32 Low-Maintenance Plants for Gardens and Landscaping

Russian Sage

In neighborhoods with new construction, the topsoil is stripped away, and the rubble left behind hardly qualifies as soil. What to plant in such a harsh environment? Start with a tough-as-nails perennial that features a cloud of purple flowers for three months in its first season. One thing Russian sage can't live without is full sun, which is essential for healthy bloom production. Its flowers are blue and purple, and they appear in summer and fall.

• Name: Russian sage (Salvia yangii)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a–9b
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 3-5 ft. tall, 2-4 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Sedum (Stonecrop)

Sometimes tough plants have a reputation for being invasive, but drought-tolerant sedum plants always mind their manners. Also called stonecrop, this plant can survive for years without watering, dividing, mulching, or deadheading. The varied genus offers tall and creeping varieties, all with succulent leaves that shrug off insects. Start with the wildly popular 'Autumn Joy' variety, which produces nectar-rich red, pink, yellow, or white flower clusters at the end of summer or early fall.

• Name: Sedum, stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 6–24 in. tall, 12–24 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, well-drained

Daffodils

The daffodil is one of those plants that you can casually scatter here and there in the landscape, and then you will look like a garden genius forever after each spring as your flowers multiply. Plant them deeply in the fall to ensure many seasons of yellow, white, orange, and pink flowers in the late winter or early spring, at least 4 inches beneath the soil's surface.

A splash of bulb fertilizer will pamper bulbs but is unnecessary for peak performance. Space them several inches apart to allow the colonies to grow over the years. Their tolerance to colder temperatures makes them a more manageable plant to expect to return reliably every year.

• Name: Daffodil, narcissus (Narcissus spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 6–30 in. tall, 6–12 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist but well-drained

Hosta

Hostas are the answer for yards with little to no sun exposure. This plant's hardiness is its tolerance for very little light. These low-maintenance perennials require almost no care; they come back yearly and are easy to propagate. Typically planted with bare roots, hostas reach their full mature size in three to seven years, and varieties come in mini to large sizes. In the summer, they produce white, purple, and pink flowers.

• Name: Hosta, plantain lily (Hosta spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Partial, shade
• Mature Size: 6–48 in. tall, 10–60 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained

Coneflower

Coneflower is a cheery, low-maintenance perennial favorite of butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. It can withstand summer's heat and humidity, deers have no interest in it, and it's drought tolerant. It's the definition of easy. As a native plant to North America, it features purple, pink, white, and yellow flowers in early summer to early fall.

• Name: Coneflower, echinacea (Echinacea spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 2–5 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Peony

It may come as a surprise that one of spring's most desirable flowers is also a low-maintenance plant. Peonies are one of the oldest ornamental gardening plants, and for good reason—they can live up to 100 years. They produce pink, red, white, yellow, purple, or bicolor flowers in late spring or early summer.

They require cold winters to push the plant into dormancy, but once it comes up again in the spring, the only necessary maintenance is staking the plant if the blooms get too heavy. Remove the old foliage once it becomes cold again, and you're ready for the following year.

• Name: Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a-8a
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 2–3 ft. tall and wide
• Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Oak leaf hydrangea is an easy-to-grow, flowering deciduous shrub that reaches 4 to 8 feet tall and thrives when planted in the ground, not in pots. It prefers full sun to partial shade and does best in moist soil.

A once-a-year prune of unruly branches or unwanted height is all you'll need to do to take care of these white and pink blooming shrubs that produce flowers in spring and summer.

• Name: Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) 
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 4-8 ft. tall, 4-8 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Arborvitae

Arborvitae is a member of the cypress family, originating in North America and East Asia. This evergreen conifer encompasses several species known for their slender, pyramidal growth habit. This shrub tolerates clay-like soils, wet sites, urban locations, and often accompanying air pollution.

Arborvitae is commonly used to mark borders, privacy screens, hedges, and landscaping. In spring, it produces tiny, inconspicuous flowers.

