Best Full Sun Shrub Plants of 2026

Steven Taylor Avatar
Steven Taylor
Last Updated: Jan 31, 2026

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Full sun shrub plants are a great addition to any garden or landscape. These plants thrive in direct sunlight and require minimal maintenance, making them perfect for busy gardeners or those new to gardening. Some popular full sun shrub plants include the Butterfly Bush, which produces beautiful purple flowers and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and the Crape Myrtle, which produces stunning pink, red, or white flowers and can grow up to 20 feet tall. Other options include the Rose of Sharon, the Spirea, and the Hydrangea. With so many options to choose from, there is a full sun shrub plant for every garden.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty Cover #TOP 1
Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty
ftb score rating icon 9.8
Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria Shrub Cover #TOP 2
Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria Shrub
ftb score rating icon 9.7
Plants by Mail Emerald Green Arborvitae Shrub Cover #TOP 3
Plants by Mail Emerald Green Arborvitae Shrub
ftb score rating icon 9.5

Top 10 Full Sun Shrub Plants

#TOP 1

Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty

Autumn Royalty
Purple
1 Gal.
Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty Cover
Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty (1 Gallon) Azalea of The Year Purple Flowering Shrub - Full Sun Live Outdoor Rhododendron Plants

The Encore Azalea Autumn Royalty is a reblooming evergreen shrub that produces beautiful deep pink flowers and requires little pruning. It can be used as a focal point in yards and gardens and can attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. It is hardy in zones 6-10 and prefers partial shade for optimal blooms. This potted plant is shipped with soil from the Alabama Gulf Coast.

What We Like
Produces months of beauty instead of weeks
Requires little pruning
Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees
Hardy in zones 6-10
Ships as a potted plant with soil
#TOP 2

Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria Shrub

Pink
1 Gallon
Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria Shrub Cover
Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria (1 Gallon) Pink Flowering Shrub - Full Sun Live Outdoor Plant

The Encore Azalea Autumn Sangria is a vibrant, reblooming evergreen shrub that offers months of colorful beauty with large, deep pink flowers. This fast-growing plant can fill your garden with lush greenery and stunning blooms, making it perfect as a focal point or foundation in your yard. It attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees, adding life and charm to your outdoor space. You don’t have to worry about frequent pruning, as it needs very little to keep its shape and blooms well with light trimming after spring. This shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers acidic soil, making it easy to grow and maintain for most gardeners.

What We Like
Long blooming period
Large, vibrant flowers
Low maintenance pruning
Attracts pollinators
Fast-growing evergreen
#TOP 3

Plants by Mail Emerald Green Arborvitae Shrub

Green
2.5 Quart
Plants by Mail Emerald Green Arborvitae Shrub Cover
Emerald Green Arborvitae (2.5 Quart) Evergreen Shrub/Tree with Green Foliage - Full Sun to Part Shade Live Outdoor Plant

The Plants by Mail Emerald Arborvitae is a compact, upright shrub that grows in a narrow, column-like shape, making it perfect for creating privacy screens or hedges in your yard without needing much trimming. Its bright green leaves stay colorful all year, even through winter, adding consistent beauty to your outdoor space. This shrub is easy to care for, as it tolerates drought once it’s established, so you don’t have to worry about constant watering. Just make sure to water regularly when it’s young. It thrives best in full sun and grows well in colder climates, making it a versatile choice for many gardens.

What We Like
Compact columnar shape
Year-round vibrant foliage
Low maintenance
Drought tolerant
#TOP 4

Perfect Plants Frostproof Gardenia Live Plant

Frostproof
Frostproof Gardenia
1 Gallon Pot
Perfect Plants Frostproof Gardenia Live Plant Cover
Perfect Plants Frostproof Gardenia Live Plant, 1 Gallon Pot

The Perfect Plants Frostproof Gardenia is a 1 gallon live plant that comes with easy to use plant food. It features deep green spindle leaves with fragrant white flowers appearing every spring-summer. This gardenia shrub has a pleasant aroma during its blooming season which is refreshing and inviting. It prefers full sun exposure and partial shade throughout the day, making it perfect for planting in mulch beds along the front entryway or in fragrant gardens. It is easy to maintain in the landscape and no pruning is necessary to keep its shape. This gardenia is also deer resistant and will rely on rainfall for hydration.

What We Like
Healthy vibrant plants
Secure packaging
Fast delivery
Buds and blooms present
Excellent customer service
#TOP 5

Encore Azalea Autumn Fire

3 Gallon
Encore Azalea Autumn Fire Cover
Encore Azalea Autumn Fire (3 Gallon) Red Double Blooms Flowering Dwarf Evergreen Shrub - Full Sun Live Outdoor

Encore Azalea Autumn Fire is a reblooming evergreen shrub that will bring you months of beauty. With its deep red double blooms, this shrub is a stunning focal point in any yard or garden. It attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees, adding life and color to your outdoor space. One of the best things about Autumn Fire is that it requires little pruning and does not need to be deadheaded. This means less maintenance for you! It is hardy in zones 6a-10b and thrives in full sun. The Encore Autumn Fire is a potted plant that comes from the Alabama Gulf Coast, ready to bring beauty to your home.

