Put This Plant by Your Front Door for Good Luck

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Good first impressions, in all areas of life, are essential. That's why your home's curb appeal matters so much, whether you're welcoming first-time visitors or prepping it to list for sale. A modern mailbox and cheerful landscaping contribute, but your front door is arguably the most important factor. Along with the right front door paint color (which can also boost your home’s value), front door plants give your home's exterior a bit of personality and make it feel inviting. Putting plants around your front door doesn't have to be a huge undertaking by any means. Sometimes all you need is a pair of box planters or a luscious hanging vine. Front door plants are also easy to swap out as the seasons change, so don't worry about being stuck with a plant you don't like anymore.

As with any gardening decision, it’s important to gauge how much sunlight your front door area gets throughout the day. If there's full sun for more than a few hours (ideally four to six hours a day), you'll do best with full-sun plants; we recommend something colorful and hardy, like a miniature bush, petunias, or even a citrus tree or small vegetable. Sun-loving herbs like lavender and aromatic flowers are nice choices too since they greet guests with a beautiful scent. For a shadier area, choose trailing ivy vines or a plant that can thrive in a low-light setting.

Whether you prefer bursting flower boxes or a structured hedge, you'll find inspiration here. Ahead, find the best front door plants and tips to keep them thriving.

Dwarf Radicans Gardenia

Growing best outdoors in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 10, this dwarf gardenia is great for small spaces. Whether planted in a low container or as a border along either side of your front door, this petite plant gives you the same bright blooms and fragrance as standard gardenia bushes. Since it's a slow grower, we recommend purchasing a mature plant rather than growing it from seed.

2.5 Qt - Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja Occidentalis)

Arborvitae are popular landscaping plants due to their stately appearance and the privacy they offer when planted in a row. But they make great container plants too. A pair of them can look column-like and architecture framing your front door, which can really elevate a more traditional exterior. These plants can be a bit tricky to care for—luckily, we have a growing guide that tells you everything you need to know to keep yours looking lush.

Star Jasmine

If your front door has a lot of negative or unused space around it, opt for a climbing vine or bush that can grow quickly to fill in the gaps. Star jasmine not only has a quaint, cottagecore look, but its sweet-smelling, miniature blooms will delight you and your guests. Plus, this plant is evergreen. It blooms only in the spring, but the stunning green leaves keep their color all winter.

Hawaiian Dwarf Umbrella Tree

This umbrella tree is a great pick for a wider porch or landing where it has plenty of space to spread out. Preferring high sun and only occasional watering (Rooted recommends twice a month or every other week), this tree is easy to care for and doesn't require any finicky maintenance.

Napa Home & Garden Thyme Topiary 13"

Perfect for minimalists, this delicate topiary makes an impact without taking up too much space. The thyme leaves not only offer an herbaceous scent, but they're perfect to pluck off when a recipe calls for a pinch.

Faux Potted Mini Japanese Maple Tree

Whether you lack a green thumb or are looking for a front door plant with the lowest possible maintenance needs, opt for realistic faux greenery to spruce up your front door. This artificial Japanese maple is beautiful and totally hands-off.

Alder & Oak Star Jasmine Potted Plant

Structured and simple, a potted jasmine plant is great for those who worry about climbing vines and flowers taking over their front porch. This variety does need occasional pruning, but it's fairly low-maintenance otherwise.

Large Dracaena Lemon Lime Tree

This dracaena gets its name from its vibrant leaves in the colors of citrus fruit, so it's perfect for adding a tropical touch to your decor—and it doesn't need a tropical climate to thrive. It's also a great pick to add height and much-needed texture to your entryway.

Bamboo Palm

Bamboo is said to symbolize good luck and abundance, so it's the perfect front door plant to greet your guests. While traditional bamboo plants are smaller in stature (and notoriously invasive), this potted bamboo palm brings good luck on a larger scale.

Glacier English Ivy - Hedera - 4" Pot - Easy to Grow, Indoors

If you're looking for a trailing plant to frame your front door—whether you plan to hang it, set it atop a stand, or let it grow upward from a pot or a window box—English ivy is a great choice. It's ideal for a shady entrance too, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Wintergreen Boxwood 2.5 Qt, 1 Gallon, Green Foliage

Keep it classic with a pair of boxwood topiaries. They can be short and bushy, tall and narrow, or pruned into decorative shapes (you often see them cut into spirals!). As a bonus, they're low-maintenance and do well in cold weather, according to Gardening Know How.

Outsidepride Petunia Multiflora Veined - 500 Seeds

If your front door gets a lot of sun, petunias are a colorful option. Fill a window box with them, let them trail down from a hanging planter, or put them in pots around your front door or lining your steps. Just remember to water and dead head them regularly.

Bird of Paradise Strelitzia Reginae Live Plant

Give your entrance a tropical vibe with a bird-of-paradise plant. They can grow in sun or shade, although if you get an orange bird-of-paradise, you'll want to put it in direct sunlight to really bring out the color of the blooms, according to Costa Farms. If you live in an area with cold winters, make sure to bring it inside.

