Lazy Gardener Alert! 10 Gorgeous Shrubs That Don't Need Pruning

If no pruning sounds good to you, check out these low-maintenance dwarf gems.

By: Julie Martens Forney

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Photo By: ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: DoreenWynja.com photographer for Monrovia

Photo By: ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: BaileyNurseries.com

Photo By: ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: BaileyNurseries.com

Photo By: ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: DoreenWynja.com photographer for Monrovia

Yuki Cherry Blossom Deutzia

Elegant pink blossoms blanket Yuki Cherry Blossom deutzia in spring, transforming this rounded shrub into a hummingbird magnet. Deer-resistant deutzia grows 12-24 inches tall and wide. Use it as a ground cover, a slope stabilizer or pathway edging. Hardy in Zones 5-8.

Show Off Starlet Forsythia

Welcome spring with the classic sunny blooms of forsythia, but in an updated, dwarf package. Show Off Starlet’s branches are smothered in bright yellow blossoms. Like all forsythia, this dwarf version is deer resistant, growing 2-3 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 5-8.

‘Dark Horse’ Weigela

Dark bronze leaves paired with purplish-pink spring blooms give 'Dark Horse’ Weigela florida head-turning good looks. Flowers beckon hummingbirds to plants that grow 36 inches tall and wide. This small weigela is versatile in the landscape. Use it as a short hedge, accent plant or mass planting. Hardy in Zones 4-8.

Tiny Wine Ninebark

Bronze-maroon leaves give Tiny Wine Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'SMPOTW’) stand-out color that holds its own in mixed shrub borders or perennial beds. Flowers appear in late spring. This native plant grows 3-5 feet high and 3-4 feet wide. Hardy in Zones 3-7.

Superstar Spirea

Showy pink flowers appear on First Editions Superstar spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Denistar’) from late spring through late summer. Flowers beckon bees and butterflies, while the plant itself is deer resistant. New leaves emerge scarlet, shift to green in summer and deepen to bronze in fall. Grows 2-3 feet high and 3-4 feet wide. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

‘Blue Chip Jr.’ Butterfly Bush

If you think you know butterfly bush, think again. 'Blue Chip Jr.’ has outstanding qualities, including fragrance and continuous blooming without deadheading. It's also non-invasive and drought tolerant. Of course, it also attracts butterflies by the dozens. It grows to a tidy 18 to 30 inches tall and wide—a perfect size for edging a bed or walkway. Hardy in Zones 5-9. Called "summer lilac" in Oregon and Washington, where it is approved for sale.

‘Crystalina’ Summersweet

Crank up the midsummer garden with the sweetly fragrant blooms of 'Crystalina’ summersweet (Clethra alnifolia). A native shrub, summersweet attracts all kinds of pollinators, including butterflies. Plants are deer-resistant and, unlike the true native Clethra, 'Crystalina' does not sucker and take over the yard. This perfumed beauty grows 30-36 inches tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 4-9.

Lemon Meringue Potentilla

Lemon Meringue potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa 'Bailmeringue’) is a flower powerhouse, unfurling yellow, rose-like blooms all summer long. Butterflies can’t resist the plant, along with other pollinators. Small, round plants are drought tolerant once established and deer resistant. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 2-6.

Bobo Panicle Hydrangea

For sunny spots, the right hydrangea to grow is panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). Bobo opens classic full-size hydrangea blossoms on a dwarf plant that grows 36 inches tall and 36 to 48 inches wide. Flowers turn pink as they age. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

Blue Balloon Bluebeard

Deep blue blooms cover Blue Balloon Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Korball’) from early summer through fall. Flowers beckon all kinds of pollinators, making Blue Balloon a great addition to a wildlife garden. Deer-resistant, drought-tolerant plants grow to 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 5-9.