Our 10 Best Dwarf Shrubs and Perennials for Landscaping

When space comes at a premium in your landscape, choosing dwarf shrubs and perennials that will stay in bounds is essential. We’ll show you ten of our top recommendations here to help you pick the right plant for the right place the first time.

5 BEST DWARF PERENNIALS

Fruit Punch® pinks (Dianthus)

Perfect for adding a bright punch of color to the front of the garden in late spring to early summer, Fruit Punch pinks produce a plethora of fragrant, mini carnation-like flowers above the blue-green, grassy textured foliage. Since they only spread about one foot and are short, densely mounded plants, they are a perfect fit for gardens where space is limited. Shear them back after their first flush of blooms and you’ll see more in early fall. Hardy in zones 4-9, best in full sun and well-drained soil.

Dolce® coral bells (Heuchera)

Coral bells range in size from tight, densely mounding plants to larger, fluffy clumps with sizable leaves. For smaller gardens and containers, choose the more compact Dolce varieties. They won’t overtake their neighbors or hide other plants with their evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage. You’ll get all the color impact of larger varieties of coral bells but in a smaller package. Some, like ‘Silver Gumdrop’ and ‘Spearmint’, produce vibrant pink flowers. Hardy in zones 4-9, best in part shade but grows in sun or shade.

Dwarf varieties of hosta

Even more so than coral bells, hostas range drastically in size from those that could fit in the palm of your hand to those that spread six feet across. Dwarf varieties like ‘Mini Skirt’ and ‘Munchkin Fire’ are best displayed in containers or tucked in tight spots between rocks or other plants at the front of the border in the shade. Be sure to check sizing carefully before you buy if you need dwarf plants that will work in a small space. Bonus: deer often pass dwarf hostas up in favor of larger, taller specimens. Hardy in zones 3-9, best in morning sun to full shade.

Leading Lady and Pardon My varieties of bee balm (Monarda)

Growing plants for pollinators is still achievable if you garden in a small space. The trick is to mass several of the same kind of flowers together to create more of a draw for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The Leading Lady and Pardon My series of bee balm are less than knee high but spread up to 28 inches across. Mix a few different varieties together to create a tapestry of pink, purple and red flowers in a sunny to partly sunny spot in the front to middle of your landscape. All are hardy in zones 4-8, though the 10-14” tall Leading Lady varieties stay a bit shorter than the 14-18” tall Pardon My series.

‘Cat’s Pajamas’ catmint (Nepeta)

Traditional catmint often spreads far too wide for small landscapes, but dwarf ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ forms a neatly rounded ball that measures 12-14” tall and 18-20” wide. This dwarf selection makes a perfect complement to coneflowers, yarrow and salvia in perennial gardens. The fuzzy, silvery green foliage becomes covered in periwinkle blue blossoms that pollinating bees and butterflies adore in early summer. A quick shearing of the plants after the blooms fade will result in a repeat performance in summer and fall. Hardy in zones 3-8, best in full sun and well-drained soil.

5 BEST DWARF SHRUBS

Lo & Behold® and Pugster® varieties of butterfly bush (Buddleia)

Along with bee balm, butterfly bush is one of the most reliable attractors of pollinating bees and butterflies. Choose the broadly mounded Lo & Behold and Pugster varieties if space is at a premium in your landscape. They’ll add a bit of height at 1.5-3’ tall, so plant them in the middle of a border or line them up to make a short hedge around an outdoor seating area. Note that butterfly bush needs well-drained soil to survive and thrive, which also makes it great for use on slopes. Hardy in zones 5-9, full sun required.

Dwarf hydrangeas

Hydrangeas range drastically in size, so pay close attention to their height and width when making your selection. Dwarf shrub varieties like the Wee Bit® series of bigleaf hydrangeas, Invincibelle Wee White® smooth hydrangea, Tiny Quick Fire® and Fire Light Tidbit® panicle hydrangeas will be the best fit for smaller garden spaces. They offer all the flower power of larger varieties but in a petite package. Even if you garden exclusively in containers, you can still enjoy hydrangeas when you choose dwarf varieties. Hardiness ranges by type, most thrive in part sun but tolerate shade.

Baby Kim® lilac (Syringa)

Did you know that lilacs come in small packages? Unlike the huge old-fashioned lilacs your grandmother might have grown, dwarf lilacs like Baby Kim offer the classic lilac fragrance you love but on a plant that only grows 2-3’ tall and wide. Rich purple buds open to lavender purple flowers set against a backdrop of glossy, deep green foliage. Right after this shrub is finished blooming, shear it lightly all over and it’ll become a beautiful green backdrop for all your perennials for the remainder of the season. Hardy in zones 3-8, best in full sun. 

Anna’s Magic Ball® and Tater Tot® globe arborvitaes (Thuja)

Standing just 2-3’ tall and 3-4’ wide, Anna’s Magic Ball and Tater Tot globe arborvitaes make stately specimens in porch pots, can be used to mark the start of a path, or lined up as a short hedge. Little to no pruning will be needed to keep their tidy shape and since they are evergreen, they’ll retain that shape and color year-round. Unlike some evergreens that turn color in the winter, these two improved varieties resist winter burn. Hardy in zones 3-8, best in full sun to part sun.

Space-Saving Upright Evergreens

Upright evergreens have a place in smaller gardens, but narrow cultivars will feel the most in-scale in tighter spaces. Look for those that don’t grow too wide at the base like Sting® arborvitae, Thin Man® arborvitae, Stonehenge® yew, Stonehenge Skinny® yew and Glow Stick™ Japanese holly. They’ll offer the height you need but in a small footprint while remaining evergreen year-round. Planted en masse, they’ll make a great narrow hedge, or intersperse them throughout the landscape to add height where needed. Hardiness and sun/shade requirements vary by type.

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