A shrub is low maintenance only where it suits the site. The same plant that needs nothing in Melbourne can need constant attention in Perth. This guide sets out which shrubs need the least work in each set of conditions, and the few jobs at planting and in the first years that keep the work down for good.
Choose by conditions, not by list
| Conditions | Shrubs that need very little |
|---|---|
| Hot, dry, full sun | Westringia, olive, rosemary, correa, low grevilleas |
| Coastal and salt exposed | Westringia, coast banksia, Cousin It, pigface |
| Wet or poorly drained | Callistemon, melaleuca, swamp banksia |
| Dry shade under trees | Clivia, correa, and native gardenia in warm areas |
| Frost prone inland | Westringia, callistemon, correa, photinia, viburnum |
| Humid subtropical | Lilly pilly (psyllid resistant cultivars), murraya, native gardenia |
The whole range is gathered in our low maintenance shrubs collection.
The native shrubs worth building around
- Westringia. The most forgiving of all. Salt, wind, drought, poor soil and hard clipping leave it unbothered, and it grows in every capital city. Blue Gem has the strongest flower colour.
- Callistemon. Tolerates both wet feet and drought, which very few shrubs manage, and feeds honeyeaters. Little John stays around a metre.
- Correa. Flowers through autumn and winter when little else does, and handles dry shade.
- Grevillea. Long flowering and full of birds. Buy grafted plants if you garden on the humid east coast.
- Banksia. Eastern species east of the divide, western species west. Nectar in winter.
Easy exotic shrubs
- Pittosporum. A quick, dense screen for cool and temperate gardens. Our pittosporum care guide covers the varieties.
- Hebe. Compact and long flowering in cool and coastal districts. Short lived in humid heat.
- Camellia sasanqua. Autumn flowers and glossy leaves, in sun or part shade, in acid soil.
- Dwarf magnolias. Evergreen structure for a front garden with no clipping needed.
- Diosma and Indian hawthorn. Neat mounds that hold their shape without a hedge trimmer.
Feed natives correctly, or not at all
Feeding is largely optional once a native shrub is established. Where you do feed, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser and nothing else. Grevilleas, banksias and hakeas are damaged or killed by the phosphorus in ordinary garden fertiliser, mushroom compost and fresh manure, and lawn fertiliser drifting into a native bed does the same.
The first summer is not optional
Every shrub here needs attention through its first summer while the roots establish. Deep watering once or twice a week through the first two summers is what lets them live on rainfall afterwards. Skipping that year is the most common reason a low maintenance garden fails.
Prune correctly and you prune less
- Tip prune natives lightly after flowering, and do not cut into bare old wood. Many will not reshoot from it, which leaves permanent gaps.
- Start young. A shrub tip pruned every year from the first stays dense; one left to go leggy usually cannot be reclaimed.
- Callistemon is the exception. It reshoots from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard in spring.
- Choose a shrub whose natural size fits the space. A plant held well below its mature height needs constant work and goes woody at the base.
Design decisions that cut the work further
Mulch to 75 mm. Plant densely enough that no bare soil is left for weeds. Group plants by water need, so thirsty ones are not scattered through a dry bed. Repeat a short list of plants across the garden. Those four decisions reduce the work more than any single plant choice. See low maintenance garden ideas for Australian gardens for the full approach.
Common questions
What is the lowest maintenance shrub in Australia?
Westringia. It copes with drought, salt, wind, frost and poor soil, and keeps a neat shape with one light trim a year or none.
Which low maintenance shrubs flower the longest?
Grevilleas flower for most of the year in warm districts. Correas carry autumn and winter, and callistemons flower in spring and again in autumn.
Do low maintenance shrubs need watering?
Through the first two summers, yes. After that, shrubs matched to the site need water only in a long dry spell.
