Low Maintenance Flowering Plants

Agastache

Licorice-scented foliage and tubular orange-pink flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies find irresistible. Thrives on neglect.

Ajuga

Bronze-purple foliage with blue spikes. Fills bare shade in one season.

American Gold Rush Black-Eyed Susan

Narrow, fuzzy foliage resists the leaf spot that plagues Goldsturm. A worthy upgrade.

Angelina Sedum

Chartreuse needle-like foliage turns golden orange in fall. Tiny yellow flowers are a bonus.

Aubrieta

Purple cascades spilling over walls and rocks in spring. Shear after bloom for a fresh flush of foliage.

August Moon Hosta

Glowing gold foliage all season, and one of the best hostas for brighter spots with some morning sun.

Autumn Joy Sedum

Broccoli-like heads open pink and age to copper-bronze. Four-season interest, zero maintenance.

Basket-of-Gold

Bright golden-yellow cascades over walls and rock edges in spring. Cut back after flowering to stay tidy.

Bergenia

Bold rubbery leaves provide year-round structure and turn burgundy in winter. Early pink flowers arrive with the hellebores.

Big Bluestem

The signature grass of the tallgrass prairie, turning copper-bronze in fall with distinctive turkey-foot seed heads.

Black-Eyed Susan

Golden prairie workhorse that lights up late summer meadows.

Blanket Flower

Fiery bicolor pinwheels that bloom nonstop in the worst heat and soil.

Blue Angel Hosta

Massive blue-gray leaves up to 18 inches long. One of the largest and most slug-resistant hostas.

Blue False Indigo

Lupine-like spikes on a native that lives forever. Gets better with age.

Blue Fescue

Steel-blue tufted mound. Perfect edging or rock garden accent.

Blue Flax

Delicate sky-blue flowers open each morning on airy stems over fine foliage.

Blue Grama Grass

Short clumping grass with distinctive eyebrow-shaped seed heads thrives in dry soils.

Blue Oat Grass

Compact clumps of steel-blue blades provide year-round color and texture.

Bobo Hydrangea

Dwarf paniculata smothered in blooms. Perfect front-of-border plant that needs almost no care.

Bougainvillea

Explosive cascades of papery bracts. Covers walls and fences in color.

Brunnera

Clouds of tiny forget-me-not blue flowers over heart-shaped leaves. Thrives in dry shade once established.

Butterfly Bush

Long, arching flower wands that butterflies absolutely lose their minds over.

Butterfly Milkweed

Vivid orange-red flat-topped clusters that monarchs and swallowtails cannot resist. Drought-proof once established.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

California Fuchsia

Low mounds of gray foliage are covered in tubular red-orange flowers in late summer.

California Poppy

Golden cups that carpet hillsides across the state. Closes at night and on cloudy days.

Camassia

Tall spikes of starry flowers rise above strappy foliage in late spring.

Caradonna Salvia

Dark purple stems set this apart from every other salvia. Vertical, architectural, electric.

Cat's Meow Catmint

Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.

Catmint

Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.

Century Plant

Grows for decades, then sends up a massive flower stalk up to 20 feet tall before dying. Worth the wait.

Chaste Tree

Long lavender-blue spikes cover this heat-loving shrub all summer. One of the few shrubs that actually blooms in August.

Chicago Apache Daylily

Scarlet red with a velvety texture. One of the best true red daylilies available.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Cliffrose

Creamy white rose-like flowers with sweet fragrance and feathery seed plumes on a tough Rocky Mountain native.

Climbing Hydrangea

Slow to start but spectacular once established, covering shady walls with flat-topped white lacecap flowers and exfoliating bark.

Coleus

Grown for kaleidoscopic foliage, not flowers. Pinch blooms to keep energy in the leaves.

Compass Plant

Tall stems with large yellow daisies tower over deeply cut basal leaves that align north-south.

Coneflower

Tough prairie native with long bloom season and medicinal history.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Cosmos

Airy, dancing flowers on thread-thin stems. Effortless cottage garden charm.

Crape Myrtle

The tree of the South. Months of crinkled blooms and gorgeous peeling bark.

Creeping Phlox

Cascading sheets of spring color over walls and slopes. Evergreen mat.

Creeping Thyme

Fragrant, walkable ground cover. Bees love it, foot traffic can't kill it.

Crocus

One of the first signs of spring, pushing through snow with jewel-toned cups.

Daffodil

Cheerful trumpets that naturalize beautifully and return stronger each year.

Daylily

Virtually indestructible perennial with trumpet blooms in every warm hue.

Desert Marigold

Cheerful desert wildflower that blooms almost year-round in warm climates. Thrives on neglect.

Double Knock Out Rose

Fuller, double-petaled version of the Knock Out. Same bulletproof performance with more petal count.

