Low Maintenance Plants that will $ave You Money
Tropical South Florida is known as the sunshine state, the weather can become pretty warm in the summer and fairly humid during this time, this is the time of the year when beachgoers head for the beach to take a dip getting relief from the summer’s heat. Many homeowners can be found in their gardens doing what they can to ensure that their gardens plants are well taken care of, this is also the time to keep an eye on our garden plants keeping them well watered.
High maintenance plants, especially during this time, should be monitored, the flip side of the coin, however, is if your desire is to spend less time in your garden because of the summer’s heat while saving a few dollars then the solution is to invest in low maintenance plants.
There are so many benefits to low maintenance plants that cause these plants to be worth the investment, below we will be looking at some of these benefits which will help you to save your hard-earned dollar.
The benefits of low maintenance plants
1. Low maintenance plants don’t require much water which can save time and money.
2. Garden insect pests are far less than that when compared to high maintenance plants which cause you to save on insecticides.
3. Low maintenance plants are cost-effective meaning less maintenance time.
4. Fertilization cost is lower, in other words, these plants can survive on small amounts of plant food.
5. Many species of low maintenance plants attract wildlife.
This list of benefits makes low maintenance plants a must.
12 Florida drought-tolerant plants
Here is a list of drought-tolerant plants to install in your Florida garden
The yellow striped agave
1. The yellow striped agave is an amazing plant, there are many species of agave which I have worked with these drought-tolerant plants will spice up your garden giving that wow, be careful though some species of agave has thorns which can be pretty painful so handle with care. Agaves are mostly used in rock gardens to give that desert look.
SeaGrapes
2. The seagrape plant is another favorite that is drought tolerant, what I love about seagrapes is not only are these plants drought-tolerant but can be used in coastal areas to take the salt sprays and the fruits are also editable which makes this plant a winner I love seagrapes and eat them whenever I get the chance
Firebush
3. Firebush
The Firebush plant is a garden beauty that will bring much flavor to your garden and landscape area, the Firebush makes a great plant for a hedge, thinking about starting a wildlife garden then the Firebush is the plant for you.
Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist these plants and will have your garden teaming with their presence so go ahead and give them a try I have and still am working with the Firebush plant which is a gardener’s favorite.
African Iris
4. Another favorite is the African Iris, what I love about the African Iris is the bright beautiful flowers it produces and its leaves that gives the feeling of the presence of water ( a pond ) when planted or grouped together. I have worked with the iris plant on many garden projects and have never been disappointed. Adding these to your summer garden will bring that much-needed flavor.
Bird of Paradise
5. Bird of Paradise
The bird of paradise gives a feel of the tropics, the flower of this plant is dazzling. I have both worked with and seen the bird of paradise in many landscape designs which gave that bang this tropical beauty will rock your world with its charm.
Bromeliads
6. There are said to be about 2,700 species of bromeliads which makes this a huge family. I have not only worked with bromeliads on the outdoors as a professional groundsman but also on many interior plant projects as an interior plantscape designer.
I love bromeliads with their beautiful flowers and colorful foliage, there are so many to choose from with their individual color, size, and shape to meet your need. Bromeliads are also used in rock gardens, with these garden beauties you can’t go wrong.
Bougainvilleas
7. Bougainvilleas are a hardy type vine which has many color bloom, my favorite is the virgate because not only do this plant species produce beautiful flower bloom but the leaves are also a mixture of green and yellow.
Bougainvilleas can be grown as a hedge or a standard plant, these garden beauties are really a show stopper. Bougainvilleas look great planted in masses mixing the color, talk about a rainbow effect these plants are worth the investment.
Lantanas
8. The lantana plant produces small beautiful colorful flowers that can brighten up any garden area, butterflies are attracted to these garden beauties and will pay you a visit. I have worked on several garden projects with the lantana and have seen first hand what can happen.
What I also love about lantanas is their mild scent which is so unique. Give these plants a try and see the change they bring to your garden and landscapes.
Plumbagos
9. Plumbagos produces beautiful flowers that have a soft texture, this exotic plant will fit right into your summer garden. This shrub can give that wow and is used in many tropical gardens, the plumbago has made a name for itself I have seen plumbagos in many garden and landscape design.
