Low-Maintenance Outdoor Potted Plants

Finding time to maintain a garden can be difficult in our busy lives nowadays. However, you don’t have to give up the beautiful greenery in front of your house or office, even if you don’t have time for advanced gardening.

The best solution in such a situation is to go for low-maintenance outdoor potted plants. These strong and adaptable plants are the perfect solution for businesses and individuals who want to enjoy the benefits of gardening without the extensive time commitment.

If you want to add cool and easy-to-handle greenery to your patios, porches, stoops, decks, or even fire escapes, browse through our suggestions below!

Key Points

• Low-maintenance outdoor potted plants are a great choice for gardening beginners, busy individuals or companies.
• They will save you time and effort, at the same time making your space greener and more beautiful.
• A plant can be called low-maintenance if it has excellent climate tolerance, soil adaptability, and minimal care needs.
• Some of the most popular low-maintenance outdoor potted plants are purple fountain grass, rose, rosemary, garden sage, winter jasmine, fuchsia, Japanese maple, and thyme.
• At Pots, Planters & More, you can order many decorative planters for various outdoor spaces.

What Are the Best Low-Maintenance Outdoor Potted Plants?

There is a wide range of outdoor potted plants that require minimal maintenance, so you don’t have to worry about a very limited choice. Here are some of the most popular low-maintenance plants you can place in a pot outdoors:

Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum purpureum)

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a warm-season ornamental grass known for its burgundy-colored foliage and airy, purplish flower plumes.

This plant requires minimal maintenance, as it doesn't need to be deadheaded, and it can be divided in spring to propagate new plants. What’s more, it is relatively drought-tolerant and can withstand hot weather.

Even though Pennisetum purpureum can grow quite tall in a garden, it is more subdued when planted in a pot.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

When rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is established, it is so tough you barely have to do anything with it. It can withstand dry conditions well, and it loves sunshine.

As this herb prefers drier soil, you don’t have to worry about watering it often. Moreover, rosemary can survive without fertilizers and is fairly resistant to most pests, reducing the need for insecticides.

An important thing to remember when taking care of rosemary is to trim it back when it grows out of the planter. Apart from that, it doesn’t need much attention.

Rose (Rosa)

A rose (Rosa) can climb beautifully in a pot when trained that way. You may have heard that roses are picky and hard to grow, but with recent cultivars and hybrid varieties, it is no longer so true. You just need to be sure you are buying a rose labeled “easy care.”

These low-maintenance roses mostly need just plenty of sun (which is easily achievable outdoors) and regular watering, so they are well-suited for gardening beginners or busy individuals.

They can also be planted in commercial spaces, where they can make a great impression on potential customers or business partners.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia can bring color all summer long (and sometimes also during fall) in areas with lower temperatures while requiring little effort.

This plant usually prefers partial shade, but certain varieties tolerate full sun in cooler climates. Thus, you have more flexibility when placing potted fuchsia.

Moreover, it requires moderate watering, so finding the right rhythm shouldn’t be a huge problem.

Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Garden sage (Salvia officinalis), also called common sage, is another example of a great low-maintenance outdoor potted plant. It not only looks beautiful but also can be used as a delicious seasoning.

Sage likes to grow in full sun, which will be easy to achieve outside, without wondering about the perfect balance of light and shade.

What’s more, when this herb is established, it doesn’t need to be watered frequently—it prefers drier soil. You can fertilize it occasionally for bushier growth, but sage can happily survive without it as well.

Apart from that, this plant requires just minimal pruning, as you just need to trim off any dead or leggy growth to keep the shape tidy.

On top of that, sage is relatively resistant to most pests and diseases.

Winter Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum)

This low-maintenance outdoor plant is ideal for pots on the patio. If you place it next to the entrance, you can enjoy the decadent-smelling flowers every time you come and go (just remember to choose the white variant if you want the scent - in yellow jasmine, it is weaker).

Winter jasmine isn’t too picky about the soil type - it just needs to be well-drained. It can tolerate drier conditions, so you just need to check the soil occasionally and water when it feels dry to the touch.

Moreover, it doesn’t need much pruning. It is enough to just slightly trim it after flowering to control size or remove any dead branches.

As the name suggests, winter jasmine can be left outside even in colder weather without additional protection. It is also not prone to major pest issues or diseases.

Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Another herb on our list which is amazingly easy to grow and has a low upright profile. It loves growing in full sun, which is a condition readily available outdoors.

This plant also prefers drier soil, so you don’t have to water it too often. Moreover, it has low nutrient needs, and even if occasional fertilization can encourage bushier growth, it grows fine without it as well.

Furthermore, it is relatively resistant to most pests and diseases, so you are not likely to face such difficulties while growing it. It requires just minimal pruning to maintain a compact shape or encourage more vigorous growth.

Finally, many thyme varieties are quite resistant to cold and can survive outdoors in pots, even in colder climates. Some of them require certain winter protection (like mulching), while others tolerate being left outside without it.

Japanese Maple (Acer japonicum)

Japanese maple is technically a tree, but it grows slowly enough to be a popular outdoor potted plant grown in large planters. Also, it means it won’t need frequent pruning to maintain size and shape.

This plant will grow successfully in most climates, also during winter (although it will lose its beautiful leaves at that time). It has moderate watering needs and prefers well-drained soil which is not soggy.

You can occasionally fertilize Japanese maple, but it can survive without that as well.

Why Should You Choose Low-Maintenance Outdoor Potted Plants?

Low-maintenance outdoor potted plants are a great choice for multiple reasons. Some of the most important ones are as follows:

Convenience and Saving Time

These potted plants require minimal care, which means you can spend less time worrying about watering, pruning, and fertilizing and more time enjoying your outdoor space.

In this way, they suit individuals with busy schedules or frequent travelers.

Versatility

Low-maintenance potted plants can grow on balconies, patios, decks, gardens, and in other places.

This flexibility allows you to create green spaces in areas that might not traditionally support a garden, such as small urban balconies or concrete patios.

Stunning Surroundings with Minimal Effort

With a wide variety of low-maintenance plants available, you can easily make your outdoor space more beautiful.

These plants come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, allowing you to create stunning arrangements that require little attention.

Ideal for Beginners

Low-maintenance plants are particularly recommended to gardening beginners. Their resistance and adaptability mean that even those with little experience can enjoy success.

If you want to start your gardening journey, you should begin with easy-to-handle plants and then, if you feel like it, proceed to more demanding ones.

What Makes a Plant Low-Maintenance?

Here are some of the most important characteristics that contribute to a plant being low-maintenance:

• Climate Tolerance: It adapts well to sunlight conditions without relocating. It thrives in your climate zone without needing additional protection.
• Minimal Care Needs: Once established, it doesn’t need constant watering and is drought-tolerant. Using fertilizers is not obligatory. Doesn’t require frequent trimming or pruning.
• Soil Adaptability: Not picky about specific soil types, as long as drainage is good.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, there are plenty of low-maintenance outdoor potted plants you can grow, even if you are a gardening beginner or a busy individual. These are actually just a few examples, and there is a lot more to discover.

In our offer, you will find many pots that are suitable to use outdoors - patio planters, porch planters, and more. What’s more, we have a dedicated offer for businesses who need office planters to make their workplace look more welcoming and cozy.

They are all durable and suitable for various kinds of plants, including the low-maintenance ones. Browse through our offer and choose the planters you like the most!