Plant spacing chart: how many plants fit in 100 sq ft
Every plant in the planner dataset, with spacing, area per plant and plants per 100 sq ft. Data checked 2026-10-27.
Plant counts come from one number: the mature spread. Two plants at 1.5 ft spacing need 2.25 sq ft each, so a 100 sq ft bed takes about 44 of them if planted solid. The chart below applies that rule to all 68 taxa the planner uses.
The formula
area per plant = spacing² · plants per 100 sq ft = 100 ÷ spacing²
Example: 2 ft spacing → 4 sq ft per plant → 25 plants per 100 sq ft.
area per plant = spacing² · plants per 100 sq ft = 100 ÷ spacing²
Example: 2 ft spacing → 4 sq ft per plant → 25 plants per 100 sq ft.
Use the chart with your own bed area
- Measure the bed and multiply length × width for square feet (a 10 × 4 ft bed is 40 sq ft).
- Pick the plant and read its area per plant from the table.
- Divide bed area by area per plant. For a mixed bed, plan groups: 3–5 of one species reads better than one of each.
- Round up for edge plants and down for paths or specimen shrubs; leave room for the mature canopy of trees.
Why spacing by mature width, not pot size
A 1-gallon perennial may be 8 in wide at the nursery and 24 in wide in two years. Spacing by pot size gives an instant full look and a crowded bed by the second season; spacing by mature width looks sparse for one season and then fills in. The same applies to shrubs and small trees: the label spread is the number to use.
Common planning mistakes
- Using plant spread for a hedge when you want a tight screen: hedges are usually planted at 60–75% of mature spread on purpose. Decide the look first.
- Mixing sun needs inside one bed: the bed sits in one light zone, so a full-sun lavender and a shade hosta in the same 20 sq ft will fight.
- Forgetting the tree canopy: a 20 ft spread tree shades roughly a 20 ft circle at maturity, which changes what grows below it.
Spacing reference by plant type
Trees and focal plants
| Plant | Spacing (ft) | Area per plant (sq ft) | Plants per 100 sq ft | USDA zone | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf apple (on dwarfing rootstock) Malus domestica | 10 | 100 | 1.0 | 4–8 | full |
| Fig 'Chicago Hardy' Ficus carica | 10 | 100 | 1.0 | 6–10 | full |
| Crape myrtle (semi-dwarf) Lagerstroemia indica | 12 | 144 | 0.69 | 7–9 | full |
| Desert willow Chilopsis linearis | 15 | 225 | 0.44 | 7–10 | full |
| Japanese maple Acer palmatum | 15 | 225 | 0.44 | 5–8 | part / full |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis | 15 | 225 | 0.44 | 4–8 | full / part |
| White fringetree Chionanthus virginicus | 15 | 225 | 0.44 | 3–9 | full / part |
| Witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana | 15 | 225 | 0.44 | 3–8 | full / part / shade |
| Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | 20 | 400 | 0.25 | 4–9 | full / part |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | 20 | 400 | 0.25 | 5–9 | part |
| Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia | 20 | 400 | 0.25 | 3–7 | part / shade |
Shrubs and large grasses
| Plant | Spacing (ft) | Area per plant (sq ft) | Plants per 100 sq ft | USDA zone | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' Calamagrostis × acutiflora | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 5–9 | full / part |
| Adam's needle yucca Yucca filamentosa | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 4–10 | full / part |
| Boxwood 'Green Velvet' Buxus 'Green Velvet' | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 5–8 | full / part / shade |
| Dwarf fothergilla Fothergilla gardenii | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 5–8 | full / part |
| Pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 6–10 | full / part |
| Rhubarb Rheum rhabarbarum | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 8–10 | full |
| Shrub rose 'Knock Out' Rosa 'Radrazz' | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 5–9 | full |
| Switchgrass Panicum virgatum | 3 | 9 | 11.1 | 5–9 | full / part |
| Azalea (evergreen) Rhododendron spp. | 4 | 16 | 6.3 | 6–9 | part |
| Inkberry holly Ilex glabra | 4 | 16 | 6.3 | 5–9 | full / part / shade |
| Panicle hydrangea (compact form) Hydrangea paniculata | 4 | 16 | 6.3 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle' Hydrangea arborescens | 4 | 16 | 6.3 | 3–9 | part / shade |
| Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica | 4 | 16 | 6.3 | 5–9 | full / part / shade |
| Highbush blueberry (needs acidic soil) Vaccinium corymbosum | 5 | 25 | 4.0 | 4–7 | full / part |
| Mugo pine (dwarf) Pinus mugo | 5 | 25 | 4.0 | 3–7 | full |
