Low-Maintenance Shrubs

Published on January 13, 2023

Shrubs are great plants for low-maintenance gardens. Many need very little care and attention once established, and as well as providing structure, shrubs often have beautiful flowers too. Here are seven of our favourite low-maintenance shrubs for your garden.

7 Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Your Garden

Hydrangea macrophylla is great for shady areas, with showy round flower heads in late summer that look good even when dried. Leave the faded flowerheads on the plant over winter to provide some frost protection for new buds, then prune the plants in spring, cutting the flowered stems back to strong buds lower down.
Choisya ternata (Mexican orange blossom) is a fantastic evergreen shrub that forms a neat, rounded mound, ideal for providing structure in a large border. Its glossy green leaves have a distinctive citrus scent when crushed, and in late spring, the plant is covered in starry white flowers, which sometimes appear again in late summer. If it gets too big, cut it back in early spring.
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ is perfect for hot, dry sites. This quick-growing bushy deciduous shrub has aromatic foliage with a lovely scent when crushed and masses of red-tipped white flowers for months in summer and early autumn. It’s best grown in areas with mild winters and is very drought-tolerant. Mulch around the base of the bush in spring with garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure.
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ is an evergreen shrub popular for hedging, with bright red young foliage that fades to green. It can be trimmed to shape and flowers in mid to late spring, producing clusters of tiny white flowers. Trim in spring or summer if needed, cutting back shoots to just above a bud lower down.
Nandina domestica is known as Heavenly Bamboo for its leaves, which give the bamboo effect without the worry of the plant becoming invasive. It’s an evergreen shrub, but many varieties have foliage that turns a striking red in autumn. Sprays of white flowers in summer, followed by bright red berries, give Nandina domestica a long season of interest. It grows in sun or light shade and needs no regular pruning, although it can be trimmed in spring if required.
Weigela is a deciduous shrub that flowers for an extended period in spring, producing plenty of pretty pink or purple flowers on arching stems. Many varieties have variegated leaves, adding extra appeal. It performs best in the sun but will cope with some shade. There’s no need to prune regularly, but any trimming can be done straight after flowering.
Sarcococca confusa (Christmas box) is an unassuming evergreen shrub that grows well in the shade. It flowers in the middle of winter, producing almost invisible white flowers with an amazingly sweet scent. Trim if needed after flowering, and mulch in spring with well-rotted compost.