Low Maintenance Plants for Commercial Landscaping

General Tips for Low Maintenance Plants

Think evergreen

You will want to keep the hard work for the planting phase and choose low-maintenance trees that are perennial so you can enjoy bright green foliage year round in years to come. Evergreen trees will provide partial shade to plants all year round.

Make mulch your new best friend

You will not want to completely fill your outdoor space with plants and trees. In fact, to help plants thrive, it can really help to add mulch in gaps between them, creating natural paths and keeping weeds firmly at bay. This locks in moisture as well, which will mean practically no maintenance if you are lucky.

Consider grass alternatives

Grass can require a lot of maintenance throughout the seasons, but there are alternatives that can be considered depending on where you are based. Moss can be an excellent option in humid regions, while pussytoes and wild ginger can be a better choice in cooler northern areas. In the deep south, you may want to look at evergreen plants, including clover fields.

Remember that rocks are part of nature too

Aside from the best low-maintenance plants, when you are thinking of options that will be sustainable in the long run, why not add some local rocks to the landscape? Rock beds provide natural borders between the various plants and trees and also provide a focal point that will help draw peoples’ eyes to the different sections.

Default to native species

Native plants and trees will naturally be the best low maintenance plant options as they will be used to the conditions they are being planted in and how to thrive there. Perennial plants are best as there is a lot less you will need to do in order to ensure they keep on going. Do your research and figure out which native plants and trees can often be found growing in close proximity and in harmony with one another; also, choose those that complement each other aesthetically.

20 Low Maintenance Landscaping plants

Shrub: Barberry

The barberry is popular in commercial landscaping, primarily because it needs very little care. It is not too fussy about soil types and has vibrant color throughout the seasons. All you will need to do is prune it once in a while, and it will be more than happy.

Shrub or Small Tree: Smoketree

The smoke tree is best known for its spectacular fall foliage and visually attractive bark, but it is pretty disease resistant too and requires almost no maintenance, in fact thriving when just left to do its thing. You can get a single tree to stand out or perhaps have several around a border.

Peony

Peonies are known for their dazzling flowers, which are usually in bloom from spring to early summer. They will add a wow factor to your garden area, but they are also resistant to bad weather and pretty much most things, which may be surprising for a plant so beautiful. Delicate they certainly are not!

Texas Ranger

The Texas Ranger is one hardy plant. It needs some sun, and consequently will need watering plenty in the summer months; but other than that there is very little maintenance needed, and you can just enjoy the various shades of purple blooming. Quite a sight to behold.

Blue Mist Spirea (Bluebeard)

One of the most hardy perennials of all, this plant is drought resistant as well as being heat resistant. It will do best in partial shade and will just need a little pruning throughout the seasons. The striking blue flowers are a sight to behold and will add some tranquility to the landscape.

Black-Eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susans bloom from July to September with wonderful yellow flowers that will attract butterflies. The visual appeal is just one good thing; they are also sun-loving, so can be one of the focal points of the more open areas.

Hosta

The hosta can be quite a thirsty plant, but aside from this, it is among the best low-maintenance plants. It will do best in a little shade, and you will need to make sure it is hydrated; but it does well in pretty much any soil type and is great for adding some greenery.

Gardenia augusta ‘Radicans’ / CREEPING GARDENIA

Creeping gardenia works best as a border plant; it thrives with some morning sun and afternoon shade and is known for the impressive fragrance of its flowers. This is often the first thing you will notice!

Blue Fescue

Blue fescue is an ornamental grass that needs a sunny location. It is evergreen, but some of the older spindles may discolor over time and need to be plucked off, which is very easily done. Other than this, little maintenance is required, and these charming, spindly grasses make a great addition to the ground foliage.

Algerian Ivy

Algerian ivy can provide ground cover or makes an excellent accessory to walls or fences, but it much prefers shady areas; and if it is in the sun, it may need very frequent watering in order to stay in good condition. A great addition to your beautiful landscape.

Crepe Myrtle

In a variety of colors and flowering in mid-late summer, these attractive plants help to keep things interesting throughout the bloom year. Japanese beetles are rather fond of eating them, so you have to take measures to minimize this, sometimes with spraying. You should also plant them in an area that is likely to be sheltered both from intense sunlight and high winds.

Crown of Thorns

This is a plant that really thrives in the heat, so you will want to make sure it is in one of the sunniest parts of the landscape. There are multiple varieties so you can choose a color that best complements what you already have. What’s more, these will need almost no maintenance and so are exactly what you have been looking for.

Japanese Boxwood

Japanese boxwood is the go-to shrub if you want to add a good amount of greenery to the outdoor space. They grow very slowly, and so you can take your time figuring out the shape you want to trim them into when the time comes. After that you will need to do very little to keep them in great condition. An excellent choice all around.

Knockout Rose

These multiple blooming roses seem to fare well against the traditional rose diseases and are easy to maintain. Available in various colors to suit your landscape, they may be susceptible to Japanese beetles; but if you inject systemic insecticide each year, their damage will be minimal. As with all roses, there are thorns, so be sure to use hardy gloves when pruning them.

Coppertina Ninebark

The main thing to bear in mind with this large shrub is to give it plenty of room to grow. It flowers in late spring and has striking copper-colored foliage but will need quite aggressive pruning so it does not grow too large. It is extremely disease-resistant, which perhaps partially explains how it thrives so well also.

Common Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is a great addition because it relies on the lower temperatures of the colder months in order to bring out the best of its blooms. It will need to be planted where it can get some sunlight, but a little shade is fine. Full or partial sun is the way to go.

Blue Star Juniper

Blue Star Juniper is ideal for a low maintenance landscape as it really takes its time to grow and tends to hug the floor, meaning it will be a few years before you even have to think about pruning. The attractive blue needles are what give this plant its name, and they will most definitely be pleasing on the eye.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

No matter the season, the Oakleaf Hydrangea has plenty to offer visually. In the summer you have the flowers to admire, but as this season gives way to early autumn, you will start to see spectacular fall colors on the leaves. Then in the winter months, the peeling bark is impressive to look upon. They are pretty low-maintenance too, so you cannot really lose.

Summersweet

Summersweet should be planted in the shade, but there is certainly nothing shady about its appearance. In the summer there are white or pink flowers that have a delicious aroma, and then in fall the green leaves will often turn a golden color, which dazzles the senses. There are multiple varieties which grow between 3 and 8 feet tall, so bear this in mind when planting.

Heavenly Bamboo

Heavenly bamboo can grow up to 7 feet in height so sometimes needs large spaces, but it has colorful foliage throughout the seasons, and it can adapt to a range of conditions but ideally not too hot or cold. There are creamy-white flowers in the summer with red fruit in early fall, so there is always something to see.

Plan an Easy Commercial Landscape for Long-Lasting Results

When choosing from the plants above for your landscape, you will need to consider which ones will work best together in your particular space. Most are hardy plants, and many will thrive in most soil types, but you need to consider which will go best together to provide lush foliage that will be easy to maintain and a feast for the senses. Done right, the result will be a beautiful and low-maintenance landscape suitable for any business. Contact Turf TitanZ today for all of your commercial landscape needs  (919) 562-0771.