What We Like
Reblooming
Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees
Low maintenance
#TOP 6

Encore Azalea Autumn Angel White Shrub

White
2 Gallon
Encore Azalea Autumn Angel White Shrub Cover
Encore Azalea Autumn Angel (2 Gallon) White Flowering Shrub - Full Sun Live Outdoor Plant - Evergreen Plants

The Encore Azalea Autumn Angel is a compact, reblooming evergreen shrub that brings months of white flowers to your garden, rather than just a few weeks. Its petite blooms attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees, adding life and color to your outdoor space across multiple seasons. This shrub stays manageable with minimal pruning, saving you time and effort, and only requires light trimming after spring blooms to encourage future growth. Hardy in zones 7-10, it thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers acidic soil. If you want a low-maintenance, beautiful plant that enhances your yard year-round, this Encore Azalea is a great choice.

What We Like
Reblooming flowers multiple seasons
Attracts pollinators
Low pruning needs
Compact size
Hardy in zones 7-10
#TOP 7

Lynwood Gold Forsythia Bush - Yellow Flowering Shrub

Lynwood Gold Forsythia Bush - Yellow Flowering Shrub Cover
Lynwood Gold Forsythia Bush - Yellow Flowering Shrub - Live Plant Shipped 2 Feet Tall by DAS Farms

The Lynwood Gold Forsythia Bush is a fast-growing deciduous shrub that blooms in spring. It can reach mature heights and widths of 8-10ft and prefers full to part sun with well-drained soil. The plant is shipped at 2 feet tall in trade gallon containers. Please note, California orders will be cancelled due to state regulations. The seller guarantees successful transplant for 30 days with proper care and the plant is guaranteed to leaf out in the spring if bought dormant in winter.

What We Like
Fast-growing shrub
Yellow flowering in spring
Guaranteed successful transplant and leaf-out
#TOP 8

Encore Azalea Autumn Ember Shrub

EA-512
Red,Orange
2 gal
Encore Azalea Autumn Ember Shrub Cover
Encore Azalea Autumn Embers (2 Gallon) Red - Orange Flowering Shrub - Full Sun Live Outdoor Plant

The Encore Azalea Autumn Ember is a vibrant shrub that brightens your garden with its bold orange-red flowers. Growing to about 3 feet tall and wide, it fits well in both small and large spaces, giving you flexibility in your garden design. This shrub is great for adding color to borders, foundations, or containers, and it also attracts butterflies and other pollinators, helping your garden thrive naturally. It prefers full to partial sunlight, needing at least 4-6 hours daily, and requires only light pruning after spring blooms to keep it healthy and blooming. This makes it a low-maintenance and colorful addition to your outdoor space.

What We Like
Bright orange-red blooms
Compact, manageable size
Attracts butterflies and pollinators
Thrives in full to partial sun
Minimal pruning needed
#TOP 9

Perfect Plants Sunshine Ligustrum Evergreen Shrub

Perfect Plants Sunshine Ligustrum Evergreen Shrub Cover
Perfect Plants Sunshine Ligustrum Shrub in 1 Gal. Grower's Pot | Evergreen Shrub with Stunning Vibrant Yellow Foliage

The Perfect Plants Sunshine Ligustrum is an evergreen shrub that brightens your garden with its vibrant golden-yellow leaves all year long. Since it doesn’t produce flowers, it’s an excellent choice if you or your family members suffer from allergies. This shrub is hardy and can survive cold weather down to -10°F, so you can enjoy its beauty through multiple seasons. Growing between 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, it works well as a hedge, border, or even in containers, giving you flexibility in how you use it in your outdoor space.

What We Like
Year-round vibrant color
Allergy-friendly, no blooms
Cold hardy to -10°F
Versatile size for landscaping
#TOP 10

Plants by Mail Chinese Snowball Viburnum Shrub

Plants by Mail Chinese Snowball Viburnum Shrub Cover
Chinese Snowball Viburnum (2.5 Quart) Flowering Semi-Evergreen Shrub with White Hydrangea-Like Blooms - Full to Part Sun Live Outdoor Plant

The Plants by Mail Snowball Viburnum is a beautiful flowering shrub that creates a stunning spring display with its large, white, pom-pom-like flower clusters. These blooms brighten your garden from late spring into early summer, changing color from lime green to white, adding an evolving touch of beauty. Growing 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, this shrub can serve as an eye-catching centerpiece, a natural hedge, or a lovely standalone plant. It thrives well in areas with full to partial sunlight, needing about 4 to 6 hours of sun daily, which helps it produce lush green leaves and plenty of flowers, making your outdoor space vibrant and inviting.

What We Like
Large, showy blooms
Extended flowering period
Attractive rounded shape
Thrives in sun to shade
Buying Guide Image
Editor's Notes

During our full sun shrub plant research, we found 24 full sun shrub plant products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 16,114 customer reviews through our big data system to write the full sun shrub plants list. We found that most customers choose full sun shrub plants with an average price of $25.56.

The full sun shrub plants are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of full sun shrub plants, including Encore Azalea, Plants by Mail, PERFECT PLANTS, DAS Farms. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 384 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.

Written by
Steven Taylor Avatar

Steven Taylor grew up in a small town called Beaufort in South Carolina and his passion for building and woodworking has led him to master the latest garden gadgets. He always holds every chance to patch up or sand down his beloved garden. There are various novel technologies in his articles.