These Front Door Plants Make for the Prettiest Entrance to Your Home (2024)

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!"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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 brilliant blooms.

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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.