Draba

Tiny alpine cushion plant smothered in bright yellow flowers in early spring. Perfect miniature scale.

Dragon's Blood Sedum

Creeping mat of burgundy-tinged foliage with starry red flowers. Turns deep red in fall.

Drift Rose

Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.

Dutch Iris

Slender stems bear elegant iris blooms in late spring to early summer.

Dutchman's Breeches

Finely cut foliage and clusters of puffy white pantaloon-shaped flowers in early spring. A charming ephemeral that disappears by summer.

Dwarf Crested Iris

Tiny lavender-blue iris flowers with gold crests on a spreading native ground cover. A spring woodland treasure.

Echeveria

Perfect rosettes in blue, green, pink, and purple. Bell-shaped flowers on arching stems. Frost-tender.

Elliott's Bluestar

Pale blue starry flowers in spring give way to feathery foliage that turns brilliant gold in fall. Two seasons of beauty for zero effort.

Empress Wu Hosta

The world's largest hosta. Individual leaves can exceed two feet. A bold statement in any shade garden.

Epimedium

Delicate fairy-wing flowers above leathery foliage. One of the toughest dry shade groundcovers.

False Sunflower

Cheerful golden-yellow daisies that bloom for months on a tough native perennial. The sunniest, most reliable workhorse in the border.

Fawn Lily

Mottled leaves and nodding white flowers with swept-back petals emerge in early spring from Pacific Northwest woodlands.

Fire and Ice Hosta

Stark white centers with deep green margins, high contrast that jumps out from a shady border.

Forsythia

A wall of golden yellow on bare branches. Spring's loudest announcement.

Fountain Grass

Arching, bottlebrush plumes that catch the light. Movement in the garden.

Frances Williams Hosta

Classic blue-green heart-shaped leaves with wide gold margins that make this one of the all-time great hostas.

Globe Thistle

Perfectly spherical steel-blue globes on white stems that dry to perfection. Bees are absolutely obsessed.

Glory-of-the-Snow

Star-shaped blooms that appear as snow melts. Naturalizes into drifts.

Goatsbeard

Giant creamy plumes like an astilbe on steroids. Native woodland giant that anchors a shade border.

Golden Rain Tree

Showers of small yellow flowers followed by papery lantern-like seed pods. Tolerates tough urban conditions.

Golden Tiara Hosta

Small, fast-spreading mound with chartreuse-gold margins and one of the easiest hostas you can grow.

Goldenrod

Wrongly blamed for allergies. A vital late-season pollinator magnet.

Goldsturm Black-Eyed Susan

The gold standard rudbeckia. Uniform, floriferous, and utterly reliable in any soil.

Gooseneck Loosestrife

Gracefully arching white flower spikes that curve at the tips like a goose neck. Spreads vigorously in moist soil.

Grape Hyacinth

Tiny grape-like clusters that spread into rivers of blue over time.

Green-and-Gold

Bright yellow star flowers appear for months above mat-forming foliage. The best spring ground cover for the Southeast.

Guacamole Hosta

Chartreuse-gold leaves with dark green margins and sweetly fragrant white flowers that perfume the shade garden.

Halcyon Hosta

The bluest hosta you can grow. Thick, heavily textured leaves resist slugs better than most.

Happy Returns Daylily

Lemon-yellow rebloomer with light fragrance. A bit taller than Stella with softer color.

Hellebore

The Lenten Rose. Elegant nodding blooms that thrive in deep shade.

Hens and Chicks

Tight rosettes that multiply by producing offsets. The mother plant flowers once, then dies, replaced by chicks.

Hidcote Lavender

Compact and intensely dark purple. The standard against which all other lavenders are measured.

Hosta

The undisputed queen of shade gardening. Foliage in every green and blue.

Hyperion Daylily

Tall, pale lemon-yellow, sweetly fragrant blooms on an heirloom variety that's been cherished since 1925.

Ice Follies Daffodil

White petals frame a wide, ruffled cup that opens yellow and fades to cream. Multiplies fast.

Ice Plant

Neon-bright daisy flowers that shimmer in the sun over succulent foliage. Thrives in hot, dry rock gardens.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Indian Grass

Golden-orange fall color and shimmering flower spikes make this tall prairie native one of autumn's best performers.

Japanese Anemone

Graceful, swaying blooms on tall stems. Elegant in partial shade.

Japanese Forest Grass

Arching variegated leaves form graceful cascades and brighten shady spots.

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver and burgundy fronds unlike any other fern. Foliage plant that earns its keep on color alone.

June Hosta

Gold center streaked with blue-green margins. Color shifts through the season. A collector's favorite.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Strong vertical plumes emerge in early summer and persist as tawny stems through winter.

Kerria

Cheerful golden-yellow pompoms on bright green stems that stay vivid green all winter. One of the easiest shade-tolerant shrubs.

