Top 20 Low-Maintenance Plants Perfect for Effortless Landscaping

Buddleia

Attract monarchs, swallowtails, and other thirsty butterflies to your outdoor haven by introducing butterfly bushes. While some gardeners harbor reservations about these shrubs due to their sprawling growth pattern and invasive tendencies – they readily propagate through seed dispersal – you can now opt for newer, mostly sterile cultivars that come in a spectrum of flower colors, including pink, violet, red, white, purple, and orange. These noninvasive varieties maintain a manageable height of 4 to 5 feet, delivering a more refined growth habit that perfectly suits a low-maintenance landscape.

Butterfly bushes thrive in Zones 5 to 9 and thrive in fertile, well-draining soil. Ensure they receive abundant sunlight and incorporate them into perennial borders, island beds, or any areas where their graceful, arching stems will harmonize with your overall landscape design. For size control, you can prune them at any time, or for renewed spring growth, opt for a late-winter cut to ground level. This will invigorate the bushes and encourage vibrant growth.