Tradescantia zebrina 5 Rooted cuttings

This low-maintenance plant is another good trailing option, and according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, it's best for a shadier spot. But make sure it's not too shady, as Bloomscape notes its colorful stripes will fade without enough light.

Meyer Lemon Tree

No, you don't need a huge backyard to grow a lemon tree or an orange tree—you can actually grow one right next to your front door (or even inside, if you wish!). Just put it in a sunny spot that's sheltered from the wind, and bring it indoors for the winter.

Boston Fern in 10-in Hanging Basket 2-Pack

Keep the soil of these dramatic ferns damp most of the time, and they'll thrive wherever you put them—indoors or outdoors—so long as they get enough shade, according to Costa Farms. You can use them to make a statement in standing planters around your front door or hang them around the porch in true Southern style.

Funky Red Begonia

Another stunning flowering option? Wax begonia, which blooms in pink, red, and white, is an adaptable plant that can handle partial sun or shade—just keep it out of full sun, according to Costa Farms. Plant these flowers in an oversize pot or a window box, and they'll give your front door a striking burst of color.

Peruvian Apple Cactus

If you're lucky enough to live in a hot, sunny climate, a cactus will do just great by your front door. They love the heat, and you don't have to water them very often. Just make sure you pot yours in a planter with good drainage, according to Costa Farms.

19 oz. Lavender, Live Plant, 2-Pack

If you're looking to add subtle color to your home's entrance, look no further than lavender. This deliciously fragrant plant will greet your guests with its eye-catching violet petals and calming scent.

Coleus, Watermelon

The fuchsia centers of this plant's leaves make them as striking as flowers but easier to care for. Coleus thrives in cool environments and well-draining soil with just the right amount of moisture. Don't overwater it, and it'll keep your front door looking bright.

Exquisite Hydrangea Seedlings for Potted Plants and Yard Planting - 2Plants - Add Elegance and Beauty to Your Garden (Colorful)

Nothing adds color to a yard (or says summer) like hydrangeas. The bushes love water, especially when they're in direct sun on a hot day, Bloomscape plant expert Lindsey Pangborn says. It's best to check recently planted hydrangeas daily to see if they need watering. "Once they're established, they only need to be watered during long periods of hot, dry weather," she says.

Spartan Juniper Spiral Topiary

Common in Tuscany, cypress trees can thrive in direct sun or partial shade, according to Gardening Know How. The soil also needs to be high in acidity to encourage plant growth. To keep its curvy shape, a spiral topiary needs to be pruned at least twice a year.

Sarah Bernhardt Peony Bush

Peonies, perhaps the most Instagrammable flowers, need lots of sunlight and good air circulation. Another pro tip? Use a metal support cage to help them grow.

Astilbe Roots - Diamant

This feathery plant blooms in late spring in shades of pink and white. Just don't pick it if you have a very sunny front porch: Direct sunlight will burn the leaves, according to Almanac. It likes moderate indirect sunlight and moist soil (mix it with compost for the best results).

Zinnia - California Giant Flower Seeds Mix

Zinnias are a great choice for container gardening since they grow quickly from seedlings. They bloom in the spring season and need moist soil. To keep them going all summer, cut off the flowers after they fade; another will bloom in its place, according to Almanac.

2 Gal. New River Purple Bougainvillea Vine on Trellis

Ideally, you want to grow bougainvillea in warm temperatures, but if not, container planting can work, according to Gardening How To. Water your plant only when the soil is dry or the flowers begin to wilt, and prune any dead leaves or branches when you see them.

3 Gal. Little Gem Southern Magnolia Tree

You don't have to grow a full-scale tree to enjoy magnolia flowers. A magnolia bush will bloom white, pink, or purple flowers, just like its larger cousin. It needs full or partial sunlight and a mix of composite fertilizer to thrive, recommends Garden Guides.

Double Knock Out Rose Bush

With its vivid color and intoxicating scent, a rose bush is an ideal front door plant. Here's the recipe for perfect roses: "Choose a planting spot with full sun, at least six hours per day. Water well, then every other day as needed. Add mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds," says Layci Gragnani, rose program manager for Star Roses and Plants.

Agave Americana - Blue Agave

For an agave plant to thrive, it needs direct sunlight for most of the day (at least six to eight hours, according to our friends at Bloomscape). It's best suited for warm and dry climates and needs watering only when the soil is completely dry.

Snake Plant 'Zeylanica'

You're probably used to seeing snake plants indoors, but this low-maintenance plant can also grow outside. Similar to the agave plant, it needs direct sunlight and water only when the soil is dry.

Harlem Pink Flowering Oriental Poppy

You can grow poppy flowers in no time simply by planting a few seeds in soil in a planter. They come in a rainbow of colors and need to be watered only once a week to stay in shape.

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