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Bee Balm

Bee Balm
Butterfly Bushes

Butterfly Bushes
Daisies

Daisies
Coneflower

Coneflower
Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental Grasses
Ground Covers along a rock walkway leading up to a country home

Groundcovers
Allium perennial in the landscape

Perennials
Fast Growing Bushes - Nature Hills Nursery

Fast Growing Bushes
Tall Ornamental Grass

Tall Ornamental Grasses
Privet Bushes

Privet Bushes
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  • Dancing™ Can Can Cordyline

    Cordyline australis 'Dancing Can Can' PP24029

    35% off
    $4339 $6676
  • Product image coming soon

    Mad Magenta Dianthus

    Dianthus x hybrida 'Mad Magenta

    35% off
    $1754 $2699

  • Thunderbolt® Box Honeysuckle Bush

    Lonicera nitida 'Golden Glow'

    $10389

  • Golden Ticket® Privet

    Ligustrum x vicaryi 'NCLX1'

    (1)
    $2614

  • Torbay Dazzler Cordyline

    Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler'

    35% off
    $4340 $6677
  • Blazeprince Peach (Prunus persica 'Blazeprince'), a tree featuring open, rounded form.

    Blazeprince Peach

    Prunus persica 'Blazeprince'

    $8392

  • Powerball® Panicle Hydrangea

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Powerball'

    (557)
    $2614
  • Karmina Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Karmina'), a perennial featuring pink flowers and perennial.

    Karmina Cranesbill Geranium

    Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Karmina'

    $3476

  • Gold Tide® Forsythia

    Forsythia 'Courtasol'

    $7493

  • Sunjoy Really Red® Barberry

    Berberis thunbergii 'NCBX3'

    $2614
  • Chamaecyparis obtusa Contorta with dense, twisted green foliage in a 15-inch container, displayed on gravel nursery ground

    Contorted Hinoki False Cypress

    Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Contorta'

    35% off
    $8604 $13237

  • Center Stage® Coral Crape Myrtle

    Lagerstroemia 'SMNLCOR'

    $2659

  • Sunny Boulevard™ St. John's Wort

    Hypericum x SUNNY BOULEVARD 'Deppe'

    $2614

  • White Album® Wintercreeper Euonymus

    Euonymus fortunei 'Alban'

    $2615
  • Rosie Josie Joe - Pye Weed (Eupatorium x 'Rosie Josie'), a perennial featuring pink flowers and perennial.

    Rosie Josie Joe - Pye Weed

    Eupatorium x 'Rosie Josie'

    (1)
    $5644
  • Flat-tery Boxwood shrub with dense dark green foliage growing low and wide over wood chip mulch.

    Flat - tery™ Boxwood

    Buxus x ‘Prostrate3’ PP29,574

    35% off
    $6645 $10223

  • Vintage Jade Distylium

    Distylium 'Vintage Jade'

    $9907

  • Spartan Juniper Tree

    Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan'

    $4262
  • City Slicker® Birch Tree - Tree - Nature Hills Nursery - 3 Container 3 - 4 Feet Multi Stem -

    City Slicker® Birch Tree

    Betula nigra 'Whit XXV' PP16,573

    35% off
    $6515 $10023

  • Ru - Bee Wren™ Bush Honeysuckle

    Diervilla rivularis 'SMDCS' PP33,288

    35% off
    $5671 $8725

  • Castle Keep® Blue Holly

    Ilex x meserveae 'SMNIFA'

    $2659

  • Poprocks® Petite Spirea

    Spiraea japonica 'Odessa'

    $6902
  • Fountains Of Rouge™ Virginia Sweetspire

    Fountains Of Rouge™ Virginia Sweetspire

    Itea virginica 'Fountains of Rouge™'

    35% off
    $5184 $7975

  • Sunjoy Todo® Barberry

    Berberis x 'NCBX1'

    $2614
  • Product image coming soon

    Spintop Red Starburst Blanket Flower

    Gaillardia aristata 'Spintop Red Starburst'

    35% off
    $1699 $2614

  • Twisted Hinoki False Cypress

    Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Torulosa'

    35% off
    $8604 $13237

  • Soft Serve® Gold False Cypress

    Chamaecyparis pisifera 'FARROWCGMS'

    $2614

  • Mushroom Japanese Cedar

    Cryptomeria japonica 'Mushroom'

    35% off
    $6032 $9280

  • Cryptomeria Yoshino Japanese Cedar

    Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino'

    (22)
    $20968
  • Needlepoint Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint'), a shrub featuring white flowers and dense, erect form.

    Needlepoint Holly

    Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint'

    (2)
    $3461

Low Maintenance Plants

Our collection of easy care plants delivers stunning beauty without demanding your time. These low maintenance plants are perfect for busy homeowners, beginner gardeners, and anyone seeking a gorgeous landscape that practically cares for itself.

