If you are searching for a decorative plant that is suitable for hedges and borders, Sunshine Ligustrum is an excellent choice.
It’s a sterile cultivar with a non-invasive nature and golden foliage that lights up the space.
More importantly, it pairs well with other ornamental plants to create a festival of colors without putting you out with excessive maintenance and care.
Sunshine Ligustrum doesn’t seed or bloom. It does well in Zones 6 to 10 although in Zone 6 it can be semi deciduous. It grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet in width.
Since it requires full sun, it’s easy to find companion plants that compliment it without overshadowing its lustrous foliage. Here are the top Sunshine Ligustrum companion plants.
1. Hibiscus
This cultivar is hardy to zones 9 to 11. It’s renowned for its striking foliage and large flowers. However, the flowering is infrequent. It needs full sun to retain its delightful colors.
In the fall, the plant will shed off its foliage until the next spring. Thanks to its compact habit, you can grow it in containers as long as it gets 6 to 8 hours of full sun each day during the spring and summer.
- Mature Size: 4 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
- Flowering: Summer with brightly colored flowers
- Key Features: Upright habit, tolerates heat, attracts birds, resists deer
- Popular Varieties: Panama Red, China Rose
Find out all you need to know about keeping hibiscus healthy bloom in our article here.
2. Loropetalum
Besides its vibrant colors, this plant can be an excellent ground cover or shrub, depending on the variety.
It’s compact in size and has a weeping habit which combined with a fast growth rate makes it an excellent choice for any drab spots in the garden that need some extra color.
It can tolerate both full sun and partial shade and is hardy to Zones 7 to 10. It can survive cold temperatures between 0 to 10℉ and doesn’t shed its leaves in the fall.
- Mature Size: 1-2 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide (depending on variety)
- Flowering: Spring with purple flowers
- Key Features: Resists deer and pests, reblooms, purple foliage
- Popular Varieties: Purple Pixie Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum, Chinese Fringe Flower
3. Colocasia
The leaves of this plant are puckered and some varieties are chocolate or black in color. Both of these unique features make it a popular plant in different settings.
It’s hardy to Zones 8 to 11 and requires either full sun or partial shade. The deciduous plant sheds its leaves in the fall.
You can grow it in containers or in the garden. It has a clumping habit which adds to its ornamental value.
- Mature Size: 3-4 feet tall and wide
- Flowering: None
- Key Features: Clumping and spreading habits
- Popular Varieties: Black Ripple, Hawaiian Punch, Black Magic
4. Banana Plant
An ideal addition to a tropical garden, the banana plant does well both as a border plant or in a container. The plant favors sunny spots although it can thrive in partial shade.
Plant it in Zones 9 to 12 where it prospers in high temperatures and humidity. The young leaves often have red spots on a green background.
It has a low tolerance for temperatures below 20℉ and sheds its leaves in the fall.
- Mature Size: Depends on variety
- Flowering: None
- Key Features: Dwarf plant with a clumping habit
- Popular Varieties: Poquito Banana Plant
5. Cordyline
This is an evergreen plant with brightly colored arching leaves that works both as a companion plant or a standalone plant.
It also pairs well with succulents thanks to its splash of color and compact size. Plant it in Zones 8 to 11 either in full sun or partial shade.
It can tolerate temperatures as low as 10℉ but only for small spells. Additionally, it doesn’t need much watering and is easy to maintain.
- Mature Size: 3 feet tall and wide
- Flowering: None
- Key Features: Compact, resists deer and diseases, easy to maintain
- Popular Varieties: Design-a-Line, Red Sister
6. Nandina
This bamboo has pointed green leaves that favors shade or partial shade. It’s ideal for Zones 6 to 10, and its compact size makes it suitable for small places as well as containers.
The evergreen bamboo doesn’t like sunlight and can tolerate temperatures as cold as -10℉. Plant it as a border plant and take advantage of its bright colors.
- Mature Size: 3-4 tall and wide
- Flowering: None
- Key Features: Dwarf plant with compact structure, resists deer, flower clusters that produce red berries
- Popular Varieties: Lemon Lime, Firepower, Obsession
7. Mahonia
A staple of many shade gardens, this cultivar has bamboo-like foliage. Since it flowers in the winter, your garden will have more colors when all other plants have gone dormant.
Plant it in a shady or partially shady spot in Zones 7 to 9. The evergreen plant is tolerant to cold spells and temperatures as low as 10℉. It doesn’t need much watering or fertilizing.
- Mature Size: Depends on variety
- Flowering: Winter with yellow flowers
- Key Features: Compact habit, resists pests, attracts birds and butterflies
- Popular Varieties: Soft Caress, Orange Flame
8. Barberry
Barberry shrubs are appreciated for their easy care requirements and adaptability to a wide array of growing conditions.
With pretty flowers and eye-catching fall foliage, these shrubs will provide year-round interest.
Full sun or partial shade conditions will work well, and with occasional pruning, they’ll quickly form an attractive hedge when planted in a row.
- Mature Size: Depends on variety
- Flowering: Clusters of yellow or orange flowers in spring
- Key Features: Striking foliage colors, some have thorns, some produce fall berries
- Popular Varieties: Japanese Barberry, Rose Glow, Tiny Gold, Wintergreen
9. Carex Grass
This showy grass is ideal for containers, borders as well as ground cover. It favors full shade or partial shade and grows well in zones 5 to 9.
The evergreen grass has cascading leaves and colorful foliage. It can tolerate temperatures between -10 and -20℉. Water requirements are low, and the plant can be fertilized once every spring.
- Mature Size: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
- Flowering: None
- Key Features: Compact, deer resistant, easy to care for
- Popular Varieties: Everillo, Feather Falls, Appalachica
Conclusion
Sunshine Ligustrum is a showy ornamental plant that dazzles with its colorful foliage alone. It doesn’t bloom or seed and is easy to care for.
You can pair it with other ornamental plants of the same height, size, and light requirements.