23 best low-maintenance garden and houseplants
Whether you're new to gardening or an old hat green-fingered enthusiast, you could probably use at least a few low-maintenance garden plants and houseplants in your life. Not every plant can be a fussy orchid or rose, demanding time and attention.
Therefore, it's helpful to have some reliable low-maintenance garden and houseplants ticking along in the background.
While none are completely maintenance free (aside from, perhaps, artificial flowers), these living plants are as close as you can get.
Low-maintenance garden and houseplant ideas
Our list contains houseplants that will happily go weeks without watering, or can hold up in the lowest of low-light situations. Whereas for gardens, we have wildflowers and shrubs that, once established, will weather high heat, low light, and drought while looking great.
"Ornamental grasses are also a fantastic option for low-maintenance gardens," say the British Garden Centres team. "They thrive in a variety of conditions, tolerating a range of soil types and light levels, making them ideal for the temperamental UK climate. This makes them ideal for gardeners who don't have a lot of time to fuss over their garden’s specific needs."
Succulents are the answer to low-maintenance, high-impact dreams, add the team. "These hardy plants come in a stunning array of shapes, sizes, and colours, and can be planted outdoors or even kept inside. Succulents are incredibly drought-tolerant thanks to their water-storing leaves. This makes them perfect for the UK's unpredictable weather and ideal for busy gardeners who don't have time for frequent watering"
Read on for 23 fuss-free and foolproof indoor and outdoor plants...
Alliums
Alliums, also known as ornamental onions, are generally low-maintenance plants that require little care. Adding height and colour to your garden, this perennial flower is easy to grow and lasts a long time - a win-win in our books.
Watering: As they're drought tolerant, watering of alliums grown in the ground isn't usually necessary. But ones in pots need more frequent watering.
Sunlight: Full sun.
Take note: These thrive in moist but well-drained soil.
Lavender
Known for its fragrant flowers and gorgeous purple hue, lavender is a low-maintenance plant that thrives in various climates and soil conditions. Overall, it's pretty trouble-free if you place it in a pot with free-draining soil in a sunny spot.
Watering: Only water when needed in winter and every 1-2 weeks over summer.
Sunlight: Lavender thrives in full sunshine.
Hosta
Beautiful flowering Hostas are a perennial that can handle both shady and moderately dry conditions.
They benefit from a little morning sun and come in a variety of colors, from dark green to variegated, and can grow up to 16 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
Hostas are very easy to propagate – in the autumn or early spring use a shovel to dig up the plant. Divide the plant in half or thirds and plant in a desired spot.
Watering: Every one to two weeks.
Sunlight: Shade with some morning sun if possible.
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
While there are several different plants with the money tree moniker, we're partial to Pachira aquatica, with it's long, almost translucent leaves and braided trunk. All it needs is comfortable place to live, and a little water.
Watering: Let it dry out between waterings, or use a self-watering planter.
Sunlight: Bright light is best, but moderate light is fine. In dim light, it may get leggy.
Take note: Rotate the plant occasionally to keep it growing evenly on all sides. If you bring it outdoors, place in indirect or dappled light.
Peony
There are thousands of varieties of this spring-blooming perennial.
Its large, showy flowers produce the most blooms when grown in full sunlight, at least 6 to 8 hours a day. Peonies prefer well-drained soil and don’t transplant well, so make sure you pick the right spot the first time around.
Watering: 1 to 2 inches a day.
Sunlight: Full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.
Take note: Peonies need some winter chilling time to form buds so be sure to check varieties for your growing zone.
Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)
This gorgeous houseplant, with the distinctive leaves, is also quite happy to be left alone for periods of time. It's eye-catching and easy to care for.
Watering: Wait until the top inch or two feels dry before watering.
Sunlight: Avoid direct sunlight, but moderate to bright indirect light will work fine.
