Let’s face it – we all want a gorgeous, thriving garden, but not everyone has the time (or the patience) to be out deadheading flowers and checking the soil pH every Saturday morning. That’s where low maintenance plants come in. These unsung heroes of the garden world are hardy, drought-tolerant, and often surprisingly beautiful. Even better, they’re ideally suited to South African conditions.
In this guide, we’re not just giving you another random plant list. Instead, we’ve grouped the best low maintenance plants by type – from shrubs and succulents to grasses and perennials. Along the way, you’ll learn how to match them to the right spot in your garden. Whether you’re dealing with full sun, poor soil, or steep slopes, there’s a fuss-free solution for you.
So, let’s start with a favourite for structure and form: the shrub.
🌿 Low Maintenance Shrubs for Every Garden
Shrubs are the backbone of any low-effort garden. They add height, texture, privacy and structure – without demanding much in return. When it comes to low maintenance plants, well-chosen shrubs can offer year-round interest with very little pruning or fuss.
At Contours Landscapes, we’ve used these time and again in garden designs across the Western Cape – and they perform brilliantly.
🌳 Our Top Picks for Low Maintenance Shrubs
1. Pambati Tree (Anastrabe integerrima)
Don’t be fooled by its name – this indigenous shrub can be pruned into a neat bush or left to grow into a small tree. It’s evergreen, drought-tolerant, and produces masses of yellow bell-shaped flowers. Plus, its non-invasive root system makes it perfect for small gardens or screening off an eyesore.
2. Carissa bispinosa (‘Forest Num-num’)
If you want a shrub that doubles as a natural barrier, Carissa is your new best friend. With its dense, thorny growth and sweet-smelling white flowers, it’s both beautiful and practical. It’s also water-wise and indigenous – a win-win for local gardeners.
3. Carissa ‘Storm’ (Mini Num-num)
The more compact cousin of the forest num-num, this tidy little shrub is ideal for borders and edging. Hardy and glossy-leaved, it blends seamlessly into almost any garden style.
4. Mock Orange (Philadelphus hybrid)
This fragrant, flowering shrub requires minimal care. It grows up to 3m, thrives in full sun, and looks great en masse or as a standalone feature.
5. Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum)
A classic for good reason. These broad-leaved shrubs are easy to grow, tolerate partial shade, and reward you with white blooms and red berries come autumn.
☀️ Where to Use Low Maintenance Shrubs
- As hedges or screens to block out walls or neighbours
- In sloped gardens where erosion control is needed
- To add structure and create contrast with softer plants
- In low-water gardens, especially with indigenous varieties
🌸 Low Maintenance Perennials & Flowering Plants
If you want bursts of colour without the high-maintenance watering, feeding, and seasonal swapping, low maintenance perennials are your best friend. These plants come back year after year, asking for very little and delivering a whole lot.
We love using them in layered planting schemes – especially when clients want something that looks lush but doesn’t require constant fussing.
🌼 Our Favourite Low Maintenance Flowering Plants
1. Pelargonium ionidiflorum (Fairy Cascades)
This Eastern Cape native is as tough as it is pretty. In fact, it flowers nearly all year, tolerates heat and frost, and thrives in most well-drained soils. Whether you plant it in rockeries, pots, or as a taller ground cover, it shines wherever it grows.
2. Dianella ‘Little Jess’ (Blue Flax Lily)
With its strappy green leaves and delicate purple flowers, this plant adds softness and structure. Additionally, it’s compact, drought-tolerant, and works beautifully in containers or as edging.
3. Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.)
Although not indigenous, daylilies are incredibly popular in South African gardens because they thrive on neglect. Even in poor soils and harsh sun, they bloom prolifically and need almost no maintenance.
4. Rock Purslane (Calandrinia spectabilis)
This succulent perennial punches above its weight in both colour and toughness. Thanks to its bright magenta flowers and thick diamond-shaped leaves, it’s a standout in low-water, full-sun gardens.
5. Blanketflower (Gaillardia spp.)
Need a hit of colour that lasts? These cheerful daisy-like flowers bloom for months, even in lean soils. Moreover, they’re tolerant of heat, drought, and coastal winds.
