Best Perennials For Low Maintenance

Phlox

Botanical Latin Name: Phlox

Common Name: Phlox

Sun Exposure: Light sun to full shade

Hardiness Zones: Three to nine

Mature Height: Three inches to three feet

Spread: 15 inches

Spacing: 18 inches

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flowering Time: Spring

How Long It Flowers: Spring to fall

Flower Color: Blue, white or pink

Soil Requirements: Various. Soil can be dry, moist, fertile or sandy.

Pruning: Needs to be cut back after flowering.

Flower Form: Phlox is a very diverse family of plants. Most have flowers that are found singly or in clusters, and all have five petals and an “eye” in the center. There’s a type of phlox for nearly every site and almost every gardener's preference. Woodland phlox does well in shady, moist woods, while spotted phlox thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Creeping and moss phlox make excellent ground covers. Creeping phlox likes moist soil and grows in the sun or shade, though it finds partial shade ideal. Moss phlox need the site to be a bit drier and in full sun. Some kinds of phlox are annuals while others are perennials.

Lily Of The Valley

Botanical Latin Name: Convallaria majalis

Common Name: Lily-of-the-Valley

Sun Exposure: Filtered sunlight

Hardiness Zones: 2 - 8 (-40 degrees F)

Mature Height: 8-10"

Spread: 6 - 12", 2" deep

Spacing: 6 - 12"

Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.

Flowering Time: Mid to late spring.

How Long It Flowers: 2-3 weeks

Flower Color: White

Soil Requirements: Moist, humus-rich soil.

Pruning: None necessary.

Flower Form: These tiny, white bell-shaped flowers with wee orange-red berries hang directly downward, staggered closely along their thin stems which shoot up from amid broad green leaves.

They have a sweet-smelling fragrance. Perfect for shaded or wooded settings, these hardy bulbs spread quickly, creating a sturdy and long-living summer ground cover. Several legends are surrounding Lily of the valley and generally connected to religious symbolism, purity, and happiness. But the innocent look belies a highly poisonous content. The plant contains glycosides which cause the heart to contract with increased force and are incredibly harsh on nervous, gastrointestinal, and circulatory systems. On the upside, these compounds are used in life-saving medicines. Toxicity keeps animals from eating the plant's seeds. All parts of the plant are quite poisonous. If ingested, seek emergency-room attention.

Larkspur

Botanical Latin Name: Delphinium Consolida

Common Name: Larkspur, Larks Heel

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness Zones: 5-10

Mature Height: 1-3 ft.

Spread 6-12 in.

Spacing: 6-8 in.

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flowering Time: Early

How Long It Flowers: Spring and Summer

Flower Color: Variety of colors: white, pink, lavender, purple, blue

Soil Requirements: Rich, moist soil that is well-drained. Never let them sit in standing water.

Pruning: Cut or pull off dead flower heads. Prune back to the ground in late autumn after seed pods have dried.

Flower Form: These beautiful flowers grow in clusters and are excellent additions to any garden. They come in a plethora of colors, but blue is most common. The flowers bloom in vertical clusters at the end of the stalk and form a spur. The group is said to resemble a dolphin, hence the Latin name Delphinium. Usually, they consist of five irregular shaped petals that have a hollow center where the flowered spur sits. The long stem is smooth and rigid with grey-green leaves that branch out from the stem. The seeds are used for medicinal properties and also as an insecticide.

Jack In The Pulpit

Botanical Latin Name: Arisaema triphyllum

Common Name: Jack-In-The-Pulpit

Sun Exposure: Loves shade.

Hardiness Zones: 4,5,6,7,8

Mature Height: 30 to 65 cm.

Spread Plant 2 to 3 inches deep in autumn or spring.

Spacing: Six inches apart or farther.

Growth Rate: Perennial.

Flowering Time: From April to June.

How Long It Flowers: Around four months.

Flower Color: Tiny flowers surround the spandex or "Jack" which is surrounded by a large spathe. The path can be green, purple or brown. The pulpit display turns to red berries which stay through the summer if watered properly.

Soil Requirements: Well-drained but moist humus rich soil. Ph may be neutral or slightly acidic.

Pruning: Pollinated by flies when mature.

Flower Form: As a young plant its leaves look similar to poison ivy. If we look at the flower in the spring, and we use our imaginations, the plant resembles a man on the preacher's pulpit about to give a sermon. The sizeable surrounding longleaf spathe grows to 8cm long. It can be stripped or variously colored.

Evergreen Ginger European

Botanical Latin Name: Asarum europaeum

Common Name: Evergreen Ginger European

Sun Exposure: Low

Hardiness Zones: Deciduous woodlands or forests

Mature Height: 3 to 5 inches

Spread: Dense

Spacing: 10 10 12 inches apart

Growth Rate: Perennial

Flowering Time: Late Winter, Spring

How Long It Flowers: End of Summer

Flower Color: Green

Soil Requirements: Damp

Pruning: None

Flower Form:

Used as a groundcover in shaded areas where little else of low upkeep will grow, Evergreen Ginger European Asarabacca, Hazelwort, European Wild Ginger or Wild Spikenard is a species of wild ginger that enjoys rich, slightly acidic soil. With stems 10 to 15 cm long and petiolate and reniform leaves, the Evergreen Ginger European is a popular and inexpensive choice to cover vast areas of a garden. The foliage is host to a single axillary purple flower and can be used for decorative or spice flavoring use domestically. It was previously employed as an emetic and cathartic remedy in medicinal prescriptions. Found in Northern and Southern Europe, the Evergreen Ginger European grows natively in deciduous woodland or coniferous forests across the continent.

