39 Plants You’ll Love If You Hate Fall Yard Work
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about 39 Plants You’ll Love If You Hate Fall Yard Work and hope the blog can help you.
When autumn arrives, the last thing you want to do is put down the rake and start pruning, deadheading, and transplanting finicky perennials. These low-maintenance fall plants will bring beauty to your landscape without much extra work on your part.
For the Yardwork-Averse
Some plants that appear stunning at the nursery turn out to be high maintenance once you get them home. It can take a lot of work to keep a plant looking its best, especially in the fall when there are many other chores to tackle. If you’d like to limit your fall tasks to leaf raking, check out this selection of plants that keep their looks as summer transitions into fall and don’t require much effort from you. With a little planning, you’ll be able to spend more time enjoying the seasonal color of these fall plants and less time hunched over in the garden.
Sweet Woodruff
This perennial creeper forms a dense mat of dark green leaves topped with clusters of star-shaped white flowers. Sweet woodruff is a rabbit- and deer-resistant ground cover that thrives in Zones 4 through 8 in part to full shade. Given perfect growing conditions, it can be an aggressive spreader, but it can be easily managed with a lawn mower on a high setting. Available from Etsy
.
Calamint
A good front-of-the-border perennial, calamint is a pollinator magnet that blooms in full sun in the summer and will continue to grow well into fall in Zones 5 through 7. Its pale green leaves are fragrant, and its flowers are diminutive but profuse—and require no deadheading. Available from Etsy
.
North Pole Arborvitae
An excellent choice for the small-space garden in Zones 3 through 7, North Pole arborvitae is a winter-burn-resistant evergreen that can be planted in multiples to form a living privacy fence, or singly as a specimen. Site it in full or partial sun, then watch it grow—it can reach up to five feet wide and 15 feet tall. Available from The Home Depot
.
Panicle Hydrangea
Panicle hydrangea is an enduring deciduous shrub, and there’s a cultivar that’s perfect for every size garden. Plant these stunners in full to partial sun in Zones 3 through 8 and they will reward you with large cone-shaped flowers that emerge white from new wood in July, then transition to various shades of green, pink, and red, depending on the cultivar. Dried blooms provide winter interest if left intact. Available from Etsy
.
Japanese Forest Grass
Available in several variegated leaf types, Japanese forest grass thrives in moist, partly shaded sites and requires little care. The cascading growth habit is particularly attractive planted along the edge of a garden. The plant will spread on its own; to speed the process you may choose to divide the plant in the fall. Cut back spent growth in the winter and let nature do the rest. Available from The Home Depot
.
Rugosa Rose
Do you love the smell of roses but hate their reputation for being high maintenance? Then the rugosa rose may be the perfect rose for you, provided you live in Zones 2 through 7 and away from coastal regions where the plant has been deemed invasive. Rugosa roses have toothy leaves and highly fragrant clove-scented flowers. Deadheading after early August will encourage rebloom, but this will come at the expense of the large, tomato-like rose hips that swell and change color in the fall, and provide a touch of cold-weather visual interest. Available from Etsy
.
Heuchera ‘Caramel’
Beautiful when planted as a border or ground cover in Zones 4 through 8, the unusual golden-apricot leaves (with amethyst-toned undersides) bring unique color to the landscape. Tiny flowers appear on long stems above the mounded foliage in early summer. Removing spent flower spikes will encourage frequent blooming, but when autumn arrives simply sit back and enjoy the fall color. If you live in a particularly cold region, cut back dead growth in late fall and apply a generous layer of mulch around the base of the plant. Available from Etsy
.
Black Lace Elderberry
Lacy, nearly black foliage is the hallmark of this sensational deciduous shrub. Clusters of soft pink flowers provide striking contrast to the dark leaves in summer, then give way to black berries in fall in Zones 4 through 7. Black lace elderberry offers an excellent alternative to Japanese maples and prefers full sun and consistent moisture. Available on Amazon
.
Related:
25 Ways to Beautify Your Yard Without Planting a Thing
Variegated Solomon’s Seal
Arching green stems of white-edged leaves form colonies in moist shade gardens in Zones 3 through 8, although the plant will also tolerate dry shade conditions. White bell-shaped flowers hang from stems in the spring, and golden fall color makes the plant a stunner late in the year. Available from Etsy
.
Allium ‘Millenium’
This clump-forming member of the onion family sends up strappy green leaves in the spring in Zones 5 through 8. By midsummer, scapes topped with two-inch spherical flower clusters emerge and become pollinator beacons. Flowers can be left on in dried form to provide winter interest. Available from Etsy
.
Aralia ‘Sun King’
Planted in dappled sun, the chartreuse-colored leaves of aralia are certified showstoppers in Zones 4 through 8. The large clump-forming perennial is best placed at the back of a border to allow room for the two-foot-long spikes of pollinator-friendly flowers that appear in summer. Purple berries develop in the fall, and although humans can’t eat them, they’re a favorite of birds. Available from Etsy.
Rhododendron
An alternative to traditional conifers, rhododendrons remain green through the winter in Zones 4 through 8 and thrive in shade or partial shade provided they’re planted in well-draining acidic soils. In April, pink, white, or lavender flower clusters appear on the shrubs, which can reach up to six feet tall. Available from The Home Depot.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Come autumn, this deciduous shrub is gearing up for quite a show. Its ruby-red leaves shimmer in the landscape, and if left intact, its dried flowers add winter interest in Zones 5 through 9. Because this hydrangea blooms on old wood, there’s no need to cut it back in the fall. In fact, doing so will remove the flower buds for next year. Simply kick back and enjoy the fall display. Available from Etsy
.
Azalea
Depending on the cultivar, azaleas can be evergreen or deciduous, and they’re staples in springtime landscapes across the South. They don’t do well in heavy clay and alkaline soil, so be sure to site in well-balanced, well-draining soil in Zones 4 through 9. Aim for morning sun as most azaleas experience sun scald when overexposed. Available from The Home Depot
.
Strongbox Inkberry Holly
Looking for an alternative to boxwood? This native evergreen resists disease and winter burn, making it perfect for gardeners who want beautiful results with minimal effort. At two to three feet tall and equally as wide, Strongbox has a fast-growing mounded habit that can be pruned or shaped to suit your desired look. For best results, plant in partial to full sun in Zones 5 through 9. Available from Nature Hills
.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’
Silver-frosted heart-shaped leaves glisten at the front of the shade border in Zones 3 through 8. Bright blue flowers appear on long scapes that sway above the basal foliage in spring, and the mounding habit remains tidy throughout the growing season. Available from Etsy
.
Sedum
From ground covers to upright forms, there’s a sedum for every sunny situation in Zones 3 through 10. Plants have thick, fleshy foliage and clusters of star-shaped flowers that are pollinator magnets. Flowers typically change color as the season progresses and can be left standing for winter interest. Available from Etsy.
Itea ‘Little Henry’
A diminutive deciduous shrub, Little Henry is an adaptable perennial capable of adjusting to full sun or heavy shade, although fall colors of red, gold, and orange will be less pronounced in shadier conditions. Tiny, fragrant white flowers emerge on long racemes in late spring and early summer. Available from Etsy.
Densiformis Yew