King Alfred Daffodil

The classic golden trumpet daffodil. Naturalizes into massive sweeps that return for decades.

Knock Out Rose

The rose that changed everything. Disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and blooms nonstop from spring to frost.

Lady's Mantle

Chartreuse frothy flowers and pleated blue-green leaves that hold water droplets like mercury. The ultimate filler plant.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Lavender

Fragrant silver-green mounds beloved by bees and humans alike.

Lenten Rose

Nodding flowers in late winter when nothing else is blooming. Evergreen foliage adds year-round structure to shade gardens.

Lily-of-the-Valley

Tiny bell-shaped flowers with one of the most intoxicating fragrances in the plant world. Spreads into lush carpets under trees.

Limelight Hydrangea

Cone-shaped blooms open chartreuse, mature to white, then blush pink in fall. Tough as nails.

Little Bluestem

Upright clumps turn coppery orange in fall and stand well through winter.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Compact Limelight. Same color show in a smaller package perfect for borders and containers.

Lungwort

Flowers open pink and turn blue on the same stem. Silver-spotted foliage looks great all season.

Magnus Coneflower

The gold standard coneflower. Flat, non-drooping petals around a bold copper cone. Perennial Plant of the Year.

Maiden Grass

Narrow arching foliage creates elegant vase shapes topped with coppery pink plumes in fall.

Marigold

Bulletproof color all season long. The workhorse of warm-toned borders.

May Night Salvia

Perennial Plant of the Year. Dense indigo-violet spikes that rebloom if deadheaded.

Mexican Feather Grass

Gossamer fine blades ripple in the slightest breeze like living silk. Plant where you can watch it move.

Mexican Hat

Distinctive sombrero-like flowers sway on wiry stems in summer prairies.

Miscanthus

Tall, graceful plumes that persist through winter. Living architecture.

Morning Glory

Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.

Morning Light Miscanthus

Fine white-edged foliage shimmers in morning light, then silver plumes arch above in fall.

Munstead Lavender

Earlier blooming and slightly softer purple than Hidcote. Gertrude Jekyll's favorite for a reason.

Native Spiderwort

Three-petaled flowers in blue-purple open fresh each morning on a tough native that blooms for weeks and seeds freely.

Ninebark

Peeling bark, burgundy foliage, and white puffs. A native multitasker.

Northwind Switchgrass

Stiffly upright blue-green foliage that never flops. The most architectural switchgrass available.

Oceanspray

Cascading creamy white plumes on arching branches. Western Washington's summer answer to a native bridal veil.

Ostrich Fern

Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.

Pacific Bleeding Heart

Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.

Pardon Me Daylily

Compact cranberry-red with a yellow-green throat and one of the best reblooming habits in the entire family.

Patriot Hosta

Dark green leaves with crisp white margins. Classic variegated hosta that brightens shady spots.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Phenomenal Lavender

Survives humidity and cold that kills other lavenders. Silver foliage stays tight and full.

Pieris

Chains of lily-of-the-valley flowers dangle over colorful new growth. Year-round structure for shady borders.

Pink Muhly Grass

Billowing pink seed clouds float over fine foliage in autumn and remain attractive dried.

Polish Spirit Clematis

Deep violet-purple flowers cover a vigorous plant from midsummer to fall. Prune hard each spring and stand back.

Pomegranate

Brilliant orange-red blossoms in late spring and summer are followed by decorative, edible fruits.

Prairie Dock

Huge basal leaves and tall stalks topped with yellow daisies give strong prairie structure.

Prairie Dropseed

Fine-textured mounds send up airy fragrant flower sprays that persist into winter.

Prairie Sky Switchgrass

The bluest foliage of any switchgrass, with airy pink seed clouds drifting above in late summer.

Prairie Smoke

Nodding wine-red flowers transform into feathery pink seed plumes that persist into summer. Native prairie gem.

Purple de Oro Daylily

Deep purple-red blooms on a compact Stella-sized plant. Brings rich color to the front of the border.

Purple Fountain Grass

Burgundy foliage topped with fuzzy rose-colored plumes. Stunning in containers where it's treated as an annual in cold climates.

Purple Prairie Clover

Brushy purple flower spikes rise over fine foliage and feed prairie pollinators.

Red Hot Poker

Torch-like spikes in fire-orange and yellow that hummingbirds zoom straight to. Bold and unforgettable.

Red Hot Returns Daylily

Brilliant red with a small yellow center, compact and one of the earliest daylilies to kick into rebloom.

Rhubarb

Huge leaves and thick red stalks give a lush look while supplying tart harvests.

Rodgersia

Huge textured leaves resembling horse chestnuts with fluffy plumes. Architectural shade statement.

Rose of Sharon

Tropical-looking hibiscus flowers on a cold-hardy shrub. Blooms late.