Muhly Grass
10. This ornamental grass is a must, what I find really amazing about the muhly grass is that it remains a beautiful light green for most of the year and then with the colder months arrives the leaves turn a beautiful pink. Every winter I look forward to seeing these plants produce this color.
For more on ornamental grasses please check out the category section of this website.
Rosemary
11. This is a delightful herb which can flavor your dishes, I cook with rosemary often, this herb also has an amazing aroma but is offensive to some garden insect pest. The rosemary herb has strong flavors if you use too much can give your foods a bitter taste but once used in the right amount will give that wow. Rosemary is great to install as a part of and edible garden
Mandevilla
12. The Mandevilla is a beautiful vine that can be grown on a trellis or better yet planted near a fence where it will attach and run. The Mandevilla also brings its flavor and style to the table which is a show stopper so if you are in the market for a drought-tolerant plant that produces beautiful flowers you will be so happy with this plant choice.
The final word
Low maintenance plants are a great investment as you have seen, these plants can really cut the workload not to mention the cost. If you are in the market for garden plants that are easy to maintain and cost-effective then look no further these are the plants for you. Low maintenance plants bringing that bang while saving those bucks.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Hi,
Great article about some low maintenance plant idea. I was not a garden lover before. But from last two years, I have started gardening and it makes my hobby now. But sometimes it is hard to maintain the cost for plants. I thought maintaining plants is very expensive. But after reading your post I have realised maintaining plant is not expensive anymore. We can save our money if we want. Thanks a lot for such a wonderful article.
If you want to save money then these gardens are the first choice. So happy to help.
Now I feel like my garden would get much more filled up when I add these Florida drought tolerant plants. Firstly, I like the fact that they are very much easy to plant and manage which would make growing them a pleasurable experience for me as I won’t be looking forward to breaking banks on it and the maintenance dance too would be much easy. Thanks for the suggestions. I will try to checkout the ones I can afford among them to plant.
These type of garden plants has so many benefits as I laid out. So happy to help and wishing you good success with your garden projects.
Wow, a good list of draught tolerant plants. It’s very nice to see that you can come up with so much list. Well nobody wouldn’t want to cut down on cost and nobody wouldn’t like easy to maintain plants. I am definitely going to give this a try at this period and it’s true that this periods are very humid. I will give some of your plants a go in my little garden. I think I should start with the African Iris. Nice post!
Drought-tolerant plants can help us to save a few bucks which can go a long way. The African Iris is a great choice and the flowers are so beautiful.
I am so glad I came across this article. Over the past few years I have seen a significant drop in bees around the area (I know that this is a growing concern) and I have been looking for something to plant which will really attract them. The FIrebush sounds like the perfect solution for me.
The South of France is covered in Bougainvilleas – it is honestly a site to behold when they are all in full bloom. Absolutely stunning.
Thanks again
You are welcome and I am so happy to help. The firebush is a great choice in attracting bees. All the best to you and have a good day.
I must admit that I had never heard of drought tolerant plants until I read your article, suppose it’s not surprising given that the climate in Ireland is much more temperate (we get lot’s of rain) however if you live in a hot climate location like Florida it’s good to know that low maintenance plants make a lot of sense. They don’t require a lot of water, you can save money on insecticides, low maintenance and low fertilization costs as well as attracting wildlife. You give a long list of low maintenance plants for people to choose from which I like.
Which of those are your favourites?
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed description of low maintenance plants for hot weather countries.
Fintan
Agaves and bromeliads are some of my favorite drought-tolerant plants. Hope this helps and have a good day.
Hi Norman,
Thanks for sharing. I don’t have much of a “green thumb”, so some of these plants are ideal as I figure the less maintenance required the better. I believe that it was Plumbagos that my parents had in their garden when growing up and the purple flowers really are beautiful!
I am so happy to help, these type of plants can save time and money. All the best to you and thanks for sharing.
High maintenance plants can be so hard to manage because one can’t be soo gallant always. This is why one needs to try more low maintenance plants that are also very cool and would go a long way to save money too. Thanks for taking your time to engage in this research.. There are a lot of nice plants I have never seen but are been recommended. The one I love most is the lantana plant because it produces small beautiful colorful flowers which can brighten up garden areas and are attracted to these garden butterflies. I hope to see more nice post
Having a garden that is drought tolerant has so many benefits. I am so happy to help, all the best to you and have a good day.