| Texas sage Leucophyllum frutescens | 5 | 25 | 4.0 | 8–10 | full |
| Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum | 6 | 36 | 2.8 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low' Rhus aromatica | 6 | 36 | 2.8 | 3–9 | full / part |
Perennials and fillers
| Plant | Spacing (ft) | Area per plant (sq ft) | Plants per 100 sq ft | USDA zone | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anise hyssop Agastache foeniculum | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–8 | full / part |
| Asparagus Asparagus officinalis | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–8 | full |
| Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' Rudbeckia fulgida | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–9 | full / part |
| Blanket flower Gaillardia × grandiflora | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–10 | full |
| Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | full |
| Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | part / shade |
| Coral bells Heuchera americana | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–9 | part / shade |
| Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Japanese forest grass Hakonechloa macra | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 5–9 | part / shade |
| Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–8 | part / shade |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | full |
| Meadow sage 'May Night' Salvia nemorosa | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–8 | full |
| Oregano Origanum vulgare | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 5–9 | full |
| Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | full |
| Yarrow Achillea millefolium | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | full |
| Autumn sage Salvia greggii | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 7–10 | full |
| Catmint Nepeta × faassenii | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Cranesbill 'Rozanne' Geranium 'Gerwat' | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 5–8 | full / part |
| English lavender Lavandula angustifolia | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 5–8 | full |
| Garden sage Salvia officinalis | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 5–8 | full |
| Hosta Hosta spp. | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 3–8 | part / shade |
| Prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 3–9 | full |
| Prickly pear Opuntia humifusa | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 4–9 | full |
| Siberian iris Iris sibirica | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 3–9 | full / part |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | 2 | 4 | 25.0 | 3–9 | full / part |
Edges, groundcover and herbs
| Plant | Spacing (ft) | Area per plant (sq ft) | Plants per 100 sq ft | USDA zone | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny spurge Pachysandra procumbens | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 5–9 | part / shade |
| Chives Allium schoenoprasum | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 3–9 | full / part |
| Creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 4–8 | full |
| Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 4–9 | part / shade |
| Garden thyme Thymus vulgaris | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 5–9 | full |
| Lilyturf Liriope muscari | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 6–10 | part / shade / full |
| Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 3–8 | part / shade |
| Autumn moor grass Sesleria autumnalis | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 5–9 | full / part |
| Lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–8 | full / part |
| Moss phlox Phlox subulata | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 3–9 | full / part |
| Strawberry (June-bearing or everbearing) Fragaria × ananassa | 1.5 | 2 | 44.4 | 4–9 | full |
| Creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis | 5 | 25 | 4.0 | 3–9 | full |
FAQ
What spacing do I use for perennials?
Use the mature spread on the plant label, not the pot size. A perennial that reaches 18 in across needs about 1.5 ft between centres.
How many plants do I need for a bed?
Bed area ÷ area per plant. A 10 ft × 4 ft bed is 40 sq ft; at 1.5 ft spacing each plant takes 2.25 sq ft, so 40 ÷ 2.25 ≈ 17 plants if planted solid.
Why does the chart use mature width?
Because plants grow. Spacing at planting time looks full for one season and then crowds; spacing by mature width keeps airflow and reduces disease and replanting.