Are you tired of spending all that time maintaining your garden with zero results? Check out these low-maintenance shrubs!
We all want our homes to look as beautiful and well-tended as possible, but we don’t always have time to maintain the plants in our outdoor areas. That’s why low-maintenance shrubs are such an attractive option.
A carefully planned space with lovely shrubs and various colors and scents makes the outside of your home a much more pleasant place. And it could even raise your property value!
So, to make it easier on you, Gardeners And Plants has created an easy guide to the 8 most stunning low-maintenance shrubs for every condition and climate. Check out our list to find one or more that will work in your yard!
Oakleaf Hydrangea
The Oakleaf hydrangea is a dazzling shrub that’s pleasing to the eye AND nose all throughout the year. Each season is multicolored when you have one of these low-maintenance shrubs with deep green leaves and stunning white blossoms.
They’re moderate-sized shrubs and grow wild all across the northeastern part of our country. To improve the plant’s growth rate, try to plant this hydrangea in moist soil and cover the area with mulch.
It prefers colder climates but can tolerate severe summer weather just as well. And if your winters get too chilly, cut the shrub back and cover it with mulch to keep it safe.
Burning Bush
When craving a pop of color in your outdoor space, the Burning Bush shrub, a.k.a. the Euonymus alata, gives you what you need.
This low-maintenance shrub stays green and somewhat bland during the late spring and summer, but its drab outer layer reveals hidden beauty when fall rolls around. Unexpectedly, the shrub’s leaves explode into flames of bright red, giving the plant its vibrant name.
Choosing the Burning Bush is compelling for its fantastic autumn display. Just be sure to check your local regulations before planting this low-maintenance shrub.
Because of their adaptability and toughness, many regions of our country consider the Burning Bush shrub invasive.
Bella Bellissima Potentilla
The Bella Bellissima potentilla loves the sun. It’ll be happiest in conditions that give it at least six hours of full sun daily. And when it’s all said and done, all that sunshine gets paid back to you in flower form.
This low-maintenance shrub produces stunning pink flowers that dazzle the eye and spread all over the yard. And this is the one for you if you’re looking for a thorny winter shrub. You could practically throw a blizzard at the Bella Bellissima, and it wouldn’t flinch.
It’s an ideal option for those who live in cold climates but still want to have a beautiful garden. On top of that, the potentilla is one of the best air-purifying plants you can find.
Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce
Who wouldn’t want to have some year-round green present in their gardens? Well, the problem is that most evergreens are too big to do well in a small yard or if you want to have some control over the size of your shrubs.
So for those who wish to the green but don’t have sufficient space, this low-maintenance shrub seems custom-made. The dwarf globe is a nicely rounded, adorable little shrub with a pleasant shape and evergreen leaves.
The best part about it is that it’ll survive the worst winter storms without any problems. It’s not precisely the best shrub to make a hedge if you want better privacy, but it adds some unique color to your property every season of the year.
The slow-growing dwarf globe has evergreen foliage all throughout the year, making it ideal as a shrub for a winter garden, and it produces red berries when spring arrives.
Buddleja
Do you live in an area that has more heat than most, but you long for a pleasant garden? If your climate is temperate, you’ll do well planting the Buddleja, a.k.a. Lo and Behold butterfly.
This low-slung bush is available in many varieties, including lilac, dark purple, and blue, and it’s a perfect ground cover plant. It also thrives in small, out-of-the-way spaces.
Because this low-maintenance shrub re-blooms throughout the entire growing season, they continuously put out new blooms that look just as good alongside spring colors as they will with fall foliage.
That makes this plant best for people who crave color throughout all the seasons. They do very well in the heat and can even tolerate drought conditions. So, the Buddleja is perfect for warmer climates.
As one of the most popular evergreen plants that flower, it attracts beneficial pollinators to its lovely, fragrant blooms. Plant a few in your outdoor area in different locations and see what colors attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Spirea
The captivating hanging clusters of spirea flowers add a touch of elegance and fall color to any garden landscape. These hardy shrubs flourish in sunlight but also do well under partial or full shade as well.
They’ll readily adapt regardless of your soil type, making them versatile options for your garden. Late winter or early spring is the best time for some necessary profiling but this low-maintenance shrub doesn’t necessarily need pruning because they’re pretty self-contained plants.
The spirea remains colorful and healthy as long as regular watering is done with some emphasis on those dry summer periods.
Boxwood
This classic evergreen shrub is a true workhorse in any garden. Otherwise known as Buxus, its lush foliage, compactness, feet tall, and rounded growth habit make it perfect for most yards, offering sophistication and structure.
Partial to full sun and well-drained soil best suits these shrubs. To keep its original form, all you have to do is prune it minimally sometime in early spring to maintain its shape.
Only enough water should be given but not over-watered for this low-maintenance shrub that prefers moist soils rather than wet ones.
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Scent and Sensibility Lilac
If you love bright, stunning colors and enchanting fragrances, then you’ll truly fall head over heels for the Scent and Sensibility lilac.
This compact bush tends to pack a considerable punch for its size and will stun you with how much scent and color can come from such a low-built shrub like this. It’s a re-blooming plant that’s easy to maintain and will delight you whenever you see it.
While this low-maintenance shrub does best in full sun, you can also place it in partial shade and expect it to do just as well.
Its dark green leaves and colorful blossoms make this shrub a winner in our book, and its flowers produce a sweet smelling scent that will stay with you in your garden.
So what do YOU say? Do you already have any of these low-maintenance shrubs in your outdoor area? If so, leave a comment to let our readers know about your experiences with them.
And if you found this article useful, don’t go away just yet! Gardeners And Plants has many more fantastic tips and tricks for all your foliage needs. For instance, we highly recommend you also read: Why Aren’t Your Flowers Blooming? 5 Important Reasons Explained
