Top 7 Favorite Plants to Light in Pacific Northwest Landscapes

Top 7 Favorite Plants to Light in Pacific Northwest Landscapes

The Pacific Northwest is famous for its dramatic evergreens, sculptural maples, and lush, layered gardens. With so much natural beauty surrounding Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville, and the greater King County region, landscape lighting becomes less about simply illuminating a yard—and more about revealing the quiet luxury that already exists outside the home. At Northwest Outdoor Lighting, we use low-voltage LED lighting and our signature Sunset Tone to bring warmth, depth, and elegance to the plants that define PNW living. Whether you’re designing a wooded estate in Sammamish, a waterfront home on Lake Washington, or a modern courtyard in Medina, these seven plants consistently create the most breathtaking results when professionally lit. These examples are a starting point for a larger backyard and garden lighting design. The best results consider how trees, planting beds, walkways, and the view from inside the home, work together after dark.

1. Japanese Maple

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are among the most photographed and beloved plants in the PNW—and for good reason. Their branching structure, delicate leaves, and incredible seasonal color make them a stunning focal point after dark.

Why we love lighting them:

• Creates dramatic shadow play on walls and architecture

• Highlights the sculptural canopy with precise uplighting

• Offers year-round beauty, especially with Sunset Tone’s warm glow on red and green foliage

Japanese maples are featured in many of our award-winning projects, especially around courtyards, driveways, and front entries.

See how a Japanese maple becomes part of the layered garden lighting at our Lake Washington Villa on Mercer Island. For more ways to reveal a tree’s branching and seasonal color, explore our tree and canopy lighting gallery. 

(Photo provided by cobbtrees.net)

2. Evergreen Trees (Cedar, Douglas Firs, & Spruces)

Evergreens are the backbone of Pacific Northwest landscapes. Their towering height and layered textures provide an opportunity to create dramatic vertical lighting that adds scale and depth to a property.

Why we love lighting them:

• Creates a sense of privacy and perimeter definition

• Showcases the tall silhouettes common to PNW properties

• Beautiful when layered with pathway lights or architectural uplights

On large estates, we often use a combination of wide-beam uplights and soft grazing to highlight the trunks, canopy, and surrounding understory.

At the Wind & Tide Hillside Estate in Edmonds, warm uplighting brings depth to a grove of tall cedars while keeping the surrounding landscape softly lit.

3. Boxwoods & Shaped Shrubs

Boxwoods, laurels, and sculpted shrubs appear in many of the curated, design-forward homes we illuminate across Seattle and Bellevue. These structured plants elevate the landscape with clean lines and elegant symmetry.

Why we love lighting them:

• Modern, polished, and luxurious presentation

• Perfect for front entry lighting, courtyards, and formal garden areas

• Respond beautifully to the soft illumination of Sunset Tone

Boxwoods are also one of the most photographed elements in our driveway and front-entry galleries. See how we balance planting beds, walkways, and architecture in our front entry lighting gallery.

4. Rhododendrons (Washington’s State Flower)

No PNW landscape feels complete without at least one rhododendron. These evergreen shrubs offer bold flowers in spring, followed by deep green leaves the rest of the year.

Why we love lighting them:

• The large leaf structure catches light beautifully

• Creates a lush, full glow without harshness

• Flowering seasons look exceptional when softly washed in warm light

A softly lit rhododendron can add instant elegance to both modern and traditional homes.

See how warm, low-voltage lighting highlights rhododendrons and layered plantings in this Snohomish landscape lighting project.

5. Ornamental Grasses & Ferns

Grasses and ferns bring movement, lightness, and natural texture—especially in shaded woodlands or along water features.

Why we love lighting them:

• Light dances through fronds and plumes

• Adds depth at lower levels of the landscape

• Enhances pathways, ponds, and backyard gardens

Because they sway with the breeze, lighting these plants adds a soft, almost cinematic feel.

Their texture is especially effective beside a softly lit walkway. Our pathway lighting gallery shows how light can guide movement through a planted landscape without overpowering it.

6. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are a Northwest favorite. Their round blooms and broad leaves create beautiful, full shapes that glow elegantly after dark. Because hydrangeas change so much through the seasons, we design garden lighting for both their summer blooms and the surrounding planting beds. Explore more Seattle-area backyard and garden lighting ideas.

Why we love lighting them:

• Creates a romantic, timeless look

• Blooms look incredible under warm color temperatures

• Works well in front entry gardens, patios, and backyard gathering spaces

Lighting is typically soft and diffused to avoid flattening the blooms.

7. Feature Trees (Birches, Magnolias & Dogwoods)

Beyond Japanese maples, several tree varieties in the PNW make exceptional statement pieces—especially birches, magnolias, and dogwoods.

Why we love lighting them:

• Their bark and branching create high visual interest

• Seasonal blooms look stunning in our custom Sunset Tone

• Provides height and structure to larger lighting designs

On waterfront and woodland properties, these trees often become the “anchor points” of the nighttime scene.

View more of this project in Lake of the Woods.

Lighting Plants in the Pacific Northwest Climate

Pacific Northwest gardens change throughout the year. Fast-growing foliage can block a carefully aimed beam, while fallen leaves and wet surfaces affect how light reads at night. Our garden lighting designs for Seattle-area homes account for seasonal growth, fixture placement, and the way people move through the landscape.

We proudly serve:
Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville, Sammamish, Issaquah, and surrounding King County areas.

Our plant-focused lighting designs appear in some of the region’s most elegant properties, including lakefront estates, wooded acreages, and timeless architectural homes featured in publications like Portrait Magazine and Luxe.

Ready to Transform Your Landscape?

Whether you want subtle pathway illumination or a dramatic showcase of your favorite trees and garden features, our design team can create a custom lighting plan using our signature Sunset Tone and award-winning fixtures.

Have a favorite tree or garden you’d love to see after dark? Book an outdoor lighting design consultation to discuss your landscape and the views you want to create.