What Makes a Plant Truly Low-Maintenance

In a managed landscape there is no such thing as a “No maintenance” plant. All will need to be watered at least to get them through the first season as their roots develop and where possible during a drought. All will need to have the weeds kept at bay around them. They will benefit from having the soil prepared (as recommended in the soil test report) prior to planting and may benefit from occasional fertilizing. It is possible to skip all of these steps and have a plant survive, but generally the goal in a managed landscape is for plants to thrive.

Many plants however, are low maintenance when they are planted in an environment to which they are adapted (soil, sun, rainfall, temperature) with enough space for them to reach their natural full size. Generally “Low maintenance” means they are resilient when planted in the right place. They are resistant to typical insects and diseases and they do not need regular pruning. To identify low maintenance plants for your landscape visit Plants.ces.ncsu.edu and click on “Find a Plant” in the menu on the left side under the image at the top.

Use the left hand column to make these selections:

• Under “Cultural Conditions” select the terms that describe what you have to offer the plant (amount of light, space, USDA plant hardiness zone, etc.)
• Under “Landscape” select “Resistance to Challenges” and check the boxes for issues you want the plant to withstand (deer, insect, disease, etc.)
• Then select any other features you want in the plant