Take note: Keep away from cats and dogs. Monstera is not edible and will make pets sick.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
Also called summer lilac, this fast-growing shrub can grow up 6 to 12 feet tall and be equally as wide. If you want a more compact plant, there are dwarf versions available. Plant in well drained, fertile soil in a spot that gets loads of sun.
The plant will grow in partial sun but won’t bloom as profusely. Expect flowers for many months starting in the summer and deadhead any spent blooms to encourage continued blooming.
Watering: 1-inch per week during periods of drought.
Sunlight: Full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.
Take note: Some varieties are considered invasive. Look for non-invasive cultivars for your area. While butterfly bushes are not disease prone, they sometime get fungal infections or munched on by caterpillars. Avoid using pesticides as they will hurt butterflies, bees or hummingbirds visiting the plant.
Baby Rubberplant (Peperomia obtusifolia)
This tropical evergreen will stay pretty small, making it great for a bookshelf or nook. The glossy leaves look gorgeous and the plant itself is very disease resistant.
Watering: Let it dry out before watering, but don't let it get bone-dry.
Sunlight: Moderate to low light is just fine. Keep away from direct light, which will burn the leaves.
Take note: Pet owners take note. Being non-toxic, this plant gets along well with pets.
Monkey Grass (Liriope spp.)
This no-fuss plant, also called lilyturf, is popular as a border edging for gardens or a ground cover for shady areas. Once established, it largely cares for itself, and blooms with delicate purple flowers in early autumn.
Watering: Water after planting to establish, and then leave it be.
Sunlight: This does fine in part sun to full shade.
Take note: Once established, it's largely maintenance free, though a once-yearly trim in late winter will keep it looking fresh.
Purple Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis)
This lovely plant has both stunning leaves and lovely five-petaled flowers. When full, it will fill a planter with abundance, and takes very little effort on your part. Do keep it away from pets, though.
Watering: Let the soil dry out between waterings, and make sure it drains well. Or use a self-watering planter.
Sunlight: Bright, indirect light is best, though it can handle lower light.
Take note: Most species will go dormant a few times a year, so if it starts to lose leaves, don't lose hope. Stop watering and put it in a cool, dark place until it starts to regrow.
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
This ornamental grass needs little more than a sunny spot and some moist soil to sprout up high and show off its feathery tops. The long-lasting blooms will hang around well into winter, making it a great addition for adding color to your winter gardenscape.
Watering: It does like moist soil that doesn't dry out, so plant this near water, in rainy areas, or plan to water accordingly.
Sunlight: Full to part sun.
Aloe Vera
Not only is this a low-care (practically no-care) plant, but it also has some amazing benefits. One of the big ones: the gel inside the leaves is great for your skin, and can be used to treat sunburns among other ailments.
Watering: As with most succulents, you want to avoid overwatering; let the soil dry completely before watering.
Sunlight: Bright direct or indirect light will work great for an aloe plant.
Take note: Though the gel can be good for your skin, avoid ingesting, and keep away from pets.
Spirea
These flowering shrubs make great border plants or as a pop of colour behind rows of flowers. They're cold-hardy, can tolerate humidity, or drought, and also attract butterflies and pollinators.
Watering: Water deeply but not frequently to establish. After that, it's drought tolerant.
Sunlight: While the plant likes full sun, it will tolerate shade pretty well. Too much shade, and it will become leggy.
Take note: Flowers appear in the spring and last for a few weeks.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
This is truly a fuss-free plant, and one of the best choices if you're a houseplant novice or travel a lot.
Watering: Water every few weeks - less if it's in a low-light environment. Don't water until the top two inches of soil feel dry.
Sunlight: Anywhere from bright light to low light will be fine. As long as there's a window in the room, this plant will manage.
Take note: This is not one for pet owners, as it's considered toxic.
Jade (Crassula ovata)
With its thick, water-trapping leaves, jade is clearly an easy-to-care-for succulent, but it's one that can get a little taller and more impressive looking than some succulents.
Watering: Because, like other succulents, they hold onto water, they can go a week or even two between waterings. However, don't let them dry out completely.
