Are you sick and tired of pruning your shrubs frequently and are looking for some low maintenance shrubs that require minimal attention and pruning once established?
Then, this post is for you.
In this post, we have prepared a list of the top nine shrubs with attractive flowers that require minimal maintenance and will not only change your garden look but also give you a stress-free gardening experience. Let’s get started.
What are Low Maintenance Shrubs?
Low maintenance shrubs are plants that are slow growing and typically require very little or no pruning, little maintenance, and low watering.
These plants are attractive, resilient, and well-adapted to different weather conditions, which makes them ideal for gardeners who want to garden hassle-free. They are also resistant to pest and diseases.
So, if you are looking for low-maintenance shrubs to grow, move on to the next section for our list of well-selected, easy-to-maintain shrubs for your garden.
Low Maintenance Shrubs For Effortless Gardening
In this section, we will examine some exceptional low-maintenance shrubs for effortless gardening. These plants are strong, beautiful, and easy to handle.
What more? You can say no more to endless pruning, frequent watering, and care with these shrubs on our list. Let’s take a look at them.
Danica Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis ‘Danica’, commonly called Danica Arborvitae, comes to mind when you need a low-maintenance, decorative, and compact hedge shrub.
It is a low growing, easy to care, and cold-tolerant plant, which makes it ideal for small gardens and ornamental planting.
Danica Arborvita has a mounded globular shape, dense dark emerald green colour, and soft texture.
This plant has a dense branching system, which gives it a compact form and eliminates the need for pruning. However, you may need to shear this plant for a more shaped, formal appearance.
Danica Arborvita can grow up to only about 20 inches tall and in the first 20 years. This plant doesn’t require any special growing conditions. Just plant it in full sun and well-drained soil.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Boxwood is a deciduous or evergreen shrub with small, dense leaves. It is well known for its compact foliage growth habit, which can be easily styled into any sculptural shape in formal landscape gardening.
This quality makes this plant ideal for sophisticated hedges. To maintain its original structural shape, this plant requires little pruning in early spring.
Boxwood can grow up to 20 feet tall and 8 feet wide and can be planted in a raised bed or flower pot.
You can also plant it along a pathway or use it to divide your garden. Just make sure that it is filled with well-draining and nutrient-rich loamy or sandy soil.
Also, Boxwood loves moist but not wet soils. So, add enough water to the plant, especially in dry periods, but don’t over-water.
Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Gardenia, also referred to as snowgirl gardenia, is a gorgeous plant with finely textured, glossy, dark green leaves, bloomy white flowers, and a heavenly fragrance.
It is hardy enough to withstand the Southern summer humidity and heat. It prefers well-draining, acidic soil, and protection from the blazing afternoon sun.
This low-maintenance plant makes a beautiful addition to your garden, but note that it can not be grown in the Upper South.
Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica)
If you need a low-maintenance shrub that suits warmer climates, you can’t go wrong with Indian Hawthorn.
This plant is an excellent and versatile evergreen shrub that can be used as hedges or borders. Once Indian Hawthorn blooms for many weeks in late winter to early spring, it stops until a new set of flowers is revealed in fall.
This long-blooming nature makes this plant a low-maintenance shrub.
Indian Hawthorn comes in different varieties. Most of the varieties can grow up to four to six feet tall, but the “Ballerina” and “Eleanor Taber” varieties are well-favoured for their small sizes – two to four feet tall.
Finally, Indian Hawthorn is drought tolerant once established, and thrives in well-draining, nourished soil.
Dwarf Conifers
From entryway gardens to hedges or borders, low-maintenance dwarf conifers are a valuable part of any planting.
Dwarf conifers are available in different varieties, which include Abies balsamea “Nana”, Cedrus deodara “Feelin Blue”, Chamaecyparis pisifera “Boulevard”, and Juniperus communis “Compressa”, etc.
Any of the dwarf conifers can be grown together in your garden beds or individually in your flower pot or container.
Their compact foliage makes it easy to create a professional structural look, and once established, dwarf conifers require low-maintenance.
