Carex: Grass-like and adaptable to shade or part shade, Carex offers year-round interest with varieties like 'Everillo' and 'Everest,' featuring lime green and golden foliage or pretty white markings.
Spirea: Tolerant of various soils and conditions, Spireas are fast-growing flowering shrubs available in dwarf varieties like Little Bonnie or Double Play series, suitable for foundation plantings in Zones 4-8.
Catmint: A tough perennial, Catmint blooms for months with minimal care, attracting pollinators and deer-resistant, making it an ideal choice for middle or front border plantings in Zones 5-9.
Abelia: With colorful variegated foliage and attractive mounding shape, Abelia hybrids like 'Miss Lemon' and 'Kaleidoscope' bloom profusely, attracting pollinators while being deer-resistant, suitable for Zones 5-9.
Daylily: Tough and adaptable, Daylilies thrive in poor soils and come in various colors and sizes, making them a favorite in Zones 3-9, although they benefit from light afternoon shade in hot climates.
Agapanthus: Also known as lily of the Nile, Agapanthus features evergreen leaves and beautiful blue, purple, or white blooms, attracting hummingbirds and bees, perfect for group plantings at the front of borders.
Panicle Hydrangea: Reliable bloomers, Panicle hydrangeas flower on new growth and are heat and sun tolerant, with varieties like 'Limelight' suitable even for Zone 9, making them ideal for foundation plantings.
Boxwood: Evergreen and deer-resistant, Boxwoods are classic shrubs available in various cultivars and sizes, such as 'Baby Gem' and 'Sprinter,' suitable for shaping or leaving natural in Zones 5-9.