Smooth Soloman Seal

Botanical Latin Name: Polygonatum biflorum

Common Name: Smooth Solomon's seal, Great Solomon’s-seal, Sealwort

Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade

Hardiness Zones: USDA zones 3-9

Mature Height: 1-3 feet

Spread: Flowers 3/4 inch, foliage up to 2 feet but grows slowly

Spacing: 18 inches apart

Growth Rate: Fast

Flowering Time: Early Spring

How Long It Flowers: Mid Spring to Early Summer

Flower Color: Varies, White, and Yellow are most common

Soil Requirements: Moist

Pruning: Early Spring, cut 2-3 inches above the base separating large clumps when necessary.

Flower Form: The Soloman Seal has white flowers shaped like bells that hang from the green, veined leaves. The stems of the Soloman Seal have a reddish tint. The flowers are usually grouped in pairs. The flowers are white, yellow, or almost white and are hard to be seen from above the plant because of the arching of the stems. When the flowers die off, berries replace them hanging in clusters underneath the plant. Black seed pods adorn the plant and hang below the leaves when the beans are gone. The leaves turn a golden yellow color in the fall.

Skull Cap

Botanical Latin Name: Scutellaria Laterifolia

Common Name: Skull Cap, Hoodwort, Blue Skullcap, Virginian Skullcap, Mad-dog Skullcap

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8

Mature Height: 2 -3 feet

Spread: 12 - 15 inches

Spacing: 12 - 15 inches

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flowering Time: Summer to late summer

How Long It Flowers: Perennial

Flower Color: Violet, blue, pink, red or white

Soil Requirements: Well-drained, fertile, sandy or clay, alkaline, neutral or acidic soil

Pruning: Thin the plant out to keep appropriate spacing; after the flowers bloom cut the stems to a few inches above the ground.

Flower Form: The 4-petaled flowers of this perennial are two-lipped and do not grow at the top of the stem but along the side branches. Medium green leaves with teeth along the edges, and square stems that are covered with tiny white hairs also adorn this lovely herb. Because the plant does well in marsh-type settings, they would be perfect for prairies, meadows, thickets, cottage gardens, wildflower gardens, open or swampy woodlands, and native plant gardens. These beautifully colorful perennials will be the perfect addition to any garden that meets the growing conditions mentioned above.

Sharp-Lobed Hepatica

Botanical Latin Name: Anemone acutiloba

Common Name: Liverleaf, Sharp-lobed Liverleaf

Sun Exposure: Grows in Sun/Shade: brindle sunlight in spring/gentle shade in summer

Hardiness Zones: USDA Hardiness Zone 3 - 7

Mature Height: 4 to 8 inches

Spread: 4 to 6 inches / reseeds itself

Spacing: 6-9 in. (15-22 cm)

Growth Rate: Slow

Flowering Time: during early to mid-spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks

How Long It Flowers: up to 1" across

Flower Color: range from white to pink to purple, and a lot of shades in between

Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained, humus-rich

Pruning: None needed

Flower Form: This is a native perennial plant about 3 to 6" in height and has a tuft of basal leaves that sprout in the late spring and through winter. These types of leaves are up to 3" in length; they have narrow petioles up to 6" in and every leaf is separated into three lobes; the lobes are usually oval and about the same size. The sleek upper surface of each leaf could contain brownish green, brown or reddish brown. Generally the top surface is more organic during the summer months, can turn out to be reddish brown in the winter. The leaf margins are sleek; for var. acuta, the tips of the lobes are particularly pointed in mature leaves.

Columbine

Botanical Latin Name: Aquilegia

Common Name: Columbine

Sun Exposure: Part Sun

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9

Mature Height: 1 to 4 feet tall

Spread: 18 inches in diameter

Spacing: 1 to 3 feet

Growth Rate: Fast

Flowering Time: Spring and Summer Depending on Species

How Long It Flowers: Bi-ennial that flowers in the second year

Flower Color: Almost Any Depending on Species, Can be Bi-Colored

Soil Requirements: Well Drained Soil

Pruning: Remove all Faded Flowers

Flower Form:

The flowers either grow upright or in the nodding position. Their spurs are a unique characteristic of the bloom and vary in length depending on its environment. These ornamental spiky protrusions serve an essential role to the pollinators they provide for. The flower has five petals which form a bell shape. Some have honeycomb structures inside that have five chambers. Their size and color vary with so many varieties that there is a type in almost every color imaginable. Some varieties also bloom in two colors. Columbine foilage resembles fern and has groupings of lobed leaves along its thin stems. There are varieties of Columbine that has colored foliage as well.

Purple Coneflower

Botanical Latin Name: Echinacea purpurea

Common Name: Purple Coneflower

Sun Exposure: Sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Mature Height: 2-4 ft.

Spread 1-2 ft.

Spacing: 12-18 inches

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flowering Time: July - August

How Long It Flowers: Mid to Late Summer

Flower Color: Purple

Soil Requirements: Loam, clay, or rocky

Pruning: Cut back stems to encourage further blooming

Flower Form: The name Purple Coneflower comes from the Greek word echino, which means hedgehog, based on the spiny center. The plant has hairy leaves on the stem which to the single lavender bloom. The flowers are favorites of butterflies and hummingbirds yet are deer resistant and make an excellent backdrop for lower growing annuals.

Coneflower is a perennial but also easily propagated from seed. Seeds may be harvested to use the next year from mature flower heads. Once established, the plant will have a deep root system.

The roots and flowers are used for medicinal purposes while the flowers may be used for an excellent herbal tea. Extracts from the plant are believed to improve white blood cell count. The plant is a mild natural antibiotic.