12 Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Your Florida Garden

Shrubs are perennial woody plants with woody stems that grow above ground, distinguishing them from trees by their generally shorter height and multiple stems. These versatile plants are primarily categorized into two types: deciduous shrubs, like hawthorn, which shed their leaves seasonally, and evergreen shrubs, which maintain their foliage year-round. Due to their persistent growing nature, shrubs usually require regular trimming to maintain their shape and health.

For many homeowners, the issue isn't the desire for gardening but rather finding the time to devote to it. Lawns and gardens often demand frequent attention, leaving little room for extensive shrub care. This makes it appealing to introduce plants that require less upkeep.

Key Takeaways

• For effortless gardening, consider integrating these low-maintenance shrubs into your outdoor spaces. These shrubs require minimal upkeep while providing long-lasting structure and texture to your landscape.
• With manageable growth rates, these shrubs can form attractive shapes without frequent pruning. Their hardy nature also means less watering and fewer pest issues, making them ideal for cultivating a beautiful, low-maintenance garden.
• Use NutriPod® shrub fertilizer to establish strong, resilient plants. Its balanced 12-3-12 NPK ratio and slow-release formula promote up to twice as fast growth, providing essential nutrients that sustain vibrant foliage and blooms for up to 45 days.

Low-Maintenance Shrubs that Thrive with Less Upkeep

Shrubs that require less maintenance provide the perfect solution, offering ease of care without compromising visual appeal. Here, we've listed some deciduous and evergreen shrubs that provide long-lasting structure and texture to your landscape with minimal effort.

1. Crape Myrtle

Scientific Name: Lagerstroemia indica

USDA Growing Zones: 7-9

Exposure: Full sun

Height and Spread: 15-25 feet tall and 6-15 feet wide

Crape myrtle is a beautiful, low-maintenance shrub that produces fluffy flower clusters in shades of pink, purple, and white. Despite its seemingly delicate blooms, crape myrtle is well-adapted to heat and drought. This resilient shrub thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, making it an ideal choice for low-maintenance gardening.

2. Holly

Scientific Name: Ilex spp.

USDA Growing Zones: 3-10

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 1.5 to 80 feet tall, 1.5 to 50 feet wide

Holly is a versatile shrub available in evergreen and deciduous varieties, with a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit any landscape need. Distinguished by its bright berries, you can use holly as hedges, foundation plants, or accents. Many holly species are native to Florida, making them an excellent option for local gardens.

3. Indian Hawthorn

Scientific Name: Rhaphiolepis indica

USDA Growing Zones: 7-11

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide

Indian hawthorn is a broadleaf, evergreen, flowering shrub that flourishes in warmer climates. With its compact, bushy habit, it requires minimal maintenance once established, offering reliable performance with little care. This Florida-friendly bush produces clusters of fragrant white or pink flowers among its glossy green leaves and bright blue or purple berries that add seasonal interest.

4. Juniper

Scientific Name: Juniperus spp.

USDA Growing Zones: 2-10

Exposure: Full sun

Height and Spread: 6 inches to 130 feet tall, 1 to 25 feet wide

Junipers are hardy evergreen conifers known for being drought-tolerant. It is adaptable to various soil conditions, although it requires well-drained soil to prevent root rot. This sun-loving plant thrives in full sun with minimal water requirements and can be used in Florida gardens. Their foliage comes in hues of green, blue, gold, and silver, adding beautiful, year-round color to your garden.

5. Abelia

Scientific Name: Abelia spp.

USDA Growing Zones: 4-11

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 2 to 10 feet tall, 2 to 8 feet wide

Abelia is a versatile, low-maintenance shrub with fragrant, tubular flowers that bloom from early spring to fall. It is available as an evergreen or deciduous shrub with foliage in various shades, providing multi-seasonal appeal. Abelia shrubs prefer full sun to partial shade and are often used for hedging, screening, foundation plantings, or massings in the landscape, adding color and fragrance with little pruning.

6. American Beautyberry

Scientific Name: Callicarpa americana

USDA Growing Zones: 6-10

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 3 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide

American beautyberry is an easy-growing, drought-tolerant shrub found across Florida. It features large, light green foliage and clusters of tiny pink flowers that bloom in spring and early summer, followed by bright purple berries in late summer. This deciduous shrub attracts birds and pollinators, further adding seasons of interest to your landscape. It grows well in a range of conditions, from full sun to partial shade, and requires minimal maintenance once established.

