Put This Plant by Your Front Door for Good Luck (2024)

As with any gardening decision, it’s important to gauge how much sunlight your front door area gets throughout the day. If there's full sun for more than a few hours (ideally four to six hours a day), you'll do best with full-sun plants; we recommend something colorful and hardy, like a miniature bush, petunias, or even a citrus tree or small vegetable. Sun-loving herbs like lavender and aromatic flowers are nice choices too since they greet guests with a beautiful scent. For a shadier area, choose trailing ivy vines or a plant that can thrive in a low-light setting.

Whether you prefer bursting flower boxes or a structured hedge, you'll find inspiration here. Ahead, find the best front door plants and tips to keep them thriving.

Growing best outdoors in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 10, dwarf gardenias are great for small spaces. Whether planted in a low container or as a border along either side of your front door, these petite plants give you the same bright blooms and fragrance as standard gardenia bushes. Since dwarf gardenia is a slow grower, we recommend purchasing a mature plant rather than growing it from seed.

Arborvitae are popular landscaping plants due to their stately appearance and the privacy they offer when planted in a row. But they make great container plants too. A pair of them can look column-like and architecture framing your front door, which can really elevate a more traditional exterior. These plants can be a bit tricky to care for—luckily, we have a growing guide that tells you everything you need to know to keep yours looking lush.

If your front door has a lot of negative or unused space around it, opt for a climbing vine or bush that can grow quickly to fill in the gaps. Star jasmine not only has a quaint, cottagecore look, but its sweet-smelling, miniature blooms will delight you and your guests. Plus, this plant is evergreen. It blooms only in the spring, but the stunning green leaves keep their color all winter.

Structured and simple, a potted jasmine plant is great for those who worry about climbing vines and flowers taking over their front porch. This variety does need occasional pruning, but it's fairly low-maintenance otherwise.

This umbrella tree is a great pick for a wider porch or landing where it has plenty of space to spread out. Preferring high sun and only occasional watering (Rooted recommends twice a month or every other week), this tree is easy to care for and doesn't require any finicky maintenance.

Perfect for minimalists, this delicate topiary makes an impact without taking up too much space. The thyme leaves not only offer an herbaceous scent, but they're perfect to pluck off when a recipe calls for a pinch.

Whether you lack a green thumb or are looking for a front door plant with the lowest possible maintenance needs, opt for realistic faux greenery to spruce up your front door. This artificial Japanese maple is beautiful and totally hands-off.

This dracaena gets its name from its vibrant leaves in the colors of citrus fruit, so it's perfect for adding a tropical touch to your decor—and it doesn't need a tropical climate to thrive. It's also a great pick to add height and much-needed texture to your entryway.

Bamboo is said to symbolize good luck and abundance, so it's the perfect front door plant to greet your guests. While traditional bamboo plants are smaller in stature (and notoriously invasive), this potted bamboo palm brings good luck on a larger scale.

If you're looking for a trailing plant to frame your front door—whether you plan to hang it, set it atop a stand, or let it grow upward from a pot or a window box—English ivy is a great choice. It's ideal for a shady entrance too, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Keep it classic with a pair of boxwood topiaries. They can be short and bushy, tall and narrow, or pruned into decorative shapes (you often see them cut into spirals!). As a bonus, they're low-maintenance and do well in cold weather, according to Gardening Know How.

If your front door gets a lot of sun, petunias are a colorful option. Fill a window box with them, let them trail down from a hanging planter, or put them in pots around your front door or lining your steps. Just remember to water and dead head them regularly.

Give your entrance a tropical vibe with a bird-of-paradise plant. They can grow in sun or shade, although if you get an orange bird-of-paradise, you'll want to put it in direct sunlight to really bring out the color of the blooms, according to Costa Farms. If you live in an area with cold winters, make sure to bring it inside.

This low-maintenance plant is another good trailing option, and according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, it's best for a shadier spot. But make sure it's not too shady. Bloomscape says its colorful stripes will fade without enough light.

No, you don't need a huge backyard to grow a lemon tree or an orange tree—you can actually grow one right next to your front door (or even inside, if you wish!). Just put it in a sunny spot that's sheltered from the wind, and bring it indoors for the winter.

Keep the soil of these dramatic ferns damp most of the time, and they'll thrive wherever you put them—indoors or outdoors—so long as they get enough shade, according to Costa Farms. You can use them to make a statement in standing planters around your front door or hang them around the porch in true Southern style.

Another stunning flowering option? Wax begonia, which blooms in pink, red, and white, is an adaptable plant that can handle partial sun or shade—just keep it out of full sun, according to Costa Farms. Plant these flowers in an oversize pot or a window box, and they'll give your front door a striking burst of color.

If you're lucky enough to live in a hot, sunny climate, a cactus will do just great by your front door. They love the heat, and you don't have to water them very often. Just make sure you pot yours in a planter with good drainage, according to Costa Farms.

If you're looking to add subtle color to your home's entrance, look no further than lavender. This deliciously fragrant plant will greet your guests with its eye-catching violet petals and calming scent.

The fuchsia centers of this plant's leaves make them as striking as flowers but easier to care for. Coleus thrives in cool environments and well-draining soil with just the right amount of moisture. Don't overwater it, and it'll keep your front door looking bright.