15 Best Plants for Beginner Gardeners

Starting Your Garden? These Beginner-Friendly Plants Make It Easy

Getting into gardening can feel overwhelming—especially when faced with hundreds of plant choices and countless care guides. But here’s the good news: you don’t need a green thumb to build a thriving outdoor space.

At ShrubHub, we believe great landscapes start with the right foundation. That’s why we’ve curated a list of 15 of the easiest, most rewarding plants for beginner gardeners. These picks are low-maintenance, resilient, and ready to bring beauty to your yard with minimal effort.

Whether you're planting your first garden bed or adding to an existing design, these plants are ideal for stress-free growing.

15 Best Plants for Beginner Gardeners

1. Hosta

Perfect for shady areas, hostas are a favorite among gardeners for their lush foliage and easy care. They return year after year and come in a variety of textures and colors—from deep greens to blue-tinged leaves.

2. Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Daylilies are tough, long-blooming perennials that thrive in full sun or partial shade. Once planted, they practically take care of themselves and reward you with vibrant, trumpet-like flowers throughout the summer.

3. Sedum (Stonecrop)

Drought-tolerant and sun-loving, sedum is a low-growing succulent perfect for dry gardens or borders. Its fleshy leaves and late-season blooms make it an easy, eye-catching addition to any landscape.

4. Lavender

Lavender is more than just beautiful and fragrant—it’s also one of the most resilient plants you can grow. It thrives in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soil and attracts pollinators to your yard.

5. Coneflower (Echinacea)

A native wildflower, coneflower is known for its daisy-like petals and prominent centers. It handles drought well, resists pests, and adds color and height to your garden beds while drawing butterflies and bees.

6. Boxwood

This evergreen shrub is perfect for formal hedges or containers. Boxwoods grow slowly, require very little pruning, and keep your garden looking tidy all year round.

7. Catmint (Nepeta)

With fragrant foliage and soft purple blooms, catmint thrives in full sun and poor soil. It’s tough, drought-tolerant, and often blooms longer than lavender.

8. Coreopsis

These cheerful yellow blooms are incredibly easy to grow and require very little attention. Coreopsis spreads over time, providing consistent summer color with almost no fuss.

9. Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Ideal for shade or part shade, coral bells offer beautiful, colorful foliage that ranges from deep burgundy to lime green. They’re perfect for adding texture and color contrast to your landscape.

10. Japanese Painted Fern

Ferns bring a soft, elegant texture to shaded gardens and thrive in moist soil. Japanese Painted Ferns in particular add a silvery tone that stands out against green backgrounds.

11. Marigolds

These hardy annuals are not only beginner-friendly but also pest-repellent. Marigolds come in bold orange, yellow, and red hues and can bloom continuously through the growing season.

12. Zinnias

Zinnias are vibrant, fast-growing annuals that are perfect for cutting gardens. They bloom heavily and tolerate summer heat with ease—just give them sun and a little water.

13. Autumn Joy Sedum

This sedum variety starts green and gradually shifts to a rich pink-red as fall approaches. It’s low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and offers late-season interest when other blooms fade.

14. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

These golden-yellow blooms are iconic in summer gardens. Hardy and reliable, Black-eyed Susans thrive in full sun and poor soil, returning year after year.

15. Yarrow (Achillea)

If you're looking for a plant that thrives on neglect, yarrow is it. With its feathery foliage and clusters of small blooms, this perennial handles drought, poor soil, and full sun like a champ.

Tips for Beginner Garden Success

Even with the easiest plants, a few simple tips can make your first gardening season even smoother:

Start small: Choose a few plants and grow from there.
Know your sun exposure: Match each plant to the right light conditions in your yard.
Water smart: Most of these plants prefer deep, infrequent watering over daily sprinkles.
Use mulch: Mulching retains moisture and reduces weeds, making upkeep even easier.

Build Your Beginner Garden with ShrubHub

Not sure where to start? ShrubHub’s expert designers can create a customized 3D landscape plan that includes beginner-friendly plants suited to your climate, yard size, and style preferences.

We also carry many of the plants listed above in our online marketplace—ready to ship right to your door.

Let us help you grow with confidence. Whether you’re new to gardening or just want to keep things simple, these 15 plants are your best bet for success.

Ready to dig in?

Browse ShrubHub’s easy-care plant collection and start building a landscape you’ll love—with zero stress and maximum bloom.

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