Rosy Returns Daylily

Soft rose-pink blooms with a cream throat that keep coming from late spring to frost, absolutely tireless.

Rozanne Geranium

Violet-blue saucer flowers on a sprawling mound that blooms from late spring until frost. The most awarded perennial geranium in history.

Russian Sage

Airy lavender clouds on silver stems. Thrives in heat and poor soil.

Sagae Hosta

Huge gray-blue leaves with creamy margins on a stately, vase-shaped plant that wins awards for good reason.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Scilla

Carpets of brilliant blue that naturalize under trees with zero effort.

Sea Holly

Metallic blue bracts and cones turn the whole plant a vivid silvery-blue. Otherworldly and completely drought-proof.

Sea Thrift

Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Shasta Daisy

Classic white-and-gold daisies that look fresh from a meadow painting.

Shenandoah Switchgrass

Compact selection that turns vivid burgundy-red in late summer earlier than any other switchgrass.

Showy Goldenrod

Upright spikes of bright yellow flowers feed late-season pollinators on dry prairies.

Sideoats Grama

Seed heads hang like tiny flags along one side of the stem on this graceful, drought-tolerant prairie native.

Siloam Doodlebug Daylily

Tiny pastel pink blooms on a miniature plant, perfect for container gardens and tight spaces.

Smoke Tree

Airy pink flower plumes create a smoke-like haze around the canopy. 'Royal Purple' has burgundy foliage.

Snowdrop

Delicate nodding bells that bloom fearlessly in late winter cold.

Solomon's Seal

Arching stems hung with dangling white bells. Pairs of leaves create graceful, layered architecture.

Speedwell

Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.

Spirea

Flat-topped flower clusters on tidy mounds. The easiest flowering shrub.

Stained Glass Hosta

Glossy gold center with dark green margins, like light through a cathedral window.

Stella de Oro Daylily

The most planted perennial in America. Compact, reblooming, and basically indestructible.

Stokes Aster

Fringed, shaggy-petaled flowers in shades of cornflower blue that bloom for weeks on a tough Southern native.

Sulphur Flower

Sulfur-yellow flower clusters on a silvery-leaved cushion plant. One of the toughest and prettiest natives of the Mountain West.

Sum and Substance Hosta

Chartreuse giant that can take more sun than most hostas. Heart-shaped leaves grow enormous.

Sundrop

Bright yellow cups that open in daylight on a cheerful, drought-tolerant native that spreads into informal drifts.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Sweet Olive

Small clustered flowers perfume the garden with an apricot-like scent over a long season.

Switchgrass

Upright native grass with airy seed heads. Gold and red fall color.

Texas Blue Star

Fine foliage and pale blue starry flowers are followed by golden fall color.

Thread-Leaf Coreopsis

Thread-fine foliage and masses of tiny yellow stars bloom for months with zero effort. A perennial you can actually neglect.

Tickseed

Cheerful native daisy that blooms for months with almost no care.

Toad Lily

Orchid-like spotted flowers when everything else is done. A late-season shade garden gem.

Trumpet Vine

Aggressive native vine with fiery trumpets. Hummingbird highway.

Tufted Hair Grass

Airy gold-green flower clouds hover above dark evergreen tufts. One of the few grasses that thrives in moist shade.

Turk's Cap

Nodding red hibiscus flowers that never fully open are pure hummingbird candy across the Gulf South.

Twinspike Coral Bells

Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.

Vinca

Evergreen mat with periwinkle-blue flowers. Tough shade ground cover.

Visions in Pink Astilbe

Compact and more drought-tolerant than most astilbes. Dense, rosy-pink plumes.

Walker's Low Catmint

Perennial Plant of the Year. Billowy lavender-blue spikes that rebloom hard after a shear.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

Weigela

Tubular blooms smother arching branches in late spring. Hummingbird haven.

White Prairie Clover

Cylindrical white flower spikes with orange anthers on a delicate, drought-proof prairie native that feeds bees all summer.

White Wild Indigo

Luminous white lupin-like spikes on a structural native that's practically indestructible and improves with every year.

Wide Brim Hosta

Blue-green leaves with wide creamy-white margins that age to a clean white, a standout performer in any shade garden.

Wild Geranium

Soft pink blooms over deeply-cut foliage. A woodland edge staple.

Winter Aconite

Buttercup-yellow blooms that push through frozen ground before the crocuses.

Wonderful Pomegranate

Reliable cultivar bearing large red fruits and vivid orange flowers.

Yarrow

Flat-topped clusters on ferny foliage. Thrives on neglect in poor soil.

Yucca

Sword-like evergreen foliage sends up dramatic stalks of white bells. Tough, architectural, underrated.

Zebra Grass

Horizontal yellow bands cross the blades in a pattern unique among ornamental grasses. Bold and architectural.

Zinnia

Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.