• Name: Arborvitae (Thuja spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 10-40 ft. tall and 3-15 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil

Coral Bells

Coral bells are adaptable, and they'll grow easily whether you plant them in a rock garden, container, border, or as a ground cover. With partial shade, well-draining soil, and occasional deadheading, these vibrantly colored leaves will add rich shades to your garden.

The plants produce red, white, pink, and orange flowers in spring and summer. They will return for the first few years but generally don't have a long lifespan.

• Name: Coral bells, alumroot, rock geranium (Heuchera spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a–9a
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 8–18 in. tall, 12–24 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist but well-drained

Canna Lily

The large, striking leaves and blooms of the canna lily may not look low maintenance, but these showy yellow, orange, red, and pink flowers only require deadheading during the spring and summer to keep the blooms coming. This plant also tolerates boggy, moist soil conditions, making it a good plant near water or wet climates.

Some prefer to cut the blooms before flowering and enjoy the bold leaves instead.

• Name: Canna lily, canna, arrowroot (Canna × generalis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-10a 
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 1.5-10 ft. tall, 1.5-6 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist

Juniper

Juniper is a drought-tolerant and low-maintenance ground cover that, despite its winter associations, thrives in hot-summer climates in addition to colder spots. It produces white flowers in spring.

It's famously agreeable and doesn't care about the soil type, even thriving in rock gardens and seaside locals. It's also resistant to pests, diseases, and hungry deer and rabbits. It even self-prunes, dropping its branches to self-preserve in times of stress.

• Name: Creeping juniper, creeping cedar (Juniperus horizontalis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 1.5-3 ft. tall, 8-10 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Geranium

The colorful, abundant blooms of geraniums are an easygoing and vibrant choice for garden beds and containers alike. It can handle almost all soil types and hardly any care. They flash an abundance of colors in red, purple, pink, orange, white, and bi-colors from spring to fall.

These annuals do best in well-drained soil and will bloom continuously all season long if they're deadheaded when the flowers fade. Geraniums prefer full sun, but the hottest summer days could dampen blooms and foliage.

• Name: Common geraniums (Pelargonium)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-12
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. vines to 5 feet
• Soil Needs: Organically rich, well-drained

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a summer-blooming deciduous shrub with large flowers (pink, purple, lavender, red, blue, white; often with dark throats) from midsummer through frost. This low-maintenance, drought- and heat-tolerant shrub can handle most soils, including poor soil, for up to 30 years.

• Name: Rose of Sharon, shrub althea, rose mallow, Syrian mallow, Syrian hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 8–12 ft. tall, 6–10 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Knock Out Roses

Perennially popular Knock Out roses are shrub roses that bring colorful blooms to your garden from spring through the first frost. They feature white, pink, red, coral, orange, peach, and yellow flowers from spring to first frost.

They are disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and self-cleaning, meaning you don't have to spend hours dead-heading and risking a prick from one of its thorns. You'll prune the rose bush once a year in late winter or early spring, but that's it for maintenance.

• Name: Knock Out roses (Rosa hybrida)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-11
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: Height: 3 ft. - 10 ft.; Width: 3 ft. - 10 ft.
• Soil Needs: Loamy, good drainage, moist

Dead Nettle

Don't let the soft, tumbling foliage of Lamium maculatum fool you: neither shade nor drought slows this blooming ground cover down. Variegated or silver leaves emerge early in the spring, and snapdragon-like purple, pink, or white blooms soon follow through summer. These plants can also endure frost-filled winters and blistering summers.

Dead nettle plants spread quickly by shallow-rooted runners, but you can pull up extras and use them as accents spilling over the edges of your containers and window boxes.

• Name: Spotted dead nettle, spotted henbit (Lamium maculatum)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Partial, shade
• Mature Size: 6-9 in. tall, 12-24 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy

Catmint

More than just a mere herb for the cat to frolic in, Nepeta x faassenii gained permanent cult status when the variety 'Walker's Low' was named the 2007 perennial plant of the year. Lovely grayish-green foliage complements the informal border, and bees delight in the nectar-rich violet, white, and pink blooms from spring through summer.

Plants grow about two feet tall but have a prostrate habit that looks attractive at the edge of a wall or path. A key to their hardiness is they can withstand poor soils, even clay.

