29 Low-Maintenance Flowering Bushes That Won’t Require Constant Attention

Choose the easiest flowering bushes for your garden

A low-maintenance flowering bush comes with the benefit of being a no-fuss shrubbery. It doesn’t require much water or pruning and thrives by being left alone. The best low-maintenance flowering bushes are hardy species of woody and non-woody plants because they grow in almost any setting.

“Talking about their physical features, these low-maintenance flowering bushes have the characteristic woody or semi-woody stems, which is an advantage to survive in many climatic conditions,” Melvin Cubian, a certified botanist and gardening expert for the PlantIn App, says.

Plus, they elevate a garden's overall look. "I've witnessed how the addition of a low-maintenance plant like the knockout rose can elevate a landscape," Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal, says.

Here are 29 of the best low-maintenance flowering bushes to try in your garden this spring and summer.

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Meet the Experts

• Melvin Cubian is a certified botanist and gardening expert for the PlantIn App.

• Bryan Clayton is the CEO of GreenPal.

Boxwood

This plant might not have spectacular blooms (it has tiny yellow flowers). But the bush is easy to shape, Clayton says. And the species is lauded for thriving under neglect, even in the harshest of environments.

• USDA zones: 4-9

• Height: 2-8 ft. tall, 2-8 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full, partial

• Soil Needs: Loamy, with a pH balance of neutral, alkaline

Carolina Allspice

Known for its fragrant flowers and leaves, the Carolina allspice is easy to maintain. This is because a strong branching system can handle high winds and the plant can do well in shade or sun.

• USDA zones: 5-10

• Height: 6-9 ft. tall

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to shade

• Soil Needs: Most soils but well-draining

'Miss Kim' Lilac

This variant of lilac is resistant to powdery mildew, and since it’s a late bloomer, it's less affected by frost. The best part is that this plant tends to grow to a smaller height than common lilac, making it great for smaller yards.

• USDA zones: 4-8

• Height: 6-8 feet tall and wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Loamy with a pH balance of neutral to slightly alkaline

Caper Bush

With fragrant flowers, caper is often used for cooking purposes. It is native to the Mediterranean but thrives in a myriad of soils, including gravely soil.

• USDA zones: 8-10

• Height: 2–3 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Well-drained and with a pH balance of neutral, acidic

Potentilla

With flowers lasting from spring to autumn, this beautiful flowering bush is a great addition to the garden. It is also easy to grow because it can tolerate drought and can handle most soils.

• USDA zones: 3-7

• Height: 3 ft. tall

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to shade

• Soil Needs: Most soils

Meyer lilac

Once this pinkish flowering bush is established after transplanting, it becomes very low maintenance, requiring less water. “It sends a deep root system underground, tolerating periods of drought,” Cubian says.

• USDA zones: 3-7

• Height: 6-8 feet tall and wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Loamy, with a pH balance of neutral to slightly alkaline

Rose of Sharon

When young, the plant needs consistent watering and feeding.

“Larger and older bushes of the Rose of Sharon do not need fertilization and frequent watering, although additional care is needed for yearly blooms,” Cubian says.

This plant is also drought and heat-tolerant and can easily adapt to small yards.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Height: 8–12 ft. tall, 6–10 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full, partial

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, with a pH balance of acidic, neutral

Buttonbush

Complete with white, spiky flowers, this flowering bush is an unusual albeit gorgeous plant and has a fragranced aroma. It’s easy to care for, as the plant can thrive under almost any condition or temperature.

• USDA zones: 5-11

• Height:  6-12 ft. tall, 6-12 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loamy, silt, and moist with a neutral pH balance

Indian Hawthorn

Indian hawthorns are low-maintenance bushes with white cherry blossom-like flowers. Pick these low-maintenance flowering bushes if you live in a warmer climate and don’t want to constantly water your bushes or hedges.

“They are perfect for places with moderate winters and long periods of no rain,” Cubina says.

