These Front Door Plants Make for the Prettiest Entrance to Your Home

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Creating the warmest, most sophisticated welcome to your home starts right at your front door. Because one of the prettiest—and definitely most delightful—ways to greet guests is with inviting front door plants, we asked our neighbors, friends, and a plant professional to share their choice picks. The result is this comprehensive list of best front door plant ideas that includes classics like ferns, topiaries, and boxwoods, as well as some surprising suggestions, from climbing vines to herbs.

Besides inherent natural beauty, there are a number of factors to consider before picking the perfect front door plant. Ask yourself: What's my ideal level of maintenance? Are there beloved plants in my other outdoor garden spaces that make ideal front door plants, either all year round or for certain seasons? Am I giving my plants the right plant fertilizer? How much sunlight reaches my front door? According to Grant Beuter, Vice President of Training & Sales at Moon Valley Nurseries, "People need to put in plants they love and ensure the plant is going to thrive in their setting, whether it be full sun, partial sun or full shade." Also, take a look at your overall gardening plan (walkway border plants and flowering shrubs in your beds, for example) in relation to your home to achieve the most pleasing plant mix.

Whether it's a pair of containers flanking your front door, a cluster of pots spilling down your porch steps, or one single statement-making planter, all the plant inspiration you need for a sophisticated entrance starts here. And remember, as Beuter says, "It’s your house—do what you love!"

American Boxwood Shrub

A pair of gently rounded boxwoods flanking a front door—is there anything more stately or classic? And don't tell the neighbors, but boxwoods are easy, too. They do great in pots and require very little maintenance besides a few snips every now and then. If your planter allows, fill in around the perimeter with pansies in the fall or petunias in the summer. "Boxwoods are very dense and hardy plants," says Grant Beuter, Vice President of Training & Sales at Moon Valley Nurseries. "These make amazing options for any front door, entryway or patio because of their ability to be shaped and sculpted in a variety of shapes and sizes."

Hibiscus Tree

For a bold pop against a white or blue exterior, this red tropical hibiscus tree works in just about any location if potted. Cut back branches by late spring for bigger, more brillaint blooms.

Polka Dot Begonia

This plant is trending and for good reason. Its heart-shaped leaves have a deep red underside and front-facing unique spots that appear painted on. Although typically grown as a houseplant, it will thrive in warmer southern areas.

Hydrangea

Whether planted directly in the ground or placed in large pots on your porch, this summer-blooming shrub is an undeniable classic. Now available in a wide range of colors, pick one that works with your home's exterior.

Petunias

The happiest of blooms, petunias come in a rainbow of colors. We love the buttery yellow for the happiest welcome.

Olive Tree

Best planted in a small container, olive trees can be put in the ground after they reach a few feet in height. A terra cotta pot is an ideal vessel for these sweet-smelling plants. "Olive trees are great for entryways and open areas," says Grant Beuter, Vice President of Training & Sales at Moon Valley Nurseries. "They come in both a fruiting and fruitless variety, giving a consumer more choice in what fits their lifestyle."

Coleus

With a wide range of color options—from bright neons to deep, saturated hues—there's a coleus to suit every taste.

Foxtail Fern

Ferns are classic front porch plants, but let us introduce you to the foxtail fern. Its needle-like fronds are reminiscent of (you guessed it) a fox's tail, and they perform well on covered porches. If properly cared for, mature foxtail ferns can last for years.

Gardenia Tree

For the most intoxicating fragrance, look no further than the white blooms of a gardenia. We love this potted topiary look for a front door or deck, although gardenias are a garden favorite as well.

Purple English Lavender

This easy-to-grow perennial doesn't mind the summer heat. For the front door, we love it mounded in the middle of a concrete or terra cotta planter with ivy cascading over the edges.

Black Magic Elephant Ear

With their oversize leaves and built-in mystique, elephant ear plants add a dramatic, tropical feel to any garden. We particularly love this Black Magic variety for its deep purple hue that really stands out when mixed with caladiums or coleus.

Majesty Palm

Palm trees by a front door say, "You have arrived." Place in a spot with indirect sun/partial shade for best results. These stunners will thrive indoors by a window, too.

Bougainvillea

Popular in California and other dry, hot climates, this dazzling vine puts on quite a show. Train it to grow around an arched entryway or on a wall near the door for a welcome to remember.

