Best Low-Maintenance Plants for a Backyard: Perennials, Grasses and Groundcovers

Low-Maintenance Perennials That Come Back Every Year

Perennials are the backbone of a low-maintenance backyard because they return on their own each spring instead of needing to be replanted like annuals.

Coneflower (Echinacea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are three of the most reliable low-maintenance perennials for full-sun beds. All three tolerate average to poor soil, need minimal fertilizing, and shrug off short dry spells once established.

For part-shade areas, hostas and heuchera (coral bells) fill space reliably year after year with few pest or disease issues in most home gardens.

Shrubs That Hold Their Shape Without Constant Pruning

Shrubs give a low-maintenance garden its backbone, as long as you pick ones that naturally grow into a neat form and only need pruning once a year, if that. For specific picks, from boxwood and spirea to ninebark and panicle hydrangea, see our list of 12 low-maintenance shrubs.

Avoid fast-growing shrubs like privet or forsythia in low-maintenance beds unless you enjoy pruning, since they can put on 2-3 feet of growth in a single season and need regular cutting back to stay in bounds.

Which Groundcovers Crowd Out Weeds?

Creeping thyme, sedum and creeping phlox are three easy groundcovers for sunny spots that fill bare soil and leave weeds little room to sprout. Bare soil between plants is an open invitation for weeds, and groundcovers solve that by filling the space themselves.

All three are low, spreading plants that establish within a season or two and need very little care once filled in. Skip vinca minor and English ivy, which are often sold as groundcovers but are considered invasive in many parts of the US.

Groundcovers work especially well on slopes or awkward strips where mowing grass is a hassle; once established, they remove that mowing chore entirely.

When Should You Cut Back Ornamental Grasses?

Cut them back to a few inches above the ground in late winter or very early spring, before new growth starts. That single trim is typically the only maintenance ornamental grasses need all year, which is why they add so much movement and texture for so little work.

Feather reed grass (Karl Foerster), little bluestem and switchgrass are hardy, drought-tolerant options that stay upright through fall and winter, adding visual interest even in the off-season.

Group Plants by Water Needs (Hydrozoning)

One of the biggest hidden causes of extra maintenance is mixing thirsty plants with drought-tolerant ones in the same bed. You end up either overwatering the tough plants or underwatering the thirsty ones.

Grouping plants with similar water requirements together, a practice called hydrozoning, means you can water each zone appropriately instead of compromising across the whole yard.

Put drought-tolerant perennials, ornamental grasses and most shrubs in one zone that gets watered less often, and reserve more frequent watering for any higher-maintenance plants you choose to keep.

Choose Plants Suited to Your Climate, Not Just the Photo

The single biggest driver of ongoing maintenance is choosing a plant that isn't suited to your climate in the first place.

A plant rated for your USDA Hardiness Zone will handle your winter cold without extra babying, while a mismatched plant will need constant intervention just to survive. Check its zone range and whether it's native or naturalized in your region before buying.

Soil matters just as much as climate. Plants settle in faster in loose, well-drained ground, so if your beds are compacted or heavy clay, start by preparing your garden soil before planting.

Mulch Every Low-Maintenance Bed

Mulch is one of the simplest ways to reduce both watering frequency and weeding time across an entire garden bed.

A 2-3 inch layer of shredded bark or wood mulch slows moisture evaporation from the soil and blocks sunlight from reaching weed seeds, cutting down on both chores at once.

Refresh mulch once or twice a year as it breaks down, keeping it pulled a few inches back from plant stems and tree trunks so moisture doesn't sit directly against them.