A commercial facility can be bustling. Despite the wide variety of commercial sites in Greater Chicago, all encounter traffic.
Whether it’s employees heading in and out of an office park or industrial site, or customers visiting a retail location, the foot and vehicle traffic is often busy daily.
Therefore, the landscaping must be resilient and require minimal care. It can’t be fragile or overly sensitive, or it won’t survive.
You probably don’t have time to tend to delicate plants every day. That’s why choosing low-maintenance commercial landscaping is crucial.
Unsure which plants can enhance your site’s appearance while being easy to care for? Here are some options to consider.
Best Low-Maintenance Plants For Commercial Landscapes
Plants are a key component to any landscape, including commercial facilities. Any landscape without lots of green and pops of color is pretty dull and dreary.
However, there are three key considerations when selecting low-maintenance plants for commercial landscapes.
- When selecting low-maintenance landscaping plants, always consider the site location, sunlight, soil quality, irrigation, and traffic flow.
- Avoid plants that could grow uncontrollably and block windows, doors, or pathways, as they can become maintenance issues and safety hazards. Ensure that chosen plants never obstruct access to windows, walkways, fire hydrants, or entrances and exits.
- Be cautious about snow and salt. Avoid planting key trees in areas where snow is piled during winter. Some perennials, annuals, and ornamental grasses that are less affected by snow might be suitable.
- For salt-prone areas, select hardy plants and consider adding burlap or snow fencing around parking lots to help protect your plants from salt damage.
Even the best low-maintenance varieties need the right planting environments. For instance, plant sun-loving plants in areas that receive 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, and shade-loving plants in areas that receive fewer than 4 hours of direct sunlight. There are similar rules for each plant on soil moisture and type.
This ensures your plants thrive, showcase the best flowers and color, and remain low-maintenance.
Here are some of our favorites.
1. Boxwood
Boxwoods are great plants for commercial landscapes because they are evergreen, and you can use them as reliable backdrops or to provide structure in your commercial beds.
They can be kept to 30 inches with selective pruning and shaping, but they can also reach 4 feet with minimal effort. Smaller leaf varieties are nice; try ‘Green Gem,’ ‘Chicagoland Green,’ or ‘Northern Charm.’
If you’re not a fan of boxwoods, try inkberry holly; the ‘Shamrock’ variety is similar in size and texture to boxwoods but offers something different.
2. Globe Arborvitae
We’ve used ‘Fire Chief’ globe arborvitae in some Greater Chicago commercial landscapes to incorporate a high-contrast evergreen.
This low-maintenance plant for commercial landscapes features orange to red foliage, growing to 3 to 4 feet tall. It’s not what you’d expect from an arborvitae, which is what makes it so special.
3. Hydrangea
Hydrangea varieties are excellent low-maintenance plants for commercial landscapes because they have large, showy flower heads that persist throughout the summer, which is exactly what can make commercial properties stand out.
Hydrangea ‘Annabell’ has lovely white flowers and is adaptable to both sun and shade, as well as wet conditions. It also offers a height of 3 to 4 feet. ‘Incrediball’ is a bigger version. Another great low-maintenance landscape plant is ‘Invincibelle Ruby,’ which does best in full sun and promises some red color.
Get Creative With Low-Maintenance Plants
Being creative is part of the fun of incorporating low-maintenance plants for commercial landscapes in Chicago.
There are several ways to pair low-maintenance plants together for maximum impact. For instance, pairing red-leaf plants with chartreuse-leaf plants provides nice contrast. Add something blue in the foreground to bring another element.
Try ‘Tiger Eye’ sumac, for example, combined with ‘Spilled Wine’ weigela in front of a ‘Diablo’ or ‘Little Devil’ ninebark, featuring its darker burgundy leaves. Then add a blue-toned ornamental grass, such as blue oatgrass, for another contrasting texture and color.
Low Maintenance Can Bring Great Aesthetics and Reduce Care Costs
The best plants for commercial landscapes can be both beautiful and low-maintenance. We hope this list helps prove that.
Choosing the right ones can seem challenging. You don’t want to pick the wrong plant or waste time and money adding to your commercial maintenance costs.
We completely understand. KD Landscape can help. We live and breathe plants every day. We can help you make the right choices so you can achieve the look you want within your budget. We can help you identify which plants are truly low-maintenance and how they can best integrate into your Greater Chicago Commercial landscape.
Want to learn more about how to choose the best low-maintenance plants for your Greater Chicago commercial property? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice.