🌞 Where to Plant These Low Maintenance Perennials
- Along sunny borders and garden paths
- In mixed beds to break up evergreen planting
- In containers to brighten patios and balconies
- Anywhere you want vibrant colour with low effort
- In rockeries and xeriscaped zones
🌵 Succulents & Drought-Tolerant Superstars
When the South African sun is blazing and water restrictions are in full swing, succulents and other drought-tolerant plants are the real MVPs. These hardy plants are designed to thrive in harsh conditions, and they do it looking stylish, architectural, and utterly unfazed.
Whether you’re planting for a coastal garden, an inland heat zone, or just want a break from daily watering, these low maintenance plants are made for it.
🌟 Our Top Drought-Tolerant Picks
1. Hesperaloe parviflora (Coral or Red Yucca)
Don’t let the name confuse you – this isn’t a true yucca, but it’s just as tough. With strappy blue-green leaves and tall coral flower spikes that attract sunbirds and bees, it adds movement and texture to dry beds or rocky slopes.
2. Rock Purslane (Calandrinia spectabilis)
Yes, it gets another mention! Its water-storing leaves and long-blooming nature make it perfect for both succulent gardens and perennial borders.
3. Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)
A succulent classic. These low-growing rosettes multiply beautifully, require almost zero attention, and look great in pots, borders, or tucked into rock crevices.
4. Sedum (Sedum spurium and others)
Fast-spreading, colourful, and unbothered by poor soil, sedums are groundcover royalty. Choose different textures and colours to add contrast in water-wise beds.
5. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Feathery foliage and flat-topped flowers make this a pollinator magnet. It’s a soft-textured balance to the spikier succulents – and just as hardy.
💧 Where to Use Drought-Tolerant Plants
- In rockeries or stone mulch beds
- On slopes and embankments prone to erosion
- In containers for patios or balconies
- As filler plants between larger shrubs or focal points
- In water-wise garden designs that shine year-round
🌾 Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses
If you’ve ever watched tall grass ripple in the wind, you’ll know it brings something special to a garden – something quiet, architectural, and calming. Best of all? Many grasses are extremely low maintenance, thriving in poor soils and harsh sun with barely a trim required.
Used well, grasses can give your landscape rhythm and contrast, especially when paired with bold succulents or flowering shrubs.
🌱 Our Favourite Low Maintenance Grasses
1. Tanika Lomandra
This fine-leafed, clump-forming grass is a garden designer’s dream. It’s neat, drought-hardy, frost-tolerant, and practically thrives on neglect. Whether used in mass plantings, borders or slopes, Tanika adds a soft, mounded structure to any bed – and it’s ideally suited to South African climates.
2. Gongoni Grass (Themeda triandra)
This indigenous ornamental grass is a staple in water-wise and naturalistic gardens. With its mauve summer plumes and wispy blades, it dances in the breeze and establishes fast, even in challenging soils. It’s particularly useful on banks and erosion-prone areas.
3. Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca)
A compact grass with striking blue foliage, it adds contrast and form to full-sun beds. It’s low-growing, tidy, and needs little more than seasonal trimming.
4. Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora)
Tall, upright, and showy – this grass adds vertical interest to borders and looks incredible backlit by the sun. It’s easy to grow and disease-resistant.
🪴 Where to Use Ornamental Grasses
- To create texture and movement in full-sun beds
- Along pathways or garden borders for soft structure
- On slopes and embankments for stabilisation
- In mass plantings for bold, modern design
- As a low-maintenance lawn alternative in feature areas
🌳 Low Maintenance Trees for Structure & Shade
Adding a tree to your garden can feel like a commitment, but the right choice doesn’t have to mean years of pruning and pampering. Some trees are wonderfully low maintenance, offering structure, seasonal colour, and wildlife value with minimal effort.
Whether you’re looking to create privacy, frame a view, or enjoy some dappled shade, these trees are well worth planting.
🌿 Our Favourite Low Maintenance Trees
1. Pambati Tree (Anastrabe integerrima)
We’ve already sung its praises as a shrub, but left to grow naturally, this versatile plant becomes a compact, evergreen tree. Its glossy leaves and bell-shaped yellow flowers are beautiful, and its non-invasive roots make it ideal for smaller gardens.
2. Bladder Nut (Diospyros whyteana)
A truly beautiful indigenous evergreen, the Bladder Nut features dark glossy leaves, fragrant white flowers, and decorative reddish seed pods. It prefers semi-shade, but adapts well and is perfect for forest-style or sheltered gardens.