• Name: Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 10-24 in. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Daylily

Stella D' Oro daylilies have become an office park landscaping staple, but daylilies have much more to offer than the popular gold everblooming variety that flowers in spring and summer. Although the color spectrum is usually limited to the warmer side of the color wheel, exciting color patterns and flower forms take the available cultivar number into the thousands.

Full sun is best, although darker varieties may benefit from afternoon shade to prevent sunscald. Fertilization isn't necessary, but an occasional deep watering during summer dry spells is beneficial. They thrive in most soils and are rarely affected by bugs or diseases. 

• Name: Stella d'Oro daylily (Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro')
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 9-12 inches tall, 10-12 inches wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Feather Reed Grass

Ornamental grasses belong on every lazy gardener's wish list. Many of them originate from the prairie and are used to surviving a range of pests and weather conditions.

The deep roots of feather reed grass make it adaptable to wet and dry soils, and it grows just fine in lean soils, requiring no fertilizer. The six-foot blooming stalks with pink or purple flowers in summer make a handsome vertical accent that endures well into fall. 

• Name: Feather reed grass, reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-11
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 3–5 ft. tall, 1.5–2.5 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist

Butterfly Bush

Gardeners who make room for a Buddleia in the landscape will soon discover that its purple, pink, blue, white, and yellow flowers are a one-stop buffet for many butterfly species. The long flower panicles comprise many individual blooms, each with a rich store of nectar. This is why you will observe happy butterflies lingering over and around the shrub for long periods on warm, sunny days.

Plant a butterfly bush in full sun in average soil, and cut plants back in early spring to encourage healthy branching. Flowering happens on new wood. They thrive in polluted urban settings and can tolerate drought.

• Name: Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 3–12 ft. tall, 3-8-ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-draining

False Indigo

Baptisia plants are beloved for producing blue blooms that complete any garden design without the fussiness that many blue flowers exhibit. Available in white, yellow, and purple-pink hues, false indigo plants produce their blooming spires in the spring at the same time as peonies and bleeding hearts.

Plant false indigo in the rocky rubble of a new home construction site, and it will do just fine. It prefers gravelly, sandy soils, although it can handle most soil types as long as they're well-draining. Butterflies love the low-maintenance plants, but deer don't.

• Name: Blue wild indigo, false indigo (Baptisia australis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 4–5 ft. tall, 3–4 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-draining

Lady's Mantle

Gardeners who wish to grow plants under a tree must contend with shade, dry soil, and competition for nutrients. Lady's mantle is one tough plant that can handle this environment. An exceptionally hardy plant, it will survive zone 3 winters.

Chartreuse flowers that appear in June are a lovely foil for blue and purple blossoms. Plants often self-seed prolifically, allowing you to expand your collection or prevent with a few minutes of deadheading after blooming. 

• Name: Lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3b–8b
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 12–24 in. tall and wide
• Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
  
  

Lamb's Ear

Stachys byzantina is a tactile plant with fuzzy, wooly, silvery leaves that hold up to stroking more than a silky flower petal would. The lavender spikes aren't showy, but bees love them in spring and summer.

Lamb's ear plants grow in full to partial sun and are drought-tolerant. The clumps spread moderately each year to provide pass-along plants for friends, or you can dig some up to add to your container gardens. 

• Name: Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) 
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 12–18 in. tall, 12-36 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Acidic, well-drained

Bee Balm

Much ado is made of the drought tolerance of plants, but a wet spot in the garden can be just as challenging to cultivate. Bee balm is one answer to the soggy garden dilemma. 3-foot tall clumps feature blue, pink, red, or white flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds in summer.

As a member of the mint family, bee balm is an assertive plant, but you can pull up unwanted plants that spread out of bounds. New varieties, especially 'Marshall's Delight' and 'Violet Queen,' boast superior mildew resistance. 

• Name: Bee balm, horsemint, monarda, bergamot, wild bergamot (Monarda spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 10–48 in. tall, 10–36 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist

Agave

You could kill the agave plant by caring for it. When the agave plant blooms with a green, white, or yellow flower, it will likely die shortly afterward.

