Best Low Maintenance Shrubs
What qualifies as low maintenance for shrubs? Most people would rate no pruning as number one. We don’t always have the time or necessarily the interest in making sure that we know how to properly prune our shrubs, not to mention when and remembering to do it. Our shrubs get out of control, quickly outgrowing the space we intended for them. Our landscape no longer looks neat and healthy, it seems just overnight.
To over come those problems and other maintenance issues, look for certain attributes that make caring for your shrubs easy.
Dwarf varieties are excellent to help control size
Pay attention to the mature size of your selection, and be aware that mature to the grower means 10 years.
Select varieties that grow strong and healthy not just in your zone, but your specific region and soil conditions. Those plants will require the least attention regarding feeding and disease and insect problems.
Understand the appearance of the plant at maturity. Select a shrub with the mature appearance that you prefer so you do not feel compelled to prune to conformity.
Some shrubs are known for being tough, rugged, drought resistant and tolerant to a variety of conditions. Those will not require much attention at all.
Remember that every cultivated variety has different characteristics. One low maintenance cultivar or variety does not deem the species low maintenance.
SOME OF THE BEST LOW MAINTENANCE SHRUBS:
Berberis ‘Sunjoy’ Mini Salsa This barberry should not exceed 24” round without pruning. It is an improved variety of ‘Crimson Pigmy’, holding a more consistent shape. It also will hold the lovely dark foliage better. Great for full sun.
Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n Gold’ This evergreen shrub is striking with green and gold variegated foliage. It stays neat and mounded. Be aware that some Euonymus are very large and some are spreading ground covers.
Forsythia ‘Show Off Starlet’ is a much more manageable size for a Forsythia, maturing at about three feet tall. Pruning is rarely required as it does not send out unruly stems. Sunny spot ‘Starlet’ unfortunately is only hardy to zone 5.
Hibiscus ‘Sugar Tip’ is a bit smaller version of so easy and lovely Rose of Sharon. In more moderate climates, zone 5 and warmer, the colorful foliage and prolific blooms are a great choice. With no pruning it will reach about six feet and will not self seed.
Hydrangea, Dwarf For those of us who want a little blooming color in the shade, the new dwarf varieties of hydrangea are a well behaved choice. A couple of my favorites are ‘Little Lime’ and ‘Pink Elf’. Both are compact and require less attention the many hydrangea.
Hydrangea, Oak Leaf Hydrangea varieties in the Oak Leaf group have a beautiful form without pruning and should not be pruned to maintain the natural beauty. They will bloom profusely without pruning. The Oak Leaf Hydrangea varieties can get large, so just make sure you give them plenty of space to show off.
Juniper Groundcovers are wonderful spreaders that pretty much take care of themselves and cover large areas. ‘Nana’ is a dwarf of note if you need a bit smaller evergreen ground cover.
Norway Spruce, Dwarf This lovely rounded evergreen is hardy and compact. It grows quite slowly and only reaches about three feet high and wide. Perfect for year round color and front of the border without fussing.
Spiraea ‘Double Play Gold’ and ‘Magic Carpet’ Spirea are available in many sizes and foliage and bloom colors. They do need to be sheared back to encourage a second blooming but that is not necessary. They do all seem to hold a lovely mounded shape without assistance. ‘Double Play’ and ‘Magic Carpet’ are on the smaller side of the varieties and remain a bit more compact without pruning. Like all spirea, they adapt well to various conditions all the way to zone 3. Should you select one of the larger spirea just be sure to give it enough room to avoid constant pruning. It will remain beautiful in its’ natural form.
Thuja ‘North Pole’ When well chosen for mature size and properly placed in the landscape, arborvitae are certainly a reliable easy maintenance evergreen shrub. But in the North and Midwest we do struggle with unsightly, unrecoverable, winter burn. ‘North Pole’ is much more resistant to sunscald and winter burn. This 15 foot tall evergreen should hold up much better in an open landscape.
Weigela ‘Spilled Wine’ This Weigela remains a nice mound about three feet tall and wide. ‘Spilled Wine’ loves full sun but it will wilt in dry periods without supplemental watering. No pruning and plenty of bright blooms. ‘Midnight Wine’ is even smaller growing to only about twelve inches. ‘My Monet’ is a dwarf with tri-color pastel foliage and bright pink blooms. These are nice to pop in at nursery size and know they will not get much larger.
Yucca is as close to zero maintenance as you will find. They hold their size and shape and reliably send up a striking flower stalk every year. Amazingly I have seen them thrive as far north as zone 4.