• USDA zones: 8-10

• Height: 3–6 ft. tall and wide

• Sun Exposure: Full

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained with a pH balance of acidic, neutral, and alkaline

Oleander

This bush’s fragrant flowers come in pink, while some varieties have yellow, white, or orange flowers. The plant grows naturally into a rounder shape, so it doesn’t require much pruning to keep it looking fabulous.

Plus, it’s hardy. “This medium to large-sized bush is commonly used in city landscapes due to its tolerance to pollutants near roads,” Cubina says.

• USDA zones: 8-10

• Height: 8-19 ft., high, 6-10 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full, partial

• Soil Needs: Fertile, adaptable with a pH balance of alkaline

Beautyberry

These flowering bushes can tolerate full sun to partial shade and somewhat dryer conditions. The flowers bloom in late summer, but it is most known for its brilliant purple berries in fall.

• USDA zones: 6-10

• Height:  3–6 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loamy, clay, moist, and well-drained

Lantana

This vining bush is great for warmer climates, where it grows fast. It doesn’t need much watering and can handle less nutrient-rich soils.

“Aside from its multicolored pom-pom flowers, lantana thrives in nutrient-devoid or leached soils that any other bushes will hardly thrive in,” Cabina says.

• USDA zones: 7-11

• Height: 6 ft. high, 6 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full

• Soil Needs: Well-drained with a pH balance of neutral

English Lavender

Commonly used in potpourri or for aromatherapy, lavender is a beautifully flagrant plant. It is also easy to take care of since it prefers dryer conditions and doesn’t need fertilization. Prune the occasional dead or faded blooms, however, to increase growth.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Height: 1-2 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loamy, sandy, silt, and well-drained with a pH balance of neutral,
  alkaline

Caryopteris

This plant will brighten up your garden in the fall, and it will bloom through late summer all the way to the first frost. Caryopteris is heat- and drought-tolerant, but during excessively warm spells, the plant may need frequent watering.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Height:  2 to 3 feet tall and wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Average, well-draining loam

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are low-maintenance bushes because they can handle sandy coastal soils or shady wooded areas. Clayton says these large blooms require little care. In dryer climates, though, the plant needs frequent watering.

• USDA zones: 3-9

• Height: 2-20 ft. tall, 2-6 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full, partial

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained with a pH balance of acidic, neutral,
  alkaline

Azalea

Azaleas are low-maintenance flowering bushes because they are hardy plants. They can thrive in relatively acidic soils and shady spaces.

“For this reason, it’s an excellent flowering bush to incorporate in gardens with little lighting or shaded by large trees,” Cabina says. Clayton adds that they also need very little pruning.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Height: 3–20 ft. tall, 3–20 ft wide

• Sun Exposure: Partial, full

• Soil Needs: Well-drained with a pH balance of acidic

Abelia

New types of this flowering shrub are cold hardy, while several of the variants are rarely affected by diseases, making it an easy plant to care for. Abelia attracts pollinators like hummingbirds and bees and grows lots of flowers.

• USDA zones: 4-11

• Height:  2-10 ft. tall, 2-8 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loamy, moist but well-drained with a pH balance of acidic, neutral

Knockout Rose

These bushes are low-maintenance plants because they can handle many different climates and only need to be pruned once a year.

“They are also resistant to many diseases, and they bloom from spring until frost,” Clayton says.

• USDA zones: 5-11

• Height: Height: 3 ft. - 10 ft.; Width: 3 ft. - 10 ft.

• Sun Exposure: Full

• Soil Needs: Loamy, good drainage, and moist with a pH balance of neutral to acidic

Spirea

This plant is easy to grow in nearly any garden.

“The plant offers vibrant colors and is drought-tolerant,” Clayton says. So, there’s no need to water this pretty flowering bush daily.

• USDA zones: 3-8

• Height: 1-20 ft. tall

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-draining with a pH balance of neutral

Weigela

This flowering bush comes with pretty pink flowers. And the best part is Weigela doesn’t care where it’s planted.

“Minimal pruning needed, and they attract hummingbirds,” Clayton says.