Fertilizer encourages blooming. If they don't bloom and are allowed to grow in full sun and sandy or rock soil, these succulent plants typically live up to 25 years.

• Name: Agave, century plant (Agave spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-11
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 1–20 ft. tall, 1–10 ft. wide 
• Soil Needs: Sandy, well-drained

Redbud

Redbuds are vase-shaped, multi-trunk deciduous trees that are very popular due to their pink or white late winter or early spring flowers. They can tolerate heat and drought and resist disease and insects, making them ideal low-maintenance picks. It is one of the first trees to flower each year. 

• Name: Eastern redbud, American redbud, American Judas tree (Cercis canadensis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall, 30 to 35 feet wide 
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Rosemary

Rosemary is an evergreen herb with light blue or white flowers in spring and summer. It spreads quickly in the right conditions and is a low-maintenance Mediterranean plant that prefers full sun and tolerates drought conditions.

It does well in pots and containers as long as there's proper drainage. If you live somewhere below 30ºF, bringing rosemary inside in the winter is the best way to keep it thriving.

• Name: Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-10
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 2–6 ft. tall, 2–4 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, well-drained

Dusty Miller

The silver, wooly leaves of dusty miller make a stunning contrast to most gardens' greenery and colorful blooms. Grown as an annual in most climates or a perennial in warmer locales, dusty miller prefers full sun, tolerates drought, and is resistant to most pests.

The only pruning necessary is to remove yellowing leaves. It produces stunning golden-yellow tiny flowers in summer.

• Name: Dusty miller, silver dust, silver ragwort (Jacobaea maritime)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–11 
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Creeping Thyme

Creeping thyme is another easygoing plant that thrives on neglect or drought conditions. In full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil, creeping thyme puts on a show, with small flowers covering the ground like a colorful carpet.

The only maintenance necessary is pruning woody stems to encourage the plant to produce new growth. Pink, white, and purple tiny flowers appear in the summer.

• Name: Creeping thyme (Thymus spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 2-6 in. tall, 6-18 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, sandy

Sage

Sage's fuzzy leaves don't require a green thumb to grow. This small shrub-like herb has aromatic leaves in an eye-catching shade of silvery green. In summer, spikes of blue-purple flowers shoot up.

Sage thrives in full sun and prefers a drought-like environment to too much water. It can also handle poor soil fertility. It is best brought inside during the winter or mulched to protect its roots.

• Name: Sage, common sage, culinary sage, garden sage (Salvia officinalis)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 2–2.5 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Loamy, sandy, well-drained

Clematis

From early summer through fall, clematis is a mesmerizing vine overflowing with purple, star-like flowers. It can also produce blue, red, pink, green, yellow, white, or bi-color flowers.

It requires full sun, well-draining soil, and regular watering, but it is an easy-to-grow plant that's a showstopper in your garden. It can handle temperature extremes and is disease-resistant. It must be pruned to 12 inches each year to encourage it to return the next.

• Name: Clematis, leather flower (Clematis spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 8-20 ft. long, 3 to 5 feet long
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained

Ice Plant

Ice plant is a vibrant perennial with succulent-like foliage that is evergreen in zones 6-10. Fast-draining soil and full sun encourage these plants to spread quickly, allowing them to act as colorful groundcovers.

Deadheading isn't necessary, but it can be done to remove any blooms that don't survive winter. It is also heat, drought, and salt-tolerant and can handle rocky, poor soils.

• Name: Ice plant (Delosperma spp., Lampranthus spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-11
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Mature Size: 3–6 in. tall, 12–24 in. wide
• Soil Needs: Sandy, well-drained

Viburnum

Viburnum shrubs are not particular about where they grow but prefer fairly rich, moist soil. Their hardiness comes from their ability to handle temperature extremes.

Most viburnums have white or pink bloom times through spring and stunning fall foliage. Fast-growing viburnums can be grown as either shrubs or small trees.

• Name: Viburnum, American cranberry bush, hobblebush (Viburnum spp.)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Mature Size: 3-20 ft. tall, 3-12 ft. wide
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained