Soft Shrubs That Help Foundation

Slopes and Rocky Soil

• Certain needled evergreen foundation shrubs have soft, feathery foliage, are ideal for planting on slopes and thrive in rocky soil. Creeping juniper “Mother Lode” (Juniperus horizontalis “Mother Lode”) helps control soil erosion in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. A ground cover that grows 4 to 6 inches tall by 8 to 10 feet wide, it features brilliant-gold foliage. Russian arbor-vitae (Microbiota decussata) is good shade-tolerant substitute for ground-covering junipers, has fan-like foliage and grows 6 inches to 1 1/2 feet tall by 10 inches to 1 foot wide USDA zones 3 through 7.

Tall Shrubs

• While most soft shrubs are short, these needled evergreens grow up to 12 or 13 feet tall. Japanese falsecypress “Boulevard” (Chamaecyparis pisifera “Boulevard”) slowly grows about 12 feet tall – 5 to 6 feet tall in 10 years – in USDA zones 4 through 8, but is amenable to pruning. Its foliage is silvery blue-grey. White spruce “Conica” (Picea glauca “Conica”) is a semi-dwarf variety that grows 10 to 13 feet tall in USDA zones 3 through 6. Its dense, bright-green foliage requires good air circulation.

Resists Deer and Rabbits

• Some soft, Eastern white pines make excellent foundation shrubs, and resist both deer and rabbits in USDA zones 3 through 8. The Nana Group of white pines puts out silvery blue-green needles and slowly grows between 2 to 7 feet tall – 2 feet tall after 10 years. They don’t perform well in polluted areas. “Macopin” is a variety of this group that grows 1 to 3 feet tall. It’s valued for its intermediate growth rate of 6 to 12 inches per year and prolifically producing small light brown cones. These Eastern white pines are considered invasive in some areas.

Suited to Urban Areas

• Air pollution won’t inhibit optimal growth for some soft, foundation shrubs. Juniper “Kallay’s Compact” controls soil erosion, and its medium-green needles release an aroma when crushed. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall in USDA zones 4 through 9. The American arborvitae “Ericoides” (Thuja occidentalis “Ericoides”) also tolerates clay soil and thrives planted near black walnut trees. It slowly grows 3 to 6 feet tall – about 3 feet tall in the first 10 years – in USDA zones 2 through 7 and puts out yellow-green foliage.