• USDA zones: 4-8

• Height: 6–10 ft. tall, 9–12 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained with a pH balance of acidic

Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush grows fast and strong with little effort on the gardener’s part. It also has great natural resistance to pests and diseases, making it even easier to maintain.

“This plant is drought-tolerant and attracts butterflies,” Clayton says. It is a great plant to add to the garden.

• USDA zones: 5-9
  

• Height: 3–12 ft. tall, 3-8-ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil with a pH balance of acidic, neutral

Rhododendron

Some rhododendrons are native to North America, making it great to grow without much assistance. All they really need is light pruning, and a few inches of mulch will help it bloom. According to Clayton, they are also drought-resistant.

• USDA zones: 4-8

• Height: 2-20 ft. tall, 3-15 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Part shade

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil with a pH balance of acidic

Smoke Bush

These purple plumes are as brilliant as flowers. Smoke bush is great for water conservation because it can handle less water. The plant can handle any pH balance and nearly any soil type as well.

• USDA zones: 4-9

• Height: 10-15 ft. high

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Most soils and tolerates both acidic and alkaline soils

Summersweet

This plant attracts all kinds of pollinators, making it great for a flowering garden. Thick branches make it a worthy hedge plant, and because it can handle wetter soils, it works well as a hedge around a pond or other body of water.

• USDA zones: 3-9

• Height: 3-8 ft. tall, 4-6 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Loam, clay, and sand with a pH balance of acidic, 5.0-7.0

Camellia

A flowering bush with blossoms that appear from fall to spring in warmer regions, camellia is a pretty flowering bush known for its long life, living longer than its owners in some cases. It requires little pruning and can handle shade and moist soil.

• USDA zones: 7-9

• Height:  2–12 ft. tall, 2–10 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Partial shade

• Soil Needs: Rich, moist but well-drained with a pH balance of acidic

Forsythia

Part of the olive family, this beautifully yellow plant is known for its sweeping, fast-growing branches. Pollinators of all kinds love forsythia, and it will be a great addition to a flowering garden that needs a plant ready to fill plenty of space.

• USDA zones: 5-8

• Height:  2–10 ft. tall, 2–10 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Moist but well-draining with a pH balance of neutral, acidic

Quince

Though the blooms might not last very long, this flowering bush thrives in a wide range of climates and can even survive frigid winters. But plant quince in sunny spots to get the best blooms.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Height:  3-10 ft. tall, 3-10 ft. wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained with a pH balance of acidic, neutral

Ninebark

A member of the rose family, this flowering bush is commonly used in landscaping because it can help prevent erosion and works well as a hedge. But it needs ample space to spread out. The plant grows fruit in late summer and autumn, attracting birds, while flowering pink blooms in late spring.

• USDA zones: 2-8

• Height:  3-10 ft tall, 3-8 ft wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil Needs: Clay, loamy

Bush Daisy

Native to South Africa, this flowering bush comes with perky yellow daisies capable of tolerating some mild drought. It does great in full sun and is great as an easy-going perennial flower.

• USDA zones: 9-11

• Height: 2’–3’ height, 3’-4’ wide

• Sun Exposure: Full sun

• Soil Needs: Average, well-draining soil with a pH balance of mildly acidic
  to neutral

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest flowering bush to grow?

According to Clayton, the knockout rose is the easiest. "It tops my list. It’s nearly indestructible, blooms continuously, and doesn't fuss over soil."

Cubian says lavender is the easiest. "If I had to choose one, lavender or velvet sage would be the perfect low-maintenance flowering bush, primarily in sun-drenched regions that experience long periods of dry spells."

What is the best low maintenance shrub?

Clayton personally loves lavender because it fills the air with a soothing fragrance and thrives in tough conditions.

According to Cubian, it's lantana and boxwood. "While both belong to a different plant family, they share a level of robustness, making them the best low-maintenance shrubs," he says.

What flowering bush blooms the longest?

"The knockout rose, without a doubt," Clayton says. "From early spring till the first hard frost, it keeps the garden alive with color."

Read Next: 29 Low-Maintenance Plants for Gardens and Landscaping

Read the original article on The Spruce.