Line pathways or outline planting beds with these beautiful edging plants for either sunny or shady areas.
Edging plants help create a crisp, finished look to garden beds.
Edging Plants for Sun
Boxwood
One of the most elegant evergreenedging plants is boxwood.
Credit: Ed Gohlich
Boxwood varieties vary in hardiness but generally will grow in Zones 4-8.
Daylily
Graceful mounds of green foliage makedaylily a solid landscaping edging plantfor spring through fall.
Choose from varieties in shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink.
Credit: Gabriela Herman
Most are hardy in Zones 3-10.
Lady’s Mantle
This beautiful perennial produces tidy mounds of scallop-shape green leaves.
This low-growing plant makes for an elegant edging plant in Zones 4-7.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
This herb is hardy in Zones 5-10 and evergreen in warmer areas.
Harvest the purple, blue, or white flowers for bouquets or drying.
Moss Rose
Dry conditions and hot sun don’t faze long-bloomingmoss rose.
Credit: Blaine Moats
An annual with jewel-tone flowers, this beauty expands rapidly to create a colorful mat of flowers and foliage.
Growing just 6 inches tall, it’s perfect for edging beds of low-growing plants.
This perennial holds up well to heat and drought.
Credit: Laurie Black
Most sedum varieties are hardy in Zones 3-10, and the flowers attract pollinators.
Thrift
This pretty perennial produces tidy mounds of grassy foliage.
Shorter, dwarf varieties or seed mixes such as ‘Thumbelina’ or ‘Short Stuff’ make colorful edging plants.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
This drought-tolerant perennial’s tidy shape makes it a good choice for landscape edging.
Flower colors include white, pink, and red.
Many varieties have attractive foliage that turns bronzy in autumn.
Credit: Richard Hirneisen
Thistough plant also is drought-tolerantand hardy in Zones 5-9.
Many varieties stand less than 12 inches tall, making them well-suited as an edging plant.
Coleus
This annual’s colorful foliage will wake up a sleepy shade garden.
Credit: David Speer
Manycoleus cultivarsand color combinations are available.
(Some also will grow in the sun.)
Pinch these fast-growing plants back to maintain the best height for edging your garden bed.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Choose low-growing types for the front of a garden bed.
Hellebore
Leathery evergreen foliage and late-winter or early-spring flowers are thehallmarks of hellebores.
Hint: Plant several of the same variety for consistent edging plants.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Hellebore is hardy in Zones 4-9.
This tough perennial grows in dry conditions and a variety of soils in Zones 4-9.
Also calledHakone grass, this perennial makes a tough, drought-tolerant plant for landscaping edging in Zones 5-9.
Credit: Karlis Grants
Wands of small, purple flowers punctuate the grasslike, evergreen foliage during the summer in Zones 4-10.
Look for variegated varieties for an extra splash of color.
1. verify to consider mature size.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Match the plant to your light.
Before you pick your edging plants, assess theamount of sunlight your space gets.
Full-sun plants will perform best if the sun shines directly for eight or more hours a day.
Credit: Denny Schrock
A uniform look helps convey a more orderly aesthetic.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Credit: Matthew Benson
Credit: Richard Hirneisen
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Julie Maris Semarco
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Doug Hetherington
