8 Plants That Thrive on Neglect – and Keep Your Garden Looking Great With Almost No Effort

Maintaining a gorgeous garden doesn't have to mean back-breaking work and constant care. There are plenty of pretty, low-maintenance plants that perform better with a hands-off approach.

Becoming acquainted with these attractive yet anti-fuss species is a huge time-saver, for those who prefer not to spend copious hours watering, feeding, pruning or otherwise tending to their garden.

From perennials you can plant once and ignore to resilient favorites that will thrive without you, discover eight plants that actively dislike over-care. Most of the plants ahead are drought-tolerant, however, self-watering containers like this all-in-one Canto planter from Burpee can reduce the toil too.

1. Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

With its tall fragrant flower spikes, lavender is a summer stalwart, loved by pollinators (and largely left alone by deer). Once established in the ground, this Mediterranean marvel is drought-tolerant and will flower for months, requiring little attention.

'When people lose lavender, they're usually killing their plants with kindness,' says Master Gardener, Tabar Gifford, High Country Gardens. 'Overwatering is just another way to say loving it to death.

'Lavender wants sun, excellent drainage, and soil that isn't overly rich. Once established, it handles dry conditions beautifully and can struggle when gardeners respond to every hot day by reaching for the hose.'

If an established lavender looks unhappy, Tabar recommends checking the drainage first, then soil moisture. In-the-ground lavender would generally only require watering after weeks of sustained heatwave without any rainfall.

'As more gardeners contend with hotter, drier stretches and increasing pressure on water resources, choosing plants that are naturally suited to those conditions is a much more sustainable way to garden,' says Tabar.

'For me, that's the real lesson of the anti-fussy garden: instead of fighting a plant to make it something it's not, match the right plant to the right site and let it do what it evolved to do.

'When lavender thrives with little intervention, it's a good sign that you've gotten that relationship right.'

These Non-GMO lavender seeds from True Leaf Market will eventually produce 20-24" flower spikes that pollinators love.

Tabar Gifford

As the Partnership Cultivator at American Meadows and High Country Gardens, Tabar Gifford, a Master Gardener, Pollinator Steward Certified and dedicated “plant geek,” passionately fosters connections. With a lifelong love for gardening and nature, and a background in environmental studies and sustainable community development, she combines horticultural expertise with a commitment to education. Tabar gardens in zone 4 in Vermont.

2. Russian Sage (Salvia yangii, formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Russian sage aka Salvia yangii (formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a fuss-free plant that can reach up to two-four feet tall with a profusion of fragrant lavender-blue flower spires and attractive silvery-gray foliage. It's another species that doesn't like soggy conditions, so give it full sun and excellent drainage, and it can be left to its own devices.

'Russian sage might be the ultimate proof that neglect can look gorgeous,' says Tabar. 'This is a plant that doesn't need rich soil or regular watering once established. In fact, too much fertility can encourage tall, floppy growth rather than the airy, silvery structure that makes it so beautiful.

'I grow mine in one of the leanest, driest spots on my property, and it rewards me with months of soft lavender-blue flowers from midsummer into fall. The bees are obsessed with it, too.

'Keep it watered while its root system establishes, then leave it alone until it's time for its annual cutback in early spring,' says Tabar.

If you're keen to experiment with Salvia, these Russian Sage Perovskia seeds from True Leaf Market will reach maturity in their second year, then continue to grow and spread.

3. Yarrow (Achillea spp.)

A pretty wildflower with a spreading habit, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) can be found in a range of different varieties, cultivars and colors, from pale, pastel hues to vibrant tones of gold, red, orange and magenta.

Native to much of the northern hemisphere it can be tricky to purchase species from particular US regions, but wild varieties tend to be paler, while horticultural hybrids are more colorful. Whichever you choose, this attractive, un-demanding flower won't disappoint.

'Yarrow is one of those plants that seems to get tougher the more you ignore it,' says Tabar. 'It's adapted to leaner, drier conditions, and too much fertility or irrigation can encourage soft, leggy growth that is more likely to flop.

'In lean, well-drained soil and plenty of sun, it tends to stay sturdier and flowers beautifully without needing much. Once established, mine can go through dry stretches in my Vermont garden with very little attention.

'Those broad flower clusters are magnets for butterflies, bees, and a wide range of beneficial insects, while its aromatic, ferny foliage tends to be unappealing to deer.'

Yarrow can be deadheaded if you'd like to encourage additional flowering, and established clumps can benefit from division every few years, but otherwise it's a beautifully independent perennial.

Sow these Colorado Blend Yarrow seeds from Botanical Interests according to the instructions and you will eventually be rewarded with flower clusters in shades of red, rose, pink, yellow, and white.

4. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.)

With a super long bloom time, blanket flower (Gaillardia) will suffuse your garden with vibrant color for months on end and expect little in return. It's not essential to deadhead blanket flowers. Once spent, they will re-bloom regardless, however doing so will encourage further flowering. The choice is yours.

'Gaillardia is naturally at home in sunny sites with lean, well-drained soils and doesn't need frequent feeding or constant irrigation to put on a show,' says Tabar. 'In fact, overly rich conditions can encourage softer growth rather than the compact, resilient habit we're looking for.

'Blanket flower is proof that some plants can actually perform worse when we fuss over them too much.'

This drought-tolerant pollinator plant, once established, handles dry spells beautifully and produces fiery red, orange, and gold flowers, which bees and butterflies love.

'You can deadhead if you'd like to encourage more flowers, but otherwise it's refreshingly undemanding,' says Tabar. 'Just give it sun, drainage, and permission to be a little independent.'

This Spintop Red StarBurst Blanket Flower from Plant Addicts is highly drought-tolerant and suitable for smaller gardens and containers.