Why Choose Low Maintenance Plants?

These carefully selected varieties offer exceptional drought tolerance, disease resistance, and year-round appeal with minimal pruning, watering, or fertilizing. From hardy shrubs to resilient perennials, each plant has been chosen for its ability to thrive with little intervention while providing maximum visual impact.

What Makes a Plant Low Maintenance?

Our low maintenance plants feature:

  • Drought tolerant once established, reducing water needs
  • Disease and pest resistant varieties requiring fewer treatments
  • Minimal pruning requirements saving time and effort
  • Adaptable to various soil types and conditions
  • Hardy across multiple growing zones for reliable performance
  • Self-cleaning blooms with no deadheading needed

Perfect Plants for Every Garden Style

Whether you're creating a xeriscape garden, filling problem areas with poor soil, or simply want more time to enjoy your yard rather than maintain it, this collection includes:

Low Maintenance Shrubs: Landscape shrub roses, spirea, ninebark, and hardy hydrangeas that provide structure and seasonal interest

Easy Care Perennials: Sedum, coneflowers, Russian sage, and yarrow that return year after year with vibrant blooms

Drought Tolerant Trees: Water-wise selections that establish quickly and require minimal irrigation

Beginner-Friendly Plants: Foolproof varieties perfect for first-time gardeners building confidence

Benefits Beyond Easy Care

These low water plants don't just save time—they conserve water, reduce maintenance costs, and support pollinators. Many are native or adaptable plants that thrive in your local climate, making them sustainable choices for modern landscaping.

Create Your Low Maintenance Garden Today

Browse our selection of tried-and-true, garden-tested plants that prove low maintenance never means low impact. Each variety has been evaluated for performance, hardiness, and visual appeal to ensure you get professional results with minimal effort. Start building the effortless landscape you've always wanted with Nature Hills' low maintenance plant collection.

FAQ's for Buying Low Maintenance Plants Online

How often do I need to water low maintenance plants?
Once established (typically after the first growing season), most low maintenance plants need watering only during extended dry periods. During the establishment phase, water deeply 2-3 times per week for the first few months, then gradually reduce frequency as roots develop. After that first year, many drought tolerant varieties can thrive on natural rainfall alone in most climates. Signs your plants need water include wilting leaves or dry soil 3-4 inches below the surface. The goal is deep, infrequent watering that encourages strong root systems rather than shallow, frequent watering.

What are the best low maintenance plants for full shade vs. full sun?
For full sun (6+ hours direct sunlight), consider Russian sage, sedum, coneflowers, spirea, and landscape roses. These thrive in heat and require minimal water once established. For full shade (less than 3 hours of sun), hostas, astilbe, and certain hydrangeas like Invincibelle varieties perform beautifully with little fuss. For partial shade areas, ninebark, coral bells, and many ornamental grasses adapt well to varying light conditions. When selecting plants, matching sun exposure to plant requirements is one of the most important factors for truly low maintenance success.

Do low maintenance plants need fertilizer?
Low maintenance plants typically need minimal fertilizing compared to high-maintenance varieties. A single application of slow-release, balanced fertilizer in early spring is usually sufficient for most shrubs and perennials in this collection. Many drought tolerant plants actually prefer lean soil and can become leggy or produce fewer blooms with over-fertilizing. Native and adaptable plants often thrive without any supplemental feeding once established, getting nutrients from decomposing mulch and natural soil processes. If your plants show good growth and healthy color, they likely don't need additional fertilizer.

How much care do low maintenance plants need in the first year?
The first growing season requires more attention to ensure successful establishment. Plan to water regularly (2-3 times weekly during dry spells), apply 2-3 inches of mulch to retain moisture, and monitor for any pest or disease issues. This initial investment of care allows roots to develop deeply, which is what makes these plants truly low maintenance in subsequent years. After the first year, most varieties in this collection transition to needing only occasional watering during droughts, annual mulch replenishment, and minimal pruning. Think of the first year as building the foundation for years of easy care ahead.

Which low maintenance plants are truly the easiest for complete beginners?
For foolproof success, start with sedum (stonecrop), spirea, daylilies, coneflowers, and Russian sage. These plants are incredibly forgiving of inconsistent watering, poor soil, pruning mistakes, and general neglect. Knockout and Oso Easy landscape roses are also excellent beginner choices since they're disease resistant and don't require deadheading or complicated pruning schedules. Ninebark shrubs and switchgrass adapt to almost any condition and look great with virtually no maintenance. If you're building confidence as a gardener, these varieties let you succeed right away while you learn. They're hard to kill and reward even basic care with impressive results.
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