Depending on the type, dwarf conifers can grow up to two to five feet tall, prefer well-draining soil, and can thrive in full sun to part shade.
Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)
Viburnum comes in a number of varieties, which include evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs.
All varieties have attractive berries, flowers, and colours for multi-seasonal interest. Viburnum grows upright from three to 20 feet tall and three to 12 feet wide, depending on the variety when they reach their full potential.
You can grow this plant in a woodland setting, as borders or hedging. Note that the bloom time for Viburnum is from spring to early summer. It sprouts new flowers in spring, berries in the summer or fall, and leaves in autumn.
If you are looking for attractive, minimal maintenance varieties to grow in your garden, the Burkwood Viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii) and Korean Spice (Viburnum carlesii) are your best choice.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
Here is a low maintenance, upright-growing, summer-blooming shrub. Once established, it is loaded with large beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers from mid-summer through frost.
The flower shades vary from pink, purple, red, blue, to creamy white.
Rose of Sharon can grow up to eight to 12 feet tall and four to six feet wide, and works fine in mixed beds, foundation plantings, or shrub borders.
Although this plant thrives in well-drained soil, it is also drought-tolerant, and can do well in full sun and moist condition.
While Rose of Sharon makes a beautiful plant in your garden, please note that this plant attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Meyer Lilac (Syringa meyeri)
If you are looking for the compact version of the traditional lilac, this plant is your go-to option.
Meyer lilac is a low-maintenance, slow-growing shrub that sports a cluster of highly fragrant, violet-purple lavender flowers, and small ruffled green leaves that all form a round dense round orb.
Sometimes, the flowers fade away and blend with the green foliage.
Meyer lilac can grow from four to five feet tall, it is drought tolerant, it thrives in full sun to partial shade, and is fairly resistant to powdery mildew.
Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Another slow-growing, low maintenance shrub on our list is Inkberry holly. This plant has an evergreen foliage and is indigenous to eastern North America.
Inkberry holly adapts well to full sun and full shade. It can be grown on almost any soil type – well-draining, slow-draining, sandy, or dry soil.
This plant can grow between five to eight feet tall and has dense growth habits that can form lush, round orbs.
Guess what?
Inkberry holly can go all year round without the need for pruning, especially the newer cultivars like “Gem Box” and “Nordic.”
Please note that during fall, the female Inkberry holly plants form small black berries that attract birds.
Important Considerations
Before choosing a low-maintenance shrub, here are some things to consider:
- Sun exposure: Check whether the shrub you are selecting prefers full sun or partial shade, full shade or part sun.
- Hardiness zone: Ensure that your favorite shrub is suitable for your USDA hardiness zone.
- Size: At maturity, will the size of your chosen shrub fit into your garden space?
- Drought tolerance: Can the selected shrub tolerate drought or not?
- Temperature tolerance: Can the selected plant withstand extreme temperatures or not?
Conclusion
To wrap up, the top 9 low maintenance shrubs mentioned above do not need constant pruning, pest control, or watering.
They are not only easy to maintain but these shrubs thrive in a variety of growing conditions – heat, wet, drought, etc. So, just choose the one that best adapts to your garden condition.
Once you have chosen your plant to grow, use our guide to get rid of raccoons or slugs that may damage your beautiful garden, and don’t forget to always protect your favorite low-maintenance shrubs in winter from frost and freeze.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A shrub is termed low-maintenance if it possessed the following characteristics, especially at maturity:
Less or no pruning.
Ability to adapt to diverse soil and light conditions.
Resistance to pests and diseases.
Ability to tolerate drought.
Ability to grow without much attention.
Here is a list of some low-maintenance evergreen shrubs:
Boxwood
Viburnum
Hydrangea
Spirea
Weigela
Gardenia
Dwarf conifers
Oakleaf hydrangea
You would need to water newly planted shrubs regularly, especially in dry periods. However, once they are established, you may not need to water some low-maintenance shrubs as they can tolerate drought.
This is optional, but it is ideal if you can fertilize your shrubs once a year, especially during early spring. This will help to promote healthy growth and vibrant blooms.