10 No-Maintenance Perennials That Never Disappoint

Some plants require a great deal of care, while others are pure survivors that require little to no effort. If you use these maintenance-free perennials as the foundation of your planting, you'll have more time to enjoy their fantastic colors and textures, year after year.

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Every flowerbed and border needs a few plants you can rely on to thrive year after year. Try these reliable, low-maintenance perennials below for a vibrant garden.

The broad-leaved bellflower, or Campanula latifolia, is native to Northern Europe but rare in the Netherlands and Belgium. It thrives in shady, fertile soil. The upward-facing buds on the long stems droop more and more as they open, transforming into large, bell-shaped, blue, white, or light purple flowers. It doesn't require a support structure and will last for several years. You can easily harvest the seeds to grow more of this plant, but be careful not to lose them through the holes in the seed pods.

Height x Width: 150 cm x 50 cm

Plants are often called indispensable, but in this case, it's truly true. Michaelmas daisies bloom almost everywhere and produce months of purple-blue flowers with a yellow center. An easy and reliable plant: strong, healthy, a magnet for late bees , and breathtakingly beautiful.

Height x Width: 70 cm x 45 cm

Most hardy geraniums fall into the low-maintenance category, but this Geranium psilostemon , also known as Armenian cranesbill, combines that advantage with another important characteristic: character. If planted in decent soil, it will form a large clump of light green leaves within a year or two, from which stems emerge bearing bright magenta flowers with dark centers.

Height x Width: 120 cm x 120 cm

If you give the Dutch knotweed ( Astrantia major ) the spot it needs (namely, reasonably good soil that doesn't dry out too quickly), it will reward you with a sea of ​​star-shaped flowers above circles of papery bracts that will later bear seeds. If you want more flowers (and of course you do!), all you have to do is occasionally pluck off the wilted flowers.

Height x Width: 60-90 cm x 30-40 cm

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For low-maintenance perennials, this perennial rudbeckia is a great choice. In late summer and autumn, it blooms with daisy-like, golden-yellow flowers on branching, slender stems. The flowers are followed by black, swaying seed heads, which you can enjoy well into winter – unless they're eaten by birds. Rudbeckia fulgida 'Little Goldstar' requires no maintenance or support, but it does benefit from a thick layer of mulch. Divide the clumps every few years to propagate the plant.

Height x Width: 50 cm x 40 cm

For beautiful foliage, this Rodgersia pinnata 'Superba', or rear admiral, is ideal. The large, palmate leaves are dark red when they emerge, turn green in summer, and then change color again in autumn. They have a glossy, bumpy texture, as if polished, and form a beautiful canvas for the tall flower clusters. This long-lived perennial is ideal for partial shade and moist soil.

Height x Width: 120 cm x 100 cm

Some spurge species have specific requirements, such as moist or dry soil, but this colorful spurge , Euphorbia epithymoides (formerly known as Euphorbia polychroma ), is a good all-rounder. It dies back above ground in winter, but re-emerges in early spring, reaching its peak yellow-green display in late April. The bracts later turn greener but retain their structure for months.

Height x Width: 40 cm x 60 cm

Tip!

Many umbelliferous plants are short-lived (often annuals or biennials grown from seed), but the native Great Burnet ( Pimpinella major ) lasts for years. It's very attractive and easy to grow, thriving in sunny borders. It's equally at home in dappled shade. An added bonus is that it often self-seeds, providing more free plants. The pink version , Pimpinella major 'Rosea', is a popular and beautiful cultivar.

Height x Width: 120 cm x 60 cm

Meadowshrimp ( Knautia macedonica ) is an airy, long-flowering plant that requires little care. Just plant it in a good, sunny spot with adequate drainage. It blooms continuously, producing red pincushions that, if left undisturbed, develop into beautiful, round seed heads that are both decorative and bird-friendly. It blooms and produces seed well into autumn. You can also plant the native Meadowshrimp ( Knautia arvensis ).

Height x Width: 80 cm x 40 cm

Who doesn't love the biennial honesty ( Lunaria annua ) with its purple or white flowers followed by round, silvery seed pods? This perennial, the honesty ( Lunaria rediviva ), is just as charming as its more common cousin, but lives longer. The heart-shaped leaves have serrated edges. The flowers each have four petals with a subtle pastel lilac hue. The flat, teardrop-shaped seed pods are reminiscent of glossy, transparent paper.

Height x Width: 75 cm x 30 cm