What Landscaping Goes Well With Stucco?

Trees

• Most trees prefer slightly acidic soil, but a few species tolerate alkaline sites. These include catalpas, or Catalpa spp. The southern catalpa, or C. bignonioides, grows to 40 feet tall with a 30-foot spread and produces long panicles of white, bell-shaped flowers in summer. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9 and prefers sun to partial shade and a variety of soils. Northern catalpa, or C. bignonioides, is hardy in zones 4 to 8 and grows to 70 feet with a 40-foot spread. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil and tolerates heat and drought. The Austrian pine, or Pinus nigra, tolerates alkaline soil, drought and heat. Hardy in zones 4 to 7, these evergreens grow to 60 feet tall with 40-foot spreads. They prefer full sun and tolerate a range of soils. Austrian pines have dark-green needles and a low canopy.

Shrubs

• Sites within 3 to 5 feet of a foundation tend to receive less moisture, so shrubs planted along your stucco building must tolerate both alkaline soil and dry soil.

  The spice bush, or Lindera benzoin, prefers alkaline soils. This deciduous shrub grows slowly from 6 to 12 feet tall with a slightly narrower spread. It prefers sun to partial shade and tolerates moist to dry soils. Spice bushes are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. They have fragrant foliage and produce bright red, aromatic berries in fall. The glossy abelia, or Abelia grandiflora, grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and blooms with white-to-pink flowers from summer through late fall. It has lustrous, dark, semi-evergreen foliage. Glossy abelias tolerate drought and severe pruning. They are hardy in zones 6 to 9 and grow well in sun to partial shade and well-drained to dry soil.

Ground Covers

• Choose alkaline-tolerant ground covers to fill in empty spots near your stucco building. If you're planting ground covers among shrubs, choose species that tolerate some shade. Ajuga, or Ajuga reptans, grows well in shaded sites with alkaline, sandy, well-draining soil. This 4-inch-tall, spreading evergreen is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and blooms with purple-to-blue flowers in spring. It has lustrous green foliage that grows in rosettes. Cranberry cotoneaster, or Cotoneaster apiculatus, also tolerates alkaline sites. This evergreen grows to 3 feet tall and spreads to 6 feet wide. It is hardy in zones 4 to 7 and tolerates drought, salt, slopes and a range of soils. Cranberry cotoneaster produces pink blossoms in summer, followed by bright red berries in fall.

Perennials

• Add color to your stucco landscape with perennial flowers that live and bloom for at least three years. Plant species that bloom at different times during the growing season for constant color. Alkaline-tolerant species include basket-of-gold, or Aurinia saxatilis, which blooms in early spring with yellow and light orange flowers. It prefers full sun and well-drained, rocky soil. This spreading perennial grows to 1 foot tall and is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7. Pinks, or Dianthus spp., bloom from spring through summer with pink and white blossoms. This alkaline-tolerant perennial grows from 6 to 24 inches tall and is hardy in zones 4 to 9. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun. Bee balm, or Monarda didyma, blooms through summer with bright red, pink, purple and white flowers. It prefers full sun to partial shade and moist soil and tolerates alkaline sites. Hardy in zones 4 to 9, this 4-foot-tall perennial attract pollinators.