3. White Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
While not as commonly planted in SA, this small, ornamental tree is hardy and beautiful. It produces delicate, white, fringe-like flowers and tolerates a wide range of soil types.
4. Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata)
Best suited to cooler inland gardens, flowering cherry trees provide a jaw-dropping show of blossom in spring. Once established, they need minimal care beyond seasonal pruning.
5. Crabapple (Malus floribunda)
Another flowering option for colder climates, crabapples bring year-round interest with blooms, fruit, and rich autumn colour. They’re compact, low-effort, and wildlife-friendly.
🌤 Where to Plant Low Maintenance Trees
- In small gardens where a compact canopy is needed
- As a focal point in a mixed bed
- Along fence lines for screening and height
- Near patios or seating areas for dappled shade
- In biodiverse gardens to attract bees, birds, and butterflies
🛠 What Makes a Plant Truly Low Maintenance?
Not all plants are created equal, and even the toughest ones can give up on you if they’re planted in the wrong place or treated poorly. The good news? You don’t need to be a horticulturist to keep your low maintenance plants happy. Just a few thoughtful choices can make a world of difference.
✅ Soil Matters
Low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance – but if your soil is healthy, well-draining, and enriched with compost, your plants will do most of the heavy lifting themselves. Poor soil, especially heavy clay or pure sand, can be improved with the addition of organic matter.
Pro tip: Before planting, incorporate a small amount of compost or decomposed mulch to enhance long-term plant health.
💧 Water-Wise From the Start
All of the plants we’ve highlighted thrive on very little water once established. But don’t skip watering entirely when you first plant them – a few weeks of regular watering helps build deep roots that will later fend for themselves.
🌞 Match the Plant to the Place
This is where many gardens go wrong. Even the hardiest plant will suffer if it’s shoved into a shady corner when it needs sun, or perched on a hot wall when it prefers dappled light. Use your space wisely:
- Full sun = succulents, ornamental grasses, flowering perennials
- Partial shade = bladder nut, forest plants, some shrubs
- Dry slopes = lomandra, rock purslane, gongoni grass
- Containers = dianella, compact shrubs, blue fescue
✂️ Minimal Pruning, Max Reward
Many of these plants don’t need regular trimming, but a light tidy once or twice a year (especially after flowering) can keep things looking neat without much effort.
🌿 Final Thoughts on Low Maintenance Plants
Creating a beautiful garden doesn’t have to mean endless weekends of digging, pruning, watering, and weeding. With the proper selection of low maintenance plants, you can build a space that practically looks after itself – giving you more time to enjoy it (and less time fighting with a hosepipe).
From hardy shrubs to striking succulents and graceful grasses, South African gardens are spoiled for choice when it comes to plants that thrive with minimal care. Whether you’re working with a tiny balcony or a sprawling landscape, there’s a low maintenance option for every corner.
So go on – plant smart, water wisely, and let your garden do the rest.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best low maintenance plants for full sun?
Try Lomandra, Agapanthus, Dianella, or Blanketflower. These thrive in the South African sun and need very little attention once established.
Which plants grow in shade and require little care?
Look for Hosta, Carissa ‘Storm’, Viburnum, or Mock Orange. These low maintenance shade plants offer structure and seasonal beauty with minimal upkeep.
Are succulents really low maintenance plants?
Absolutely. Succulents like Hens and Chicks, Rock Purslane, and Sedum are drought-tolerant and fuss-free – make sure they’re in well-draining soil.
What are the best drought-tolerant plants for South African gardens?
Hesperaloe, Dianella, Sedum, and Gongoni grass are top picks. They thrive in hot, dry conditions and are ideal for water-wise garden design.
Which low maintenance plants are ideal for containers or pots?
Dianella ‘Little Jess’, Blue Fescue, Pelargonium, and Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks) all thrive in containers and require minimal watering.
Can groundcovers be low maintenance too?
Yes – plants like Sedum, Pelargonium ionidiflorum, and Dianella spread beautifully, help suppress weeds, and thrive with minimal care.
What’s the best soil for low maintenance planting?
Loamy, well-drained soil is ideal. If you’re working with sandy or clay-heavy soil, add compost to improve structure and water retention.
Can I mix indigenous and exotic low maintenance plants?
Definitely. Blending hardy local favourites with non-invasive exotics can give you visual interest all year round – and still keep things easy to maintain.
