'Dwarf Burfordi' Botanical: Ilex Size: 5-6' H x 5-6' W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Bloom Color: White, inconspicuous Bloom Time: Spring, follwed by a large crop of red berries if not pruned Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome, glossy dark green foliage on this rounded, mounding evergreen. Loaded with red berries in Winter! Excellent foundaion plant or hedge. Makes an excellent small tree-form specimen. Very hardy. Companions: Dwarf Yaupon, Junipers, Ableias, Sprieas, Pampas Grass, SOft Touch Holly, and many more.

Name: Holly - Dwarf Yaupon 'Bordeaux' Botanical: Ilex vomitoria Size: 4' H x 5' W Exposure: Full Sun is preferred Foliage Color: Grey-green with wine-red new growth Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Tolerates dry or damp soil Features: A very hardy and dense mounding evergreen shrub. Excellent as a foundation plant, a hedge, or grouped in islands. Sheers well but pruning is not necessary. Companions: Carissa Holly, Dwarf Indian Hawthorne, Gardenias, Junipers, Ornamental Grasses, and many many more. This shrub os used to being out the texture of plants around it,

Name: Holly 'Soft Touch' Botanical: Ilex crenata Size: 2-3' H x 3-4' W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Bloom Color: None Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low once established Features: The texture of this low mounding shrub is soft to the touch and to the eye. An excellent foundation plant. Also useful in islands, or as a low hedge. An excellent plant for contrast. Companions: Carissa Holly, Indian Hawthorne, Otto Luyken Laurel, Ornamental Grasses, Barberries, Loropetalums, Knockout Roses, Nandinas, Japanese Maples, and many more!

Name: Holly 'Fosteri' Botanical: Ilex attenuata Size: 10-20' H x 6-10' W Exposure: Full Sun or Part Shade Berry Color: Dark red Berry Time: Winter Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome gray-green foliage on this fast growing, uptight, conical-shaped holly. An excellent corner plant or small evergreen tree. Lots of red berries in winter! Companions: Carissa Holly, Dwarf Burfordi Holly, indian Hathorne, Loropetalums, Otto Luyken Laurel, Cleyra and many many more.

Name: Holly 'Nelli Stephens' Botanical: Ilex Size: 10-20' H x 8-10' W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Berry Color: Red Berry Time: Large red berries in winter Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome dark blue-green foliage on this most popular tall growing pyramidal holly. Excellent on the corners of two story homes or buildings, as a screen, or a specimen in islands. Companions: Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Indian Hawthorne, Junipers, Ornamental Grasses, and other screen plants such as Carolina Sapphire Cypress, Cryptomeria, Magnolias.

Name: Holly 'Weeping Yaupon' Botanical: Ilex vomitoria Size: 10-20' H Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Berry Color: Red Berry Time: A massive crop of small red beries in winter Water Needs: Tolerates dry or damp soils Features: The weeping habit of this yaupon adds plenty of personality to to the landscape. Let it weep to the ground or limb it up as a tree form. Excellent corner plant, screen, or tree-form specimen. Lots of red berries in winter! Companions: Carissa Holly, Indian Hawthorne, Miss Huff Lantana, Junipers, Barberries, Loropetalums, Ornamental Grasses, and many more.

Name: Indian Hawthorne 'Eleanor Tabor' Botanical: Raphiolepis Size: 3-4' H x 5-6' W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Bloom Color: Pink Bloom Time: Spring and sometimes Fall Water Needs: Very low once established Features: Compact evergreen shrub produces masses of pink flowers in Spring. An excellent substitute for Azaleas in full sun situations. Useful as a foundation shrub, grouped in sunny islands, or as a low hedge. Companions: Abelias, Crimson Pigmy Barberry, Soft Touch Holly, other Hollies, Junipers, Ornamental Grasses, Loropetalums, Yucca, Weeping Yaupon, and many more.

Name: Indian Hawthorne 'Snow' Botanical: Raphiolepis Size: 3' H x 5-6' W Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade Bloom Color: White Bloom Time: Spring and sometimes Fall Water Needs: Very low once established Features: Dense, mounding evergreen shrub becomes covered in masses of white flowers in Spring. An excellent substitute for Azaleas in full sun situations. Useful as a foundation shrub, grouped in sunny islands, or as a low hedge. Drought tolerant. Companions: Abelias, Crimson Pigmy Barberry, Soft Touch Holly and other Hollies, Junipers, Ornamental Grasses, Loropetalums, Yucca, Weeping Yaupon, and many more.

Name: Juniper 'Bar Harbor' Botanical: Juniperus wiltoni Size: 4-6" H x 4-6' W Exposure: Full Sun Foliage Color : Blue-green to blue-burgundy in winter Spacing: 3-5' apart Water Needs: Low Features: Fast growing groundhugging Juniper excellent for use on embankments or as a groundcover in the borders of islands or foundation plantings. Much faster growing that Blue Rug. Companions: Use as a groundcover around Hollies, Junipers, Spireas, Abelias. Lantanas, Barberries, Loropetalums, and many many more. Also good for underplant small trees such as Crape Myrtles and Japanese Maples.

Name: Juniper 'Blue Point' Botanical: Juniperus chinensis Size: 8-9' H x 4-5' W Exposure: Full Sun Foliage Color: Blue Bloom Time: None Water Needs: Low Features: Handsome blue evergreen foliage on this upright pyramidal Juniper. Useful as a cornerplant in foundation plantings or between two windows, or as a screen or specimen. Good shrub to decorate for Christmas. Companions: Carissa Holly, Indian Hawthorne, Barberries, Spireas, Daisy Gardenia, Abelias, Ornamental Grasses, and many more.

Name: Juniper 'Blue Rug' Botanical: Juniperus horizontalis