Top 3 Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Garden

Easy care plant picks

A lush and leafy garden creates a tranquil space to relax outdoors, especially throughout the balmy months when we spend more time in the open air. Yet Australian conditions are diverse and unique and it can be tricky to pick the right plants that will thrive in the climate. Black Group Landscape & Construction share their top 3 low-maintenance plants for the Australian garden.

Image courtesy of Harry Rose

spiny-head mat-rush

The spiny-head mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia) is ideal for Aussie gardens. Extremely hardy, low-maintenance and drought-resistant, this grass-like native can be mass planted to help control erosion and weeds. Throughout summer, the flower spikes produce a perfume and the leaves are long and strap-like. This plant will grow in both wet and dry soils, as well as pots.

Image courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr

Xanadu

Widely cultivated as a landscaping plant, Xanadu (Philodendron ‘Xanadu’) is great for giving your garden a tropical look. This evergreen low shrub usually grows to around 75cm in height and thrives in tropical and subtropical locations. This compact philodendron is suited to a variety of conditions, including sun, shade, indoors and pots — even in cooler climates.

Image courtesy of Black Group Landscape & Construction

sago palm

The sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is a very popular low-growing plant in Australia and with good reason. It’s one of the easiest cycads to grow, even in cool climates. It’s also drought tolerant and has the appearance of a tropical palm. Native to southern Japan, this slow-growing species is extremely hardy, will thrive in a sunny spot with good drainage and the application of fertiliser in the warmer months, and can reach 3m tall.