The strip of yard between your front porch and the sidewalk does more work than any other part of your landscape. It's the first thing visitors see and the part of your yard that needs to look good in every season — including the 5 months of Minnesota winter when everything else goes brown.
Here are 12 foundation plants that actually work in Twin Cities yards. All Zone 4 hardy, all under 6 feet at maturity, all reliable.
Evergreen Structure (4 picks)
1. Green Mountain Boxwood
The hardiest boxwood for Minnesota. Pyramidal habit, holds its color through winter. 4–5 feet tall × 2–3 feet wide. Perfect flanking a front door.
2. Hetz Midget Arborvitae
A true dwarf globe-form arborvitae. Stays under 4 feet without pruning. Soft green texture all winter.
3. Pumila Dwarf Norway Spruce
A mounded dwarf spruce that grows about an inch a year. 2–3 feet tall × 4–5 feet wide. Bulletproof winter color.
4. Golden Mop False Cypress
Brilliant gold threadleaf foliage that holds color year-round. 3–4 feet tall × 4–5 feet wide. A pop of color when everything else is bare.
Flowering Shrubs (4 picks)
5. Annabelle Hydrangea
The most foolproof hydrangea in Minnesota. Huge white snowball blooms June through August. 3–5 feet tall and wide. Blooms on new growth so winter doesn't kill the flowers.
6. Dwarf Korean Lilac
Fragrant lavender-pink blooms in May, compact mounded habit. 4–6 feet tall × 5–7 feet wide. The lilac for tight spaces.
7. Bloomerang Dark Purple Lilac
Reblooming lilac — spring flush plus a second round in late summer. Deep purple fragrant flowers. 4–6 feet tall.
8. Wine and Roses Weigela
Burgundy foliage all summer, rose-pink trumpet flowers in June. 4–5 feet tall × 4–5 feet wide. Maximum impact, minimum work.
Perennial Anchors (4 picks)
9. Little Bluestem
Native Minnesota grass with blue summer foliage and copper fall color. 2–4 feet tall. Holds shape through winter.
10. Autumn Fire Sedum
Improved Autumn Joy with stronger stems and deeper red fall flowers. 18–24 inches tall. Pollinator magnet.
11. Adam's Needle Yucca
Sword-shaped evergreen foliage, dramatic flower spike in July. 2–3 feet of foliage with 6-foot bloom stalks. Native and tough.
12. Halo Violet Viola
True perennial pansy that blooms May through October. Compact 6–8 inch mound. Great at the front edge of foundation beds.
How to combine them
The classic foundation arrangement: evergreen anchors at the corners (Green Mountain Boxwood or Pumila Spruce), flowering shrubs in the middle (Annabelle or Bloomerang), perennial fillers between (Sedum and Bluestem), and low groundcovers at the front edge (Halo Viola).
Order any of these from our Foundation Plants collection. Every plant is Minnesota-tested. Add the optional Plant Survival Warranty at checkout for first-winter coverage. Delivered to your yard in 2–4 business days.