READ: Florida Planting Zones: Your Plant Hardiness Guide

7. Chinese Fringe Flower

Scientific Name: Loropetalum chinense

USDA Growing Zones: 7-9

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 3 to 4 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide

Also known as Loropetalum, the Chinese Fringe Flower is a compact, fast-growing evergreen shrub with red to deep burgundy foliage that offers year-round color. Its compact growth makes it perfect for small spaces, serving as a striking accent in the garden or as a versatile container plant. Thriving in full sun to partial shade, this shrub is also quite drought-tolerant once established. Is commonly found in North and Central Florida gardens.

8. Tea Olive

Scientific Name: Osmanthus fragrans

USDA Growing Zones: 7-10

Exposure: Full sun to partial

Height and Spread: 10 to 15 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet wide

Tea Olive is a classic Southern evergreen shrub that blooms in spring and fall with small, fragrant flowers. This shrub is favorably used as a screen or privacy hedge, providing year-round interest with its deep green, shiny foliage.

9. Gardenia

Scientific Name: Gardenia jasminoides

USDA Growing Zones: 7-11

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 3 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide

Gardenia is a beautiful evergreen shrub beloved for its intoxicatingly fragrant white flowers and thick, glossy green leaves. Although they initially require some care, necessitating frequent watering to keep moist soil, they establish into hardy plants that can tolerate cold temperatures and drought conditions. This shrub adds elegance and fragrance to any garden with little effort.

10. Thryallis

Scientific Name: Thryallis glauca

USDA Growing Zones: 8-11

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 3 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide

Also called Rain of Gold, Thryallis is an evergreen shrub that thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, and is well-adapted to the Florida climate. It is quite a display with its delicate, bright green foliage and spikes of bright yellow flowers that bloom in the summer. This shrub lends color and attracts pollinators, adding life to your garden.

11. Rosemary

Scientific Name: Rosmarinus officinalis

USDA Growing Zones: 7-11

Exposure: Full sun

Height and Spread: 4 to 6 feet tall, 2 to 4 feet wide

You may know rosemary for its aromatic, needlelike foliage that adds a delightful flavor to your cooking. But rosemary also brings ornamental beauty to your garden. This evergreen shrub requires minimal care and even thrives on neglect once established. The Tuscan Blue variety can grow up to 6 feet tall, offering year-round greenery and aromatic leaves for your culinary needs.

12. Florida Privet

Scientific Name: Forestiera segregata

USDA Growing Zones: 7-11

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Height and Spread: 10-20 feet tall, 5 to 10 feet wide

Privet is an exceptionally low-maintenance shrub often used as hedging, screening, or as a container plant. Florida privet, in particular, is a native evergreen shrub that produces flowers in late winter and early spring. Although small, its white flowers are fragrant and attract pollinators, making it a valuable addition to any garden.

What Makes These Shrubs Low Maintenance

Shrubs can elevate the look and feel of your garden in various ways, such as by creating defined borders along pathways or driveways, forming natural fences as hedges for privacy, and softening the lines of buildings with foundation plantings. They can also serve as accent plants to highlight specific areas or be used in mass plantings to cover large areas with uniform greenery.

The good news is that maintaining these shrubs is a breeze. Once established, they are hardy and require less watering—water only when the soil is dry. Their hardy nature also makes them less susceptible to serious pests or diseases, reducing the need for chemical treatments.

Their manageable growth rate also simplifies pruning—simply removing dead or damaged areas to improve their appearance and encourage healthier growth. Additionally, many of these shrubs naturally grow into beautiful shapes without the need for shearing or shaping, saving you some maintenance tasks.

Use NutriPod® Fertilizer for Your Low-Maintenance Shrubs

Our NutriPod® shrub fertilizer contributes to a strong foundation for healthy, resilient plants, further improving their low-maintenance features. With its balanced 12-3-12 NPK ratio and slow-release formula, this granular fertilizer for shrubs supplies essential nutrients during planting, accelerating growth up to two times faster. Its effects last up to 45 days, ensuring your shrub stays strong and vibrant throughout the growing season with minimal effort.

For our full range of slow-release fertilizers for your plants, visit the NutriPod® website today!