Low Maintenance Plants

Variegated Japanese Maple

Compact deciduous shrub One of the more unique colour patterns found in Japanese maples Spring leaves emerge with beautiful pink, peach, and creamy-white colouration By summer, deep-green veins show up over creamy-green with traces of rose tinting Fall foliage turns soft green-gold, leading to yellows and oranges

Katsura Japanese Maple

Leaves emerge chartreuse with orange-tinted margins in the spring Bright green foliage in the summer and shades of orange and yellow in the fall Dense, compact habit

Dragon Tears™ Japanese Maple

Upright form but with horizontal branching that slightly weep Deeply-lobed leaves emerge bright red turning darker with age Foliage turns orange, purple and red tones in autumn

Fireglow Japanese Maple

Better than 'Bloodgood' in the selection of purplish-red Japanese maples Retains its deep colour well throughout the summer Excellent red fall colour Rounded, dense habit

Crimson Prince Japanese Maple

Purportedly better than 'Bloodgood' in the series of purplish-red Japanese maples Retains its deep colour well throughout the summer Excellent red fall colour Stems are almost black, showing well in the winter Dense, bushy, upright habit

Bloodgood Japanese Maple

The benchmark in upright, large-leaved, purplish-red Japanese maples Retains its deep colour well throughout the summer Leaves somewhat larger than those of other purple forms Inconspicuous red flowers emerge before the leaves Excellent red fall colour

Adrian's Compact Japanese Maple

Slow-growing compact red Japanese maple New growth is red, contrasting with the burgundy-purple mature foliage Fall colour is a strong orange and red

Japanese Maple

Planted for their graceful habit Green leaves in the summer turn to orange purple and red in the fall Broad to rounded, often low branching Small reddish-purple blooms are followed by red samaras Bloom Time: April

Green Column Maple

AKA Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum 'Green Column' Greenish-yellow flower clusters A selection of black maple with an upright oval form Very similar to the sugar maple but better adapted to hot, dry conditions Light green summer foliage turns golden-orange in the fall Bloom Time: April to May

Rugged Ridge® Maple

Vigorous, upright, oval habit Dark green leaves turn yellow in the fall Deeply furrowed corky bark Tough and adaptable with a straight leader

Paperbark Maple

One of the most distinct cultivars in the maple genus Cinnamon-brown bark exfoliates in paper-thin strips like birch Slow-growing species with an oval shape Fall colour can be brilliant red Insect resistant Bloom Time: April

Highland Park® Bigtooth Maple

Upright pyramidal habit Thick, tatter-resistant leaves Dark green leaves turn bright red in the fall Fast-growing with a small mature height

Flame Maple

AKA Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala 'Flame' Naturally a large shrub, it can be trained into a tree form Fragrant yellowish flowers appear just before the leaves Seeds emerge red, maturing to brown Glossy dark green leaves change to fiery-red in the fall Useful as a hedge or single specimen Bloom Time: Early spring

Carnival Hedge Maple

Crown grows into a compact, round shape Leaves emerge creamy-pink, turning a variegated white and green in the summer Fall foliage colour is a soft yellow with white margins A smaller, slower growing, variegated cultivar of Acer campestre

Hedge Maple

Densely branched, broad, oval habit Dark green leaves in the summer, turning yellow in the fall Inconspicuous flowers are green Excellent street tree under utility lines with its small mature height Bloom Time: Spring

Dwarf Korean Fir

Very compact, mounding evergreen Short, dark-green needles with white winter buds Very slow growing, approximately 2.5 cm per year

Miniature Korean Fir

Dwarf, compact habit Two-toned green and white needles Slow-growing 3-5cm per year

Silver Korean Fir

Upright broadly pyramidal conifer New foliage emerges shiny-silver held in whorls Needles will fade to sea-green with a prominent silver band Purple cones grow upright and disintegrate while still on the plant

Korean Fir

Slow-growing compact pyramidal fir Glossy medium-green needles with silver undersides Purple cones grow upright and disintegrate while still on the plant Lends itself to both specimen or group plantings

Blue Cloak White Fir

Dwarf conifer with powder-blue foliage Upright, full-bodied, pyramidal form A strong central leader with upward-arching branches that become pendulous with maturity. Slow-growing

White Fir

A large conical specimen with a stately appearance Large silvery-blue blunt needles Purple cones grow upright and disintegrate while still on the plant Cones appear on younger branches of older specimens Use as a stand-alone specimen or in sets of threes or fives in a larger landscape Withstands heat and drought better than most firs

Piccolo Dwarf Balsam Fir

A very dwarf globe with short, nearly vertical branches Radiating, dark green needles Showy brown buds add winter interest Works well in rock gardens, mixed borders, or patio planters

Dwarf Balsam Fir

Rounded with laterally-spreading dense branches Dark green needles have white bands on their undersides Slow-growing dwarf

Victoria California Lilac

Clusters of tiny fragrant light blue flowers Semi-evergreen dark green leaves Oval-rounded shrub Bloom Time: June to August

Threadleaf Coreopsis

Creamy-yellow flowers with a dark red eye and orange-red centre As the flower ages, the red eye gets bigger until the cream is hardly visible Fine-textured thread-leaf foliage with an open, airy appearance Bloom Time: June to August

Blue Ray™ Kousa Dogwood

Ivory-white blooms in May typically later then other kousa cultivars Large strawberry-like fruit appear after Blooms Glossy green-blue leaves turning rich red and orange in autumn Disease resistant

Coral Bells

Upright stems with panicles of small pink flowers aging darker pink Mounding silvery evergreen leaves feature green veins Bloom Time: Early summer to mid-fall Foliage height: 25 cm Flower Height: 60 cm 

Coral Bell

Large mounding habit Palm-sized caramel-toned leaves with creamy golden hues during the season Stems with white bell flowers rise above the mound in early summer

Goldilocks Japanese White Pine

Irregular semi-upright growth habit Unique blue needles are brushed with creamy-yellow Foliage overwinters a blue-green colour Slow-growing

Stowe Pillar Eastern White Pine

Dense blue-green foliage with a very narrow habit Slow-growing columnar pine Tight branching makes it more resistant to branch breakage

Sea Thrift

Tufts of semi-evergreen foliage resembling turfgrass Globe-shaped hot pink flower clusters form a layer of colour 20 cm above the foliage Plant will slowly spread into surrounds if the soil is dry enough Bloom Time: Mid to late spring, persisting into the summer

Sweet Flag

Hardy perennial, swamp or bog plant Foliage and rhizomes have a sweet citrus scent when bruised or cut Wheat-like flowers Great for stabilizing pond edges Bloom Time: June to July

Repanda Juniper

Dense, prostrate growing habit Dark green awl-like needles with a silver stripe in the centre Foliage turns a bronze colour in the winter Use as a ground cover plant in a low-maintenance landscape

Everlasting® Revolution Hydrangea

Deep pink to maroon to true blue blooms depending on soil acidity Medium-green leaves are rounded with a point Compact, mounding habit Strong stems Bloom Time: May to September

Let's Dance Can Do!® Hydrangea

A reliable rebloomer Sets flower buds along the entire length of the stems Abundant lacecap flowers of semi-double star-like florets Rich violet-purple in acidic soils, saturated pink in basic soils

Big Time White Lavender

Large spikes of white flowers on sturdy stems Scented compact gray-green foliage Uniform and compact shrub-like habit Can be shaped for low border hedges Bloom Time: June to August Flower Height: 50 cm Flower Size: 4-5 cm

Blue Pygmy Juniper

Low spreading form with vertical branchlets Juvenile foliage is closed-scale, while mature foliage is open, awl-shaped Very slow-growing: use in a miniature theme garden

Degroot's Spire Cedar

Narrow upright with sharply ascending branches Twisted scale-like medium-green chamaecyparis-like foliage An excellent selection for providing a vertical accent Low tolerance of dry or drought conditions Low tolerance for salt spray

Katsura Tree

Densely branched, upright to rounded crown Round-oval leaves emerge reddish-purple in the spring, maturing to medium green Fall foliage is a mix of gold, orange and red Tiny red flowers are not showy Leaves emit an odour not unlike cotton candy, at certain times of the season Bloom Time: Spring

Little Bluestem

Dense clump of gray-blue leaves Leaves turn to shades of orange in the fall and remain showy throughout the winter Silvery seed heads Bloom Time: Late summer into the fall Flower Height: 100 cm Foliage Height: 80 cm Grass Type: Warm Season

Moon Frost Canadian Hemlock

Dwarf, broadly rounded form Soft feathery foliage with creamy-white variegation New growth emerges white, the older needles retain a hint of white Blush-pink winter colour Provides a brightly coloured focal point in shady areas Low tolerance of dry or drought conditions

Morgan Cedar

Slow-growing dwarf, with an upright form Vertical sprays of lime-green foliage turn to deep purple in the fall Has a rich orange colour during the winter months A unique specimen with its colour variation throughout the seasons Low tolerance for salt spray

Ornamental Onion

Pink-purple, globe-shaped flowers of multiple florets Upright clump of glossy, grass-like foliage Compact habit Attracts butterflies and honeybees Late Blooming

Sargent's Weeping Hemlock

Upright to mounding plant with weeping branches Short dark green needles have two white bands underneath Thimble-like light brown cones may appear on older plants A unique specimen, ideal beside a water feature

Sester Dwarf Blue Spruce

Slow-growing, uniform, extremely compact Dwarf conifer with a pyramidal habit Blue needles are brightest in spring Use as an accent plant

Stonecrop

Upright, clumping habit forms a mound Gray-green foliage has serrated cupped leaves Large cluster of tiny star-shaped deep pink flowers Flowers dry to a brownish-red colour in late fall Bloom Time: Late summer to fall Flower Height: 60 cm Foliage Height: 40 cm

Thoweil Hinoki Falsecypress

Slow-growing naturally sculpted narrow upright habit Irregular branching with deep green foliage Ideal for an unusual focal point in a rock garden

Tuff Stuff Top Fun® Mountain Hydrangea

Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Excellent rebloomer Bold Lacecap blooms on bright burgundy stems Lime-green florets edged with purple or pink florets Blooms first on old wood and then later on new growth Bloom Time: June until frost