The Top 29 Edging Plants to Enhance Your Garden

go_auto

When it comes to creating a beautiful and polished garden, incorporating edging plants is a key element. Edging plants not only define the borders of your garden beds, but they also add visual interest, texture, and color. Whether youâ€™re looking for low-growing plants to frame your pathways or tall varieties to create a dramatic backdrop, there are countless options to choose from. To help you narrow down your choices, weâ€™ve rounded up 29 of the best edging plants to enhance your garden.

Low-Growing Edging Plants

Liriope (Liriope spp.): Liriope, also known as border grass, is a popular choice for edging due to its grass-like foliage and small, purple, or white flowers.
Dianthus (Dianthus spp.): Dianthus, commonly known as pinks or carnations, are compact, low-growing perennials with colorful, fragrant flowers.
Phlox (Phlox subulata): Phlox, also referred to as creeping phlox, forms a dense mat of flowers in various shades of pink, purple, and white, making it an ideal edging plant for sunny spots.
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum): This aromatic herb produces a carpet of tiny, delicate flowers and is perfect for creating a low-maintenance, fragrant border.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): With its vibrant, chartreuse foliage, creeping Jenny adds a burst of color and a trailing effect along garden edges.
Sedum (Sedum spp.): Low-growing sedums, such as Sedum ternatum and Sedum spurium, offer succulent foliage and clusters of star-shaped flowers for a unique edging option.
Ajuga (Ajuga reptans): Also known as bugleweed, ajuga features colorful foliage and spikes of blue, pink, or white flowers, making it a versatile choice for edging.
Rockcress (Arabis spp.): This evergreen perennial produces masses of tiny white or pink flowers and is well-suited for edging rock gardens and borders.
Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia): Bergenia, also called elephantâ€™s ears, boasts large, leathery leaves and produces clusters of pink or white flowers, adding an architectural element to garden edges.
Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus): Mondo grass forms dense clumps of grass-like foliage and is a versatile choice for edging due to its low maintenance requirements.

Tall Edging Plants

Boxwood (Buxus spp.): Boxwoods are classic choices for formal garden edging, providing year-round structure and greenery.
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum spp.): Ornamental grasses like fountain grass add height and movement to garden borders, with their graceful, arching plumes.
Salvia (Salvia spp.): Tall varieties of salvia, such as Salvia nemorosa and Salvia splendens, feature spikes of vibrant flowers that attract pollinators and add vertical interest to garden edges.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia): With its feathery foliage and lavender-blue flowers, Russian sage creates a soft, airy border that pairs well with a variety of other plants.
Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri): Gaura, also known as wandflower, produces long, wispy stems topped with delicate, butterfly-like flowers, making it a graceful addition to garden edges.
Phlox Paniculata (Phlox paniculata): Tall garden phlox offers clusters of fragrant, colorful flowers on sturdy stems, adding a bold splash of color to the borders of your garden.
Aster (Aster spp.): Asters are late-blooming perennials that provide a burst of color in the fall and are popular for adding height to the back of flower beds.
Catmint (Nepeta faassenii): Catmint features airy spikes of lavender-blue flowers and aromatic foliage, making it a great choice for edging and attracting pollinators.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Yarrow produces flat-topped clusters of flowers in a range of colors and adds a cottage-garden charm to garden borders.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea): Commonly known as coneflowers, these tall perennials offer bold, daisy-like flowers that attract butterflies and pollinators while adding height to garden edges.

Evergreen Edging Plants

Ivy (Hedera spp.): Ivy is a versatile evergreen for creating a lush, cascading border along walls, fences, and garden edges.
Euonymus (Euonymus spp.): Euonymus varieties, such as â€˜Emerald Gaietyâ€™ and â€˜Emerald â€™n Goldâ€™, offer variegated foliage and dense growth, adding dynamic texture to garden borders.
Hebe (Hebe spp.): Hebes are compact evergreen shrubs that produce colorful foliage and flowers, making them a great choice for low-maintenance garden edging.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens): This creeping, evergreen ground cover offers glossy, red berries and adds year-round interest to garden borders.
Juniper (Juniperus spp.): Junipers are hardy evergreen shrubs that come in a variety of sizes and shapes, making them versatile options for defining garden edges.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Rosemaryâ€™s aromatic foliage and delicate blue flowers make it a great choice for edging herb gardens and sunny borders.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.): Lavenderâ€™s fragrant foliage and colorful flowers add a sensory element to garden edges while providing evergreen structure.
Oregano (Origanum spp.): Oregano is a low-growing herb with aromatic foliage and small, pink flowers that can be used to create a functional and attractive garden edge.
Box Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida): This dense, evergreen shrub offers small, glossy leaves and can be sheared into a neat, formal border along garden edges.

When selecting edging plants for your garden, consider factors such as sun exposure, soil type, and maintenance requirements to ensure the best fit for your landscaping needs. By incorporating a mix of low-growing, tall, and evergreen edging plants, you can create a dynamic and visually pleasing border that enhances the overall appeal of your garden. With the right combination of edging plants, you can transform your outdoor space into a well-defined and cohesive landscape thatâ€™s sure to impress.