Sunlight: Bright, indirect light is best, such as a south-facing window.
Take note: Do keep away from pets. Jade plants are mildly toxic to animals and humans.
Coneflower (Echinacea)
When it comes to flowers, it's hard to get more low-maintenance than coneflowers. Drought-tolerant, heat tolerant, shade tolerant, adaptable to most soils, this perennial is also self-seeding and salt resistant. It looks beautiful, and the dried petals even make a calming herbal tea.
Watering: Water seeds well to establish. Plant is drought-tolerant after that.
Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
Take note: This native plant is also great for attracting pollinators.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Beautiful, fragrant, and of course delicious, rosemary has long been loved by home cooks for its ability to transform chicken or flavour desserts. But it's also a lovely low-maintenance houseplant or garden plant.
Watering: Allow top inch of soil to dry between waterings, or use a self-watering planter.
Sunlight: Indoors, bright, indirect light from a south, east, or west facing window is best. Outdoors, it'll handle full sun to partial shade.
Take note: Research shows that simply smelling this therapeutic herb can clear the mind and elevate your mood.
Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
There's a good reason you'll often find the sword-like leaves of a snake plant sticking out of planters in office building entrances, framing lifts, or in waiting rooms: they are pretty hard to kill.
Put one in a distinctive planter in your home, and enjoy the low-maintenance greenery it offers.
Watering: Water only when soil is very dry, and don't give it a lot of water.
Sunlight: Nearly any light level will work, from bright indirect, to mostly artificial light.
Take note: These are, unfortunately, toxic to pets.
Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
With beautiful heart-shaped leaves, this widely available plant looks great in a hanging planter or spilling out of a pot on a bookshelf or end table.
Watering: Use a self-watering planter or water when first few inches of soil are dry to the touch.
Sunlight: Give bright, indirect light from south, east, or west-facing windows.
Take note: Most philodendrons are not pet-safe, so keep them away from curious cats and dogs.
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)
Palms of all sorts make for striking low-maintenance houseplants. They can typically survive in poor, dry soil, do fine without water for a little while, and are slow growing, so you don't have to worry about them becoming rootbound.
Kentia palms, which typically get to about 2 to 3 feet indoors, are particularly easy, as they readily tolerate low light conditions.
Watering: Keep soil moist but not wet. Try not to let it dry out too much; water when top layer of soil is dry. Or use a self-watering planter.
Sunlight: While many palms need bright, indirect light, Kentia will tolerate lower light situations.
Take note: Most palms need warmer temperatures of at least 60 at night, and 70 to 80 during the day, to flourish. Palms also appreciate higher humidity. (Misting with a spray bottle does not work.)
Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Looking like enormous sage leaves, the distinctively fuzzy lamb's ears (also called big ears) practically beg you to reach down and touch — and feels just as soft as it looks.
Even better, this low-maintenance plant needs hardly any attention at all. It makes a great ground cover, as well.
Watering: Water to establish, then it's drought tolerant. Avoid overwatering, which will cause root rot.
Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
Take note: Plant in well-draining soil, especially in places with high humidity.
Lenten Rose (Hellebore orientalis)
These hardy flowers are called Lenten roses because they typically bloom during Lent — in late winter, when snow can still be on the ground. They come in a variety of beautiful colours.
Watering: Plant in moist, well-draining soil, water to establish. Drought tolerant after.
Sunlight: Shade loving, these do best in partial shade, though will tolerate both more sun, and more shade.
Take note: Some people have sensitivity to the leaves and seeds. Cautious gardeners should wear gloves while handling.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
This wildflower is a lovely and easy addition to your flower garden. It's a self-seeding perennial, so once established, it can last in an area for years, offering beauty and attracting pollinators.
Watering: Water seeds or transplants to establish. After that, they're drought tolerant. You can water if the leaves begin to droop.
Sunlight: These wildflowers prefer full sun, so give them space that gets at least 6 hours per day
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