Low Maintenance Slow Growing Shrubs

Small Evergreen Shrubs

• The ‘Maryland Dwarf’ American holly stands 2 to 3 feet high and 3 to 10 feet wide when mature. This slow-growing, evergreen shrub tolerates full sun or partial shade and likes moist, well-drained soil. It grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Scotch heather is a low-maintenance shrub that grows 1 to 2 feet wide and 4 to 24 inches tall. This evergreen plant requires sun or partial shade and likes acidic, moist soil that is well-drained. It produces rose to purplish-pink flowers from summer to fall. It grows best in zones 4 to 6.

Small Deciduous Shrubs

• If you’re looking for a small deciduous shrub which requires little maintenance, your choices include the greenstem or Bronx forsythia. This shrub grows 1 to 2 feet high and 2 to 4 feet wide. It likes sun to light shade and can adapt to a variety of soil types in zones 6 to 8. The shrub produces small yellow flowers in the spring and green to yellow color in the fall. It prefers medium moisture. The dwarf fothergilla offers another deciduous option, growing 1.5 to 5 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. It produces white flowers in April and May and is best suited for zones 5 to 8. The dwarf fothergilla needs full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.

Medium-Sized Deciduous Shrubs

• The red chokecherry is a slow-growing, deciduous shrub that is easy to maintain. It reaches a height of 6 to 10 feet and a width of 3 to 6 feet. The red chokecherry produces white and light pink blooms in April. It prefers well-drained soils with full sun to light shade and produces small, red fruit in the fall. This shrub is drought-tolerant and easy to transplant. The Fothergilla major 'Arkansas Beauty' is a low-maintenance shrub that reaches a height and width of 4 to 6 feet. You can grow it in zones 5 to 8. Although the shrub can tolerate partial shade, it produces the best spring blooms if planted in full sun. The Arkansas Beauty offers red, orange and yellow foliage in the fall and requires well-drained soil.

Large Deciduous Shrub

• Reaching up to 11 feet high and wide, the slow-growing compact winged euonymus is also known as the dwarf-winged burning bush. You can grow this shrub in zones 4 to 8 in full sun or partial shade. The plant is known for its striking red color in the fall. It also produces small red fruit at the end of the growing season that attracts birds. The compact winged euonymus can handle a range of soil types but dislikes wet ground.