5. Stonecrop (Hylotelephium and Sedum spp.)

These fleshy, late-flowering perennials are wonderful for creating a continuous bloom cycle in your garden beds. Stonecrop are easy to grow, tolerant of dry conditions and an excellent choice if you don't want to spend summer evenings watering.

'If I had to pick one group of plants that comes close to indestructible in the right conditions, it would be sedums and stonecrops,' says Tabar. 'Their succulent leaves store water, which is part of what makes them so resilient during dry spells.

'It also means that consistently wet soil and unnecessary irrigation can create more problems than letting an established plant dry between waterings.'

Tabar grows upright ‘Autumn Joy’ in her perennial beds and low, creeping stonecrops as groundcovers, and tucked into her rock walls.

'Both are remarkably undemanding when they’re planted in sun with good drainage,' she says. 'They don’t need rich soil or constant feeding, and the flowers provide an especially valuable late-season food source for pollinators.

'This is a great example of a plant where gardeners can put the hose down and trust the plant to do what it’s designed to do.'

This Autumn Joy Stonecrop from Plant Addicts has pretty pink flowers and will die back to the ground in the winter. Although drought-tolerant, Stonecrop may need some supplemental water, during extended hot spells.

6. Catnip (Nepeta spp.)

Popular in cottage gardens, catnip aka Nepeta cataria is a hardy plant with pretty purple flower stems. Once established – and with the right conditions, such as well-draining soil and regular enough rainfall – it will require barely any attention.

'Catnips are about as versatile as a perennial can get,' says Matt Mattus, Senior Director of Horticulture, AHS. 'Most provide a frothy lavender floral display that can return later in summer, if you decide to cut the plants back. Although many will produce a secondary bloom with no help at all.

'Choose varieties according to their ultimate height, and use them either as individual accents in the border or, even better, in mass plantings; they look great in a crowd. Some also make terrific low perennial hedges or edging plants.

'They’re also an excellent carefree companion to lady’s mantle (the two are essentially used like salt and pepper in many good landscape designers’ repertoires) and there are many forms and varieties to choose from, ranging from tight dwarfs to larger, flouncier selections.'

These catnip seeds from Botanical Interests can be direct sown outside two months before your first fall frost date and can eventually reach upwards of 2'.

Matt Mattus

Matt Mattus has been involved with horticulture since he was a kid, working in his parent’s garden, and by age 12 he was entering the local horticultural society competitions. After a creative career in design, several books on gardening, and active membership of many plant societies, today Matt sits as the Senior Director of Horticulture for the American Horticultural Society (AHS) in Washington, DC-and gardens in Massachusetts.

7. Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla)

This easy-going herbaceous perennial produces billows of frothy acid-green flowers in summer. Provided Alchemillia has slightly moist, free-draining soil and partial shade, it can be left to its own devices, and will die down and return in spring. However, if you're experiencing a hot, dry summer it will likely require some supplemental watering.

'Lady’s mantle is not only easy to please, but it also pleases us gardeners as well,' says Matt. 'Whether used as a border or edging plant, or mingled among other perennials in a mass or matrix planting, it looks good for nearly the entire growing season.'

'It’s such a versatile plant that you could simply trim it back once a year—in late fall or early spring—and call it a day,' continues Matt. 'It’s no wonder it’s a go-to plant for professional landscape designers, particularly in generous mass plantings.

'Some gardeners prefer to cut it back hard once the frothy, lime-green flowers begin to fade in late summer, just to freshen things up. It will quickly produce bright new foliage if cut to the ground in August, but you can also leave it wild and free if you don’t mind the drying flower heads.'

Naturally, it depends on the zone and climate. However, generally, these plants do well in zones 3-7 or 8 with average rainfall and no supplemental irrigation.

This Lady's Mantle from Plant Addicts will grow to around 8-10" tall and 18-24" wide.

8. Hosta

It may seem like a no-brainer to mention hostas, but few could argue that they are among the sturdiest and longest-lived of garden perennials. The sheer variety of choice in size, color and shape ensures most gardeners can find a hosta cultivar to suit any style of outside space.

'With varieties ranging from nearly dollhouse-sized to specimens as large as a substantial shrub, hosta offer something for almost every garden,' says Matt. 'These plants benefit from having their spent flower stems and collapsed foliage removed in fall, but aside from that, one can truly leave an established hosta alone and it will be perfectly happy.

'The main thing is to choose the right variety for the site, particularly when it comes to mature size and sun exposure. These are often planted in gardens that don't have irrigation, but still have average seasonal rain.'

Matt points out that hostas also make wonderful companions for spring bulbs such as daffodils.

'Their expanding leaves conveniently hide the fading bulb foliage, and later the shade cast by their substantial leaves can help deter weeds,' he says. 'The only downside I can think of is that they disappear completely in fall and winter when they go dormant. Otherwise, they’d give shrubs a run for their money.'

This shade-loving Blue Ivory Hosta from Plant Addicts has beautiful creamy white leaf margins on its spectacular foliage and will thrive in a variety of soil types, although it prefers a humus rich soil that stays slightly moist but drains well.

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Most of the plants mentioned above are loved by pollinators – and all can thrive without fertilizing, fussing or extensive pruning. In terms of care, most will only require supplemental water during an extended hot, dry spell – an occasional mulch and an annual trim or tidy.

'While “low maintenance” rarely means “plant it and forget it,” some perennials actually do best when left largely alone, aside from a little seasonal zhuzhing such as deadheading or a spring clean-up,' says Matt. 'In many cases, doing less isn’t neglect. It simply allows a well-chosen plant to do what it naturally does best.'

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