Tomorrow is the first of June and the hot summer season has begun! It looks like it will be a real scorching summer this year. We had some very cold days this winter and a lot of plants died.
So a lot of people are planting new flowers and plants to replace the ones that did not make it over the winter. Or maybe you just want to try new plants or want to add some color and greenery to your lawn and edges of your home.
If so you can help a lot to keep the inside of your home clean by planting flowers and plants outside that are clean and low maintenance. You don’t want plants that will make cleaning your home and floors a pain!
Perhaps the best way to keep your home clean from tracking in outside stuff is to never use outdoor plants that have berries of any kind. They always fall off the plants and scatter across your walkway. In turn you step on them and track them inside.
Then they get smashed into your floor, making a sticky, stained mess. Kids also pick them, making for sticky little hands that smear it all over your walls. So stay away from plants and shrubs that produce berries of any kind!
Other types of “dirty” outdoor plants are ones that produce sticky sap, plants that drop dead leaves all over frequently and ones that have burs that stick to your shoes and clothes as you brush against them. All of those get tracked into your house.
Luckily there are plenty of colorful, pretty outdoor plants that do not need much maintenance and stay very clean. They don’t shed many leaves if any, produce no sap and almost self clean themselves. Plants that are very green and lush also stay clean.
Covenant Cleaning Services recently published a list of the best clean indoor plants to have. So below is a list of the best outdoor plants to have that stay clean and are low maintenance that thrive in the Orlando, Florida area.
Lantana plant
If you want a plant that will add a lot of color to your lawn, consider the Lantana plant! This sun loving shrub has clusters of small, multi-colored flowers that add a pop to your lawn or edge of the house. They do well in hot, direct sunlight and dry conditions.
They bloom year round here in Orlando, Florida. They are very clean, easy to care for and attract butterflies, honey bees and hummingbirds! Snip off faded flower clusters to prevent berries from forming and encourage rapid re-blooming.
Coontie Palm
If you want a lush, deep green plant that requires almost no care, go for the Coontie Palm. This fern like plant thrives in both high sunlight to partial shade. It is very drought-tolerant and prefers sandy soil. It has thick green leaves.
Growing up to 3 feet tall it is resistant to salt-wind spray. Works great as a ground cover and edges of the house. A bonus is it is a larval host plant for the rare and colorful Atala butterfly. Plant some for a lush green area of your garden.
Bougainvillea shrub
If you want a very colorful vine and shrub type of plant, get the Bougainvillea shrub. They love full sunlight and are drought resistant. You can use them to grow along a fence or as a trailing hanging plant. They can reach 40 feet in length!
They have many dense, colorful flowers that add a lot of pop to your property. They do have thorns so be careful when handling them. They require little care but they do need to be protected from freezing temperatures.
Agave plant
If you want a striking looking plant with green leaves, consider the Agave plant. They look a bit like the tops of pineapples. They have long, spikey leaves with a sharp tip. They love sunlight and are very drought-tolerant.
Certain types of Agave plants are used to make tequila and agave nectar. They live a long time and add a unique look to your lawn or garden. They will grow in a pot or directly in the ground. Add some uniqueness to your home with these!
Pentas Plant
For a colorful plant that can withstand almost anything, get some Pentas plants! They love the hot, direct sunlight and thrive in extreme heat and humidity, making it ideal for the Orlando, Florida climate. The tight clusters of flowers come in many colors.
They grow to 3 feet tall but compact varieties stay at 15 inches or so. They are popular with landscapers and attract butterflies and hummingbirds. If you want a colorful flowering plant with almost no care, these are for you!
Dwarf Yaupon Holly shrub
Another green plant, the dwarf yaupon holly shrub has dense green oval leaves and grows to 2 to 4 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide. It grows in full sunlight to partial shade. Grows in many different soil mixtures. Makes a great border or hedge plant.
They are dioecious, meaning they are male or female plants. The male plant has no berries, while the female plant produces bright red berries. A very low maintenance shrub that adds a thick, green mat of greenery to your home.
Firebush Plant
Finally we have the Firebush flower plant. It has red and orange tubular flower clusters that attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. It can bloom year round in Florida and grows to 14 feet tall, but can be pruned to a 5 foot tall hedge.
It loves full sun but can thrive in partial shade. Very drought-tolerant and can grow in sandy soil. It has dense green leaves. It can be grown in a pot or used as a dense privacy hedge. Try some to add a bit of color to your lawn!
We hope you found this list of clean and low maintenance outdoor flowers and plants useful. Try a few this year and add some new scenery to your home. From all of us here at Covenant Cleaning Services, have a great summer! 🙂
