One of the best ways to liven up your property is to do some good old landscaping. One of the biggest aspects of landscaping are of course the plants that you choose. Yes, there are dozens, if not hundreds of different plants that you can use in landscaping.
You have shrubs, cacti, flower bushes, trees, and so much more to choose from. With that being said, not everything is ideal for landscaping. This is especially the case if you want plants that are easy to care for.
Sure, some plants may look super exotic, but also require tons of care to keep alive. Today, we want to take a closer look at some of the best landscaping plants out there that are low maintenance.
We want to help you achieve a nice looking property that doesn’t require you to engage in gardening on a daily basis. Our aim is to help you achieve a great looking property without a ton of added work.
The Best Landscaping Plants for You
Here we have chosen a variety of the best landscaping plants for you based on two main factors. First, we considered how easy these plants are to care for.
Second, we took into account just how nice they look. Of course, having a super low maintenance plant is nice, but not fantastic if it doesn’t actually look the part. Let’s take a closer look right now.
1. The Smoke Tree
If you like trees and shrubs, the smoke tree is a great one to go with. What’s cool is that these can be grown as small trees or as fairly large shrubs. They have reddish purple leaves that turn into a beautiful scarlet color during the fall.
One of the most popular types of smoke tree is known as the royal purple. They can grow as tall as 15 feet and as wide as 12 feet. They do best in hardiness zones between four and eight, they like full sun, and they need soil that drains easily. They also require a bit of fertilizer.
2. The Pink Flowering Almond
Another low maintenance landscaping plant is known as the pink flowering almond. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful looking plants that you could possibly have.
The issue is that it only blooms once during the spring, but it does look extremely nice. This is a very fast growing plant. There’s also the fact that it does well in periods of drought.
Moreover, it’s a very hardy type of plant that can survive in growing zones anywhere between four and eight. Also, it likes either partial shade or full sun.
The only thing that it really needs is very rich soil that has plenty of nutrients. The soil should also feature good drainage to prevent root rot from occurring.
3. The Peony
Another low maintenance and beautiful landscaping plant to consider is known is the peony. The peony is a flowering perennial, and it is deciduous. There are many different kinds of peonies, with the double pink type being one of the most popular.
These plants like to have a good deal of sunlight, although they don’t enjoy too much heat. Therefore, they should be planted in areas that get plenty of sun in the morning and evening, but are protected from heavy afternoon heat.
These plants do need fairly nutrient rich soil combined with fertilizer. They also require soil that drains really well. That said, peonies can survive in hardiness zones anywhere between three and eight. They are very resilient plants and their flowers look absolutely spectacular.
4. North Pole Arborvitae
If you want something super easy to take care of, this particular shrub is ideal. This is a specific type of evergreen shrub that looks kind of like a pine tree, or something similar. If you want something green that looks like a tree, this is the way to go.
Many people use these to create something like fences or privacy screens. What is really convenient about this particular plant is that it can grow in hardiness zones anywhere between three to seven. Moreover, it does well in partial sun as well as in full sunlight.
There is also the fact that it is very tolerant to dry conditions and drought. It can even handle poor soil conditions and heavy amounts of road salt. This is in fact one of the hardiest plants that you could possibly get for landscaping.
5. Hawthorne Trees
If you like having medium sized trees, the Hawthorne tree is a great one to go with. This plant features green leaves that turn purplish red in the fall. They also have extremely vibrant white flowers in the spring, as well as orange red fruits that appear in the summer and fall.
What is good about this plant is that it easily handles poor air conditions and urban pollution. Although it does prefer a lot at sunlight, it can also survive in partial sunlight.
Moreover, it does do well with plenty of water, yet can also handle drought conditions fairly well. Furthermore, the Hawthorne tree can be grown in USDA hardiness zones ranging from four to seven.
6. Lilac
If you are looking for something super bright and beautiful, lilac is the way to go. Your average lilac bush is one of the best smelling flowering plants out there.
Most people get these particular plants due to their awesome smell. The fact that they have bright purple flowers is nice as well.
They aren’t the number one most low maintenance landscaping plant out there, but they’re still not too bad either. They can easily survive in USDA growing zones ranging from three to seven.
Moreover, although they do prefer full sunlight, they can handle partial shade as well. What you do need to keep in mind is that lilacs require very rich soil that features good drainage.
7. Liriope
Liriope is a good landscaping plant to consider if you want something short for ground cover. These plants feature long, thin, and green leaves, combined with bluish violet summer flowers. Although it is technically a deciduous plant, if you have mild winters, it may actually be evergreen.
What makes this plant so low maintenance is that it can easily survive in hardiness zones anywhere between five and nine. Now, it does like nutrient rich and fertile soil that has good drainage. That said, it doesn’t really require much fertilizer or anything else of this sort.
Furthermore, once it has been well established, it is tolerant to drought and dry conditions. What’s also nice is that various animals like rabbits and deer usually don’t eat it. It’s also a very easy to propagate plant.
8. Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel is a fantastic shrub to consider. This is a broad leaf evergreen, which means that, for one, it does decently well in cooler climates.
What’s also convenient about this point is that it does well in shaded areas. If you have walls or areas around your house that don’t get much sun, this is a perfect plant to consider.
Moreover, it has the ability to grow really well in USDA growing zones ranging from four to nine. It’s also a good option to go with for areas that are fairly cool. Just keep in mind that it does need soil that has good drainage and is slightly acidic.
9. Feather Reed Grass
This is a tall and golden colored grass, something that looks kind of like wheat. It features long green stalks that turn gold at the top, along with reddish-brown tips that look like wheat. That said, it does look a bit more ornamental than wheat.
This plant required both moist and rich soil. However, it can grow in most climates and can grow in hardiness zones ranging from four to nine. It does well in drought conditions and it works well in both full sun and partial shade.
The Best Landscaping Plants – Final Thoughts
There you have it folks, nine of the best landscaping plants around. Of course, there are still many more to choose from. Just don’t rush into a decision.