Here are 12 low-maintenance perennials that more or less enable gardeners to “set it and forget it"; they re-grow year after year with little to no attention. There are several species of the Achillea genus that are common as garden plants. Most have yellow flowers, but there are many hybrids derived from cross-breeding species or other hybrids. An example is the very popular ‘Moonshine’, a cross between A. clypeolata and A. Taygetea. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: White, cream, yellow, pink, maroon, reddish-rust (depends on variety) Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, sandy loam Although some pure species are used as garden plants, it is more common to use one of the many hybrids. For example, the large Astilbe × arendsii group was derived from various crosses of A. chinensis, A. japonica, A. thunbergii and A. astilboides. USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–8 Color Varieties: Whites, pinks, purples, reds Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained soil, heavy feeder The most common species used in gardens are B. australis, B. alba, and B. tinctoria, but more often it is hybrid crosses that are used as garden specimens. Some recommended hybrid cultivars include ‘Purple Smoke’, ‘Blueberry Sundae’, and ‘Lemon Meringue’. These plants have a shrubby growth habit that works well to create shape and form in a mixed perennial garden; they are a good choice for cottage-style gardens. In part-shade conditions, false indigo may require some pruning or the use of supports to keep them from flopping. But if conditions are right, they thrive with almost no attention and are very long-lived. Their deep tap root makes them difficult to transplant or divide but also enables them to be quite drought tolerant. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: Purple, blue, yellow, white Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Four coreopsis species are commonly grown in gardens. All coreopsis species have daisy-like flowers but otherwise have somewhat different foliage and growth habits:
Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf coreopsis) is a one to two foot tall plant with narrow, hairy, lance-shaped leaves. It has upright, erect stems. The flowers are one to two inches across.C. verticillata (threadleaf coropsis) has a clumping growth habit and fine-textured, lacy leaves. Lanceleaf coreopsis ends its blooming in July, while threadleaf coreopsis continues to bloom into September.C. rosea (pink coreopsis) is a North American native variation of threadleaf coreopsis, featuring pink flowers.C. grandiflora (large-flowered tickseed) is regarded by some as a variation of C. lanceolata. It is quite similar to that plant, but with extra-large flowers as large as three inches across.
All four species are very easy to care for and do well in rocky, poor soils. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: Yellow is most common with pink and white cultivars also available. Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, average soils Several species of wild coneflower are available, but the classic purple coneflower is Echinacea purpurea. This pure species plant has petals that curve downward, so most varieties chosen for gardens are cultivars bred to have more open flower faces. Many hybrid are available in different colors in addition to the classic light purple. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8 Color Varieties: Pink, purple, white, red, orange, yellow Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil No plants are easier to care for than daylilies. Although individual flowers bloom only for a day or two, each plant can be counted on to produce a large number of flower stalks, and the clumps of sword-like foliage add shape and texture to the garden throughout the year. Most daylilies bloom for several weeks in early to midsummer, but some types have a repeat blooming pattern for a more modest second bloom in the fall. Although preferring to be grown in full sun six to eight hours per day, daylilies will grow in partial shade but will produce fewer blooms. While they are drought tolerant, they do better when they receive regular moisture. They tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions but the soil must be well-drained. If deer presence is a problem in your area, be aware that daylilies are one of their favorite meals. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: All colors except true green and true blue; petals can be bi-colored, ruffled, single, double, with or without an inner eye Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Any soil, provided it is well-drained Hostas are typlicall grown for their foliage, and some gardeners remove the flower stalks. But the flowers are very attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, and some varieties have fragrant blooms. If deer presence is a problem in your area, be aware that hostas are one of their favorite meals and overnight can nibble lush hosta foliage down to the ground. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: foliage can be many shades of green or bluish-green, solid or variegated; flowers are lavender or white Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade Soil Needs: Rich, fertile, well-drained soil But unlike the bearded iris, whose leaves become quite shabby after the plants finish blooming, Siberian iris foliage continues to add texture, movement, and color through the entire summer and fall. With flower stalks removed, the plants are every bit as attractive as any ornamental grass. Siberian irises grow one to four feet tall, depending on variety, with colors that range from white to yellow to blue to the deepest purple. These plants like moist soil, so place them next to water features (or downspouts). Though they prefer full sun, Siberian iris are more tolerant of shade than their bearded cousins. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: White, cream, yellow, blue, purple, pink, bi-colors Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Medium moisture to damp soil Catmint grows from one and a half to three feet tall, bursting with violet-blue flowers in the spring and summer. For an extra flush of blooms, cut the plants back after the first round of flowering. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–8 Color Varieties: White, blue, purple, or yellow Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained soil The species known as common sage is Salvia officinalis, but there are several other sage species, including pineapple sage (S. elegans) and woodland sage (S. nemoros). All are similarly low-maintenance plants in the landscape. USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–7 Color Varieties: Violet-purple, blue, with white and pink varieties also available Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Sedums come in many varieties, from creeping groundcovers to upright shrub-like plants. The flowering period varies by species; some are spring bloomers while others flower in late summer and fall. Although they once were all categorized under the Sedum genus, many have now been split out into the Hylotelephium genus. The reassigned plants include some of the most popular varieties, including ‘Autumn Joy’, ‘Autumn Charm’, and ‘Autumn Fire’. They are generally still known and sold as sedums in the trade, despite the genus reassignment. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Color Varieties: White, yellow, pink, purple, rust-red (depends on variety) Sun Exposure: Typically full sun; some varieties can be grown in part shade Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the most common herbal variety, but there are a number of other species that have similar low-maintenance profiles, including wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus), Thymus praecox, lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus), and wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum). USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9 (depends on variety) Color Varieties: Pale purple or blue Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil
