Easy landscaping plants supply the same benefits as high-maintenance plants without unnecessary time consumption. They are easy to look after and can endure various undesirable growing conditions. When choosing the simple landscaping plant, think about the requirements of the area. For example, evergreen shrubs hide eyesores in the yard, while perennial flowers brighten a shaded corner in the garden.
Evergreen Shrubs
Easy evergreen shrubs are ideal plants to hide unattractive areas such as your home’s foundation. “Rotunda” dwarf Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta “Rotunda”) is just a 3- to 4-foot-tall evergreen tree growth in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. This low-maintenance plant has a round form with spiny leaf and dense divisions. “Rotunda” does not flower or produce fruit and grows in full to partial sun. Peacock blossom (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a semievergreen tropical tree growing in USDA zones 8 through 11. This sun-loving plant produces ferny foliage and magnificent red and orange flowers which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It is a quick grower, reaching heights between 8 and 10 feet tall. Peacock blossom is an easy-care plant which tolerates drought and works well as a hedge plant.
Ground Covers
Ground covers are versatile plants which suppress weeds and hide the awful ground under trees, shrubs and flower beds. Japanese holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) is a 1- to 3-foot-tall spreading evergreen with dark fronds. It’s a low-maintenance plant growing in nesting places in USDA zones 6 through 11. Goldmoss sedum (Sedum acre) is a succulent evergreen ground cover creating yellow, butterfly-attracting flowers in the spring. It grows 3 ins tall in bright regions in USDA zones 3 through 9. The deer-resistant goldmoss sedum is drought-tolerant once established and requires little to no upkeep.
Perennials
Low-maintenance, simple perennials brighten up places with vibrant blossoms that attract beneficial insects. Butterfly gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) is also an easy-to-grow flowering perennial creating continuous sprays of white flowers blushed with pink through the summer and fall months. It grows in full sun to partial shade in USDA zones 5 through 9. Butterfly gaura is drought-tolerant and resistant to deer. Cape leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) is a broadleaf evergreen perennial found in USDA zones 8 through 11. It grows between 1 and 3 feet tall in full sun to partial shade. Cape leadwort produces pale blue flowers during the growing season.
Trees
Easy landscape tree “Akebono” yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis “Akebono”) is a flowering ornamental tree growing in USDA zones 4 through 8. It reaches heights of up to 25 feet in full sun. “Akebono” produces an abundance of fragrant blush-pink flowers in March and April. This tree requires weekly watering but is usually easy to grow. The cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas) is just a low-maintenance tree growing in USDA zones 4 through 8. It reaches heights of 15 to 25 feet in full sun to partial shade and tolerates clay dirt and deer. In late winter, yellow starlike flowers look and are followed by bird-attracting red drupes. Cornelian cherry dogwood works well as a hedge or privacy tree when planted in masses.