3-Ball Topiary

This slow-growing eugenia topiary requires little trimming maintenance but does require a sunny location. Flank a door with a pair of these in a larger entryway. A single shapely topiary on a smaller landing still makes an impressive statement. According to Grant Beuter at Moon Valley Nurseries, Spiral Junipers, Wax-leaf Privets, and Blue Point Junipers make for great topiary options as well. "These varieties work well on a porch or patio and can help frame a window or door," he says. "These also look great lined up side by side along a walkway and create a very inviting look."

Bird of Paradise

For an instant tropical feel, opt for a tall Bird of Paradise. According to Grant Beuter at Moon Valley Nurseries, they are currently a very popular pick. "The big green leaves and great height provide a lush and tropical feel," he says. "People are spending more time at home and making their homes like their own resort or getaway."

Tuscan Blue Rosemary Shrub

Wonderfully aromatic, rosemary of any kind makes for a pretty front door plant. We love this Tuscan Blue variety for its tiny purple blooms.

Sweet Potato Vine

Whether mixed with variegated coleus or other hot-hued annuals or even all on its own, sweet potato vine is an easy-to-grow plant that works well in front door containers, as well as window boxes and as ground cover. We like the idea of its chartreuse green leaves showing up in all three places for a bright trifecta of foliage.

Caladium

Just like coleus, caladium come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. We love the dainty pink of this Angel Wings plant with deep green edges and striking dark red veins.

Creeping Jenny

For a colorful front door planter, we love this bright chartreuse spiller mixed with variegated coleus, petunias, or marigolds. It really goes with anything!

Black-Eyed Susans

What better way to welcome guests than with happy gold blooms along a walkway. These perennial mounds will multiply in size year after year. Black-eyed Susans are mid-summer bloomers, so consider staggering with other flowering plants to ensure something is always putting on a show. We love how they pop against a dark gray or deep blue exterior.

Bay Laurel

Not only are the leaves of this plant fragrant and evergreen, but the leaves can be dried and used for cooking. This plant thrives in both planters and in the ground.

Purple Clematis

For a front door with posts or a pleasing arch, a perennial clematis vine is a showstopper. It is fast-growing, has impressive blooms, and comes back bigger and better every year.

Impatiens

If you've ever gardened, it's likely you've grown impatiens at least a time or two. With types that work in shade and in full sun, impatiens continue to produce vibrant blooms throughout the summer. Go all in with one color for a more formal look, or mix three or more shades for a casual vibe.

Herbs

Fresh herbs are beautiful—and useful, too! Consider a mix of lavender, oregano, sage (shown here), and rosemary mixed together or in with other plants. Place them by your front door so they're at the ready to snip for your favorite recipes when you need them.

Carolina Jasmine

For a front entrance (or porch or deck) with a half wall or posts, this fast-growing, part-sun vine's sunny yellow blooms will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Star Jasmine with (you guess it, star-shaped) white blooms is a pretty option, too. "Star Jasmine is a wonderful addition to a patio or entryway," says Grant Beuter, Vice President of Training & Sales at Moon Valley Nurseries. "Especially in late spring and early summer, the bright white flowers fill the entire entryway with a wonderful fragrance."

Pansies

Hardy pansies can handle intense summer heat. And that's just one reason we love them. Their soft texture and colorful petals work in a mixed container or as a stand-alone star.

Peggy Martin Rose

Also known as the Katrina rose in reference to its resilience during the 2005 hurricane, the Peggy Martin rose is a stunning pink climber that loves a trellis around an entryway. Planting in the ground is best.

Salvia

Sun-loving salvia is a hardy choice for front doors and walkways that get loads of light. Pair this perennial with other heat-tolerant plants like lantana.

Geranium

Classic red geraniums are a summer favorite. Their saturated color makes for a big impact in pots, window boxes, and for hanging, too.

Sago Palm

With its feather-like branches and pretty green color, the sago palm exudes instant tropical style. This low-maintenance tree likes indoors and out and brings a breezy vibe wherever it lives.

Dusty Miller

For a monochromatic planter teeming with texture, try a combination of Dusty Miller, lambs ear, variegated grass, and green-and-white ivy.

Calibrachoa

Go all in with a perfectly pink planter. Think fuchsia gaura, caladiums with pink and white, pink calibrachoa, all accented with vibrant sweet potato vine. It's like Palm Beach in planter form.

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