25 outdoor plants ideal for your patio or garden

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp.) is a thorny climbing plant highly prized for its spectacular flowering (fuchsia, pink, white…), its versatility (it can be used to cover walls and pergolas, make hedges or be grown in pots), and because it does not require much maintenance. It blooms in spring, summer and even early fall. Withstands drought, but not prolonged frosts or waterlogging. 

Clematis (Clematis spp.) are other highly valued outdoor plants. This family includes around 300 species of herbaceous and climbing plants that are highly valued for their long flowering period (from spring to early autumn). It supports pot cultivation and is ideal for covering pergolas and upholstering walls and fences. It resists climatic changes and cold very well, but it wants rich and humid soils. 

Tecomaria (Tecomaria capensis), also known as bignonia or Cape honeysuckle, is a shrub with red or pink flowers that is highly prized because it  blooms from early autumn to late winter . It can be used as a climber or as an isolated ornamental shrub, and can also live in pots. It is not very demanding and, once adapted to the terrain, tolerates drought. 

The false jasmine or trachelosperm (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is a highly appreciated climbing shrub. In addition to having a spectacular and very fragrant flowering, it has a dense foliage that does not lose unless it is very cold . It requires little maintenance and can be kept both on the ground to cover walls, walls and pergolas as well as in a pot.

The wisteria, wisteria or feather flower (Wisteria sinensis) is a deciduous, climbing shrub that was much appreciated in classic gardens and is now back in fashion. Among its pros, its rustic and spectacular violet or mauve flowering stands out . It lives well in any terrain or exhibition. On the other hand, it is so strong that it can break the structures through which it climbs and coils. 

Ivy (Hedera spp.) is on the list of the best outdoor plants for its versatility and low maintenance . It can be used as a climbing plant to cover walls, walls or fences, and also as a creeper or ground cover to cover patches of land or flower beds without having to resort to grass.

Clover (Trifolium spp.) is a ground cover plant that works very well as an alternative to grass. In addition, it has a very beautiful flowering. Its only drawback is that it does not tolerate foot traffic very well, so it is not recommended to put it in areas of the garden with a lot of traffic. 

Here you have a palm native to the Mediterranean. The heart of palm (Chamaerops humilis) withstands drought very well but not prolonged frosts. It can be grown both in the ground and in a pot. One of its biggest attractions, along with its exuberant size and appearance, is that it requires virtually no maintenance. 

Yuccas (Yucca spp.) are plants with a size similar to palm trees that are very grateful because they are very undemanding in terms of maintenance . They have white floral rods that can reach 2 meters in length. In addition to being able to be grown both in the ground and in a pot, there are also varieties that are used as an indoor plant. 

Aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary or sage are ideal for low-maintenance or xerophytic gardens (which require almost no water). They tolerate being in a pot, although it is not their ideal habitat. Its drawback is that over time they tend to slender and become a little ugly. 

The pitas or agaves (Agave spp.) like the rest of cacti, succulents and succulent plants, are the main stars of zero-maintenance gardens. Their strong point: they require almost no water or maintenance. Their weak point: they don’t handle cold or excess water well . As in other cases, they can also thrive in a pot or container. 

Also known as the love flower or African lily, the agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus) is a highly valued outdoor plant because it presents exuberant foliage of great ornamental value throughout the year. It also has  spectacular flowers gathered in white or intense blue umbels between the end of spring and summer. It is a very resistant plant that is used for pots or as ground cover forming massifs.

Aspidistra (Aspidistra elatior) is also known as parlor leaf, tin leaf, or goal plant. It presents highly appreciated leaves in florists that are used to close the bouquets. In addition, it is a very resistant plant that can live in extreme conditions of lack of light, which allows it to be placed in  shaded areas of the garden . It should be watered sparingly.

Another much appreciated outdoor plant is the blue lily (Iris germanica). It has ribbon-like leaves and large purple or violet flowers (although there are also white, yellow and red varieties with elegant variegations) that bloom in spring and summer. It is very resistant, grows in all types of soils and spreads so easily that it can become invasive. It also does well in large pots or containers.

Convalaria (Ophiopogon japonicus) are dense herbaceous bushes that cover the ground in colonies. They are used both as groundcover plants and as an ornamental plant on edges, under trees, next to ponds or in pots. Its leaves are long and narrow and it produces light pink, light lilac or white flowers , followed by attractive pea-sized, porcelain-blue fruits. Prefers shady or moderately sunny areas.

Much appreciated for years, the clivia (Clivia miniata) has returned with force thanks to its infinite benefits. It is a herbaceous plant with thick flat dark green leaves and large orange flowers. It blooms from late winter or early spring to mid-summer. After flowering, it produces green berries that turn red, adorning the plant during the winter. It is very resistant, and can be grown in pots outdoors and as an indoor plant. It does not tolerate being in full sun.

Hemerocalis (Hemerocallis spp.) known as St. John’s lilies, morning lilies, or daylilies are highly valued for their scented, orