problem with knockouts is they can get rose rosette disease pretty easily.

Laurals can take alo tof neglect, but are not real pretty no flowers, but stay green all winter.

some a bit less formal like Nandina would be an option.

or winged euonymous.

Laurel - it can take neglect.

Knockout roses

Anonymous wrote:Holly bushes, though they are prickly.

Get inkberry holly. It's native, so bonus there, very hardy, can be pruned, and is not prickly! I think it's a really handsome plant year-round (unlike azaleas or other deciduous plants).

Ilex glabra -- if you want small, look for the "compacta" cultivar.

I have two viburnum bushes in the front of our addition, and they smell so lovely in the spring when they bloom. I have prune once in a while, but they round out beautifully on their own.

We have also just begun planting wild laurel that gets these gorgeous blazing red leaves when it begins sprouting fresh growth in the spring. I love it so much, we are buying two more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holly bushes, though they are prickly.

Holly is so painful. It's the devil!!!

But it's low maintenance and grows anywhere.

Boxwoods

Anonymous wrote:Holly bushes, though they are prickly.

Holly is so painful. It's the devil!!!

Holly bushes, though they are prickly.

Anonymous wrote:For shady/partly shady, try black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). Grows 1.5-3'. Native to boot.

in spring: http://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ericaceae/gaylussacia-baccata-ha-dkausen.jpg
in fall: http://florafind.mainegardens.org/PlantPix/Thumbnails/GAYLUSSACIA-BACCATA-WILD-FALL-WC-DS5_2712AA_SZ336.jpg

For sunny spot, try spirea 3-6'. Also native.

in spring: http://www.naturallandscapesnursery.com/Spirea%20Latifolia2.JPG
in fall: http://www.naturallandscapesnursery.com/Spirea%20lat%20fall%20color.JPG

Not the op, but the first one, can you trim them back so they do not get too big (1.5 sounds good, 3 sounds too high)

For shady/partly shady, try black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). Grows 1.5-3'. Native to boot.

in spring: http://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ericaceae/gaylussacia-baccata-ha-dkausen.jpg
in fall: http://florafind.mainegardens.org/PlantPix/Thumbnails/GAYLUSSACIA-BACCATA-WILD-FALL-WC-DS5_2712AA_SZ336.jpg

For sunny spot, try spirea 3-6'. Also native.

in spring: http://www.naturallandscapesnursery.com/Spirea%20Latifolia2.JPG
in fall: http://www.naturallandscapesnursery.com/Spirea%20lat%20fall%20color.JPG

I hate azaleas. They always look scraggly and not manicured.

op here thanks, I wish my azaleas were like that. The well established ones do really well but we bought a few new ones and they all died. So hoping for something even more low maintenance

azaleas. Our's grow in the sun and shade. We never take care of them.

Hi, I'm looking for a relatively small bush that would grow anywhere- very low maintenance. Any suggestions? One area is more shady and one more sunny s2o we might also need 2 different suggestions
thanks!