31 Stunning Driveway Border Plants to Enhance Curb Charm
Your driveway is more than just a path for your car. It’s an opportunity to upgrade your home’s curb appeal.
The right driveway border plants can beautifully frame your home, define the driveway’s edges, and add color and texture to what might otherwise be a plain concrete or asphalt surface.
This guide combines practical and attractive plant ideas for driveway borders, taking into account factors such as height, spread, seasonal interest, and hardiness.
With thoughtful plant selection, your driveway can become an eye-catching landscape feature that complements your home’s architecture.
Best Plants to Make Your Driveway Stylish
Let’s go through some fantastic plant options to make your driveway borders more attractive. These choices can change your entrance while adding personality to your home’s exterior.
1. Lavender
Lavender creates a stunning driveway border with its silver-gray foliage and purple flower spikes. Beyond visual appeal, it releases a calming scent when brushed against or in warm weather.
This Mediterranean native thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, requiring minimal watering once established.
Plant lavender varieties like ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’ for compact growth that won’t encroach on your driveway.
2. Boxwood
These classic evergreen shrubs provide structure and formality to driveway borders. Their dense, small leaves form precise edges that can be shaped into clean lines or more elaborate forms.
Dwarf varieties like ‘Green Velvet’ or ‘Winter Gem’ stay manageable without constant pruning. Boxwoods offer year-round interest and pair well with flowering perennials for seasonal color.
3. Dwarf Fountain Grass
This ornamental grass brings movement and texture to driveway edges.
Growing in neat clumps 2-3 feet tall, its arching blades dance in the slightest breeze. In late summer, feathery plumes emerge above the foliage, creating visual interest into winter.
The compact size makes it perfect for borders without overwhelming the space or blocking sightlines.
4. Creeping Thyme
This ground-hugging perennial forms a dense mat of tiny aromatic leaves just 2-4 inches tall. When in bloom, it creates a carpet of small purple, pink or white flowers that attract pollinators.
Tough enough to handle light foot traffic, creeping thyme works beautifully between pavers or spilling over driveway edges.
Once established, it’s drought-tolerant and releases a pleasant scent when stepped on.
5. Daylilies
These carefree perennials produce trumpet-shaped blooms in nearly every color except true blue. Different varieties bloom from early summer to fall, allowing for months of changing color.
Their arching, strap-like foliage forms neat clumps that stay attractive even when not flowering. Daylilies tolerate road salt, exhaust and poor soil conditions that challenge many other flowering plants.
6. Sedum
With fleshy leaves that store water, sedums thrive in the hot, dry conditions often found along driveways.
Low-growing varieties like ‘Dragon’s Blood’ form tight carpets of colorful foliage, while taller types like ‘Autumn Joy’ provide vertical interest with large flower heads that change from pink to rusty-red.
These plants attract butterflies while requiring almost no maintenance.
7. Dwarf Mugo Pine
This compact evergreen brings year-round structure to driveway borders. Its dense, dark green needles form a rounded mound that typically stays under 4 feet tall.
Unlike many conifers, dwarf mugo pine grows slowly, requiring minimal pruning to maintain its shape.
It easily handles poor soil, drought, and winter salt spray, making it ideal for challenging driveway conditions.
8. Russian Sage
Standing 3-4 feet tall, Russian sage creates a cloud of silver-blue color along driveway borders. Its delicate, aromatic foliage is topped with lavender-blue flower spikes from midsummer into fall.
The plant’s airy structure allows it to blend beautifully with more structured neighbors while creating movement in the landscape.
Once established, it is extremely drought-tolerant and thrives in hot, sunny locations.
9. Liriope
Often called monkey grass, liriope forms tidy clumps of grass-like, arching foliage. In late summer, spikes of purple or white flowers emerge, followed by black berries that persist into winter.
Available in green or variegated forms, it maintains its appearance year-round in warmer climates.
This tough plant handles shade, drought, poor soil and neglect while still looking organized and fresh.
10. Hydrangea
For a more dramatic driveway border, hydrangeas offer large flower clusters in blue, pink, white, or green, depending on the variety and soil pH.
Compact varieties like ‘Little Lime’ or ‘Bobo’ stay under 3 feet tall, making them suitable for driveway edges without blocking visibility.
Their broad, leafy form creates a lush look while their long bloom period provides months of changing color.
11. Japanese Forest Grass
This shade-loving ornamental grass brings stylish texture to driveway borders beneath trees or on north-facing sides.
Its cascading foliage comes in varieties with gold, cream, or white stripes that brighten dim areas. Growing 12-18 inches tall, it forms gentle mounds that spill over edging.
Japanese Forest Grass moves gracefully in light breezes, adding kinetic interest while requiring minimal maintenance once established.
12. Lamb’s Ear
Known for its incredibly soft, fuzzy silvery-gray leaves, Lamb’s Ear creates a tactile experience along driveways.
The velvety foliage forms low rosettes 6-8 inches tall that spread to create a unified ground cover. Tall purple flower spikes appear in summer, though many gardeners remove them to focus on the distinctive foliage.
This drought-tolerant plant thrives in poor soil and handles harsh conditions with ease.
13. Juniper
These versatile evergreens offer varieties perfect for any driveway border situation.
Low-growing types like ‘Blue Rug’ spread horizontally with blue-green needles that hug the ground at just 6 inches tall.
Their dense growth prevents weeds while requiring almost no maintenance. Juniper tolerates drought, poor soil, and road salt, maintaining good looks through all seasons with no deadheading or cutting back.
14. Ornamental Onion
Adding unexpected drama, ornamental onions (Allium) produce perfect spheres of tiny star-shaped flowers on tall, slender stems.
These architectural plants emerge from strap-like foliage that often goes dormant after blooming. Depending on the variety, their heights range from 8 inches to 4 feet.
Plant them among other perennials to hide the fading foliage while showcasing the distinctive blooms, which dry beautifully in place.
15. Black-Eyed Susan
These cheerful native flowers bring golden-yellow daisy-like blooms with distinctive dark centers to driveway borders.
Flowering from midsummer into fall, they provide long-lasting color when many other perennials have finished blooming.
Growing 2-3 feet tall, they create a meadow-like appearance that attracts butterflies and other pollinators. Their drought tolerance and adaptability to poor soil make them practical choices.
16. Yucca
For dramatic architectural impact, yuccas bring bold structure to driveway plantings. Their sword-shaped leaves form symmetrical rosettes that maintain interest year-round.
In summer, tall spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rise impressively above the foliage.
Varieties like ‘Color Guard’ offer green and yellow striped leaves for additional visual interest. These plants thrive in hot, dry locations where many others struggle.
17. Coneflower
These native perennials offer months of colorful blooms with distinctive raised centers that give them their name.
Beyond the classic purple, newer varieties bring pink, white, yellow, orange and even green flowers to driveway borders.
Growing 2-3 feet tall, their strong stems resist flopping even in heavy rain. Seed heads provide winter interest and food for birds, while their deep roots help them survive drought.
18. Hosta
Perfect for shaded driveway borders, hostas offer remarkable diversity in leaf size, shape, color, and texture.
From tiny 6-inch mounds to massive 3-foot specimens, there’s a hosta for every space.
Blue, green, gold, and variegated varieties create visual interest even without flowers, though their lily-like blooms on tall stems attract hummingbirds.
These low-maintenance plants bring lush beauty to challenging shady spots.
19. Maiden Grass
Creating vertical interest, Maiden Grass forms upright clumps of arching blades that reach 4-6 feet tall.
In late summer, silky plumes appear above the foliage, catching morning light beautifully. Fall brings rich copper-bronze color that persists through winter for multi-season appeal.
This grass maintains a distinct vase-shaped form that provides structure without blocking sightlines at driveway intersections.
20. Shasta Daisy
These classic perennials bring cheerful white flowers with golden centers to driveway borders from early summer through fall.
Their upright stems grow 2-3 feet tall and hold flowers above neat mounds of glossy green foliage. Newer varieties offer double or frilled petals for added interest.
Shasta daisies make excellent cut flowers while continuing to bloom abundantly in the garden, creating a fresh, timeless look along driveways.
21. Dianthus
Also known as pinks, Dianthus creates a low carpet of blue-green foliage topped with delicately fringed flowers in shades of pink, red, and white.
Their spicy clove fragrance makes them perfect along driveways, where their scent can be enjoyed when arriving home.
Most varieties stay under 12 inches tall, forming neat mounds that define driveway edges without encroaching on the driving surface.
Their drought tolerance and preference for lean soil make them low-maintenance choices.
22. Ajuga
This rapid-spreading ground cover solves erosion problems on driveway slopes while adding visual interest.
Its glossy, often purple-tinged leaves form a dense mat just 4-6 inches tall that effectively smothers weeds.
In spring, short spikes of blue, purple, or white flowers rise above the foliage. Varieties like ‘Black Scallop’ offer nearly black leaves for dramatic contrast against lighter plants or hardscaping materials.
23. Artemisia
Prized for its silvery foliage, Artemisia brings a cooling visual effect to hot driveway borders. Varieties range from low-growing ‘Silver Mound’ at 12 inches to taller ‘Silver King’ reaching 3 feet.
Their finely cut, aromatic leaves add beautiful texture and contrast when planted near darker green companions.
These plants thrive in hot, dry conditions and poor soil, asking little while contributing distinctive beauty to the landscape.
24. Bearberry
This native ground cover excels in poor, sandy soil where many plants struggle. Its small, glossy leaves form a dense carpet that turns bronzy-red in fall. Tiny pink spring flowers develop into bright red berries that persist through winter.
Growing just 6-12 inches tall but spreading several feet wide, bearberry provides year-round interest while requiring almost no maintenance once established.
It’s particularly effective spilling over retaining walls along elevated driveways.
25. Cotoneaster
With a graceful arching habit, Cotoneaster creates elegant drapery along driveway borders. Its small, glossy leaves densely cover fine branches that can spread horizontally or cascade over walls.
Tiny pink flowers in spring develop into bright red berries that persist through winter, attracting birds.
Varieties range from 2-foot spreaders to taller forms, all offering multi-season appeal and excellent drought tolerance once established.
26. Stonecrop
These succulent perennials thrive in the challenging conditions often found along driveways. Their fleshy leaves store water, allowing them to handle extended dry periods with ease.
Available in an array of forms from tiny creepers to upright 2-foot plants, stonecrops offer diverse foliage colors including blue-green, burgundy, gold, and variegated patterns.
Many produce star-shaped flowers in summer that attract butterflies and other pollinators.
27. Switchgrass
This native prairie grass brings an airy texture and multi-season interest to driveway plantings. Growing 3-5 feet tall, it forms upright clumps with delicate seed heads that create a cloud-like effect above the foliage.
Fall brings spectacular color ranging from gold to burgundy, depending on the variety.
Switchgrass maintains its structure through winter, providing visual interest during the bleakest months before being cut back in early spring.
28. Snow in Summer
True to its name, this ground cover creates a blanket of pristine white flowers in late spring to early summer.
Its silver-gray foliage forms a low mat just 6-8 inches tall that contrasts beautifully with the landscape’s darker elements.
This plant excels in poor, dry soil and handles heat reflection from driveways with ease. When not in bloom, its distinctive foliage continues to add visual interest along borders.
29. Coral Bells
These versatile perennials offer some of the most colorful foliage available for driveway borders. Their rounded, often ruffled leaves come in shades ranging from deep burgundy to caramel, purple, silver and chartreuse.
Growing 8-12 inches tall, they form neat mounds topped with airy sprays of tiny bell-shaped flowers on slender stems.
New varieties offer improved heat and drought tolerance, making them practical choices for high-visibility locations.
30. Blue Fescue
This compact ornamental grass forms perfect round tufts of blue-gray foliage that add cool color and distinctive texture to driveway borders.
Growing just 8-12 inches tall, it creates rhythm when planted in series along an edge. Its color pairs beautifully with both warm-toned hardscaping materials and flowering companions.
Blue fescue thrives in well-draining soil and full sun, handling drought with minimal fuss once established.
31. Creeping Phlox
In spring, this low-growing perennial transforms driveway borders with a vibrant carpet of star-shaped flowers in pink, purple, white, or blue.
Growing just 4-6 inches tall but spreading up to 2 feet wide, it effectively covers ground while cascading beautifully over retaining walls or curbing.
Its needle-like evergreen foliage maintains interest even when not in bloom. Plant different colors together for a rainbow effect, or use a single shade for dramatic impact.
Conclusion
Your driveway doesn’t have to be just functional; it can be a stunning part of your landscape with the right border plants.
Whether you prefer the lavender’s fragrance, the architectural beauty of yucca or the cascading effect of creeping phlox, there’s a perfect plant for your specific conditions.
Start small if you’re feeling overwhelmed even adding just one type of plant along your driveway edge can make a dramatic difference in your home’s curb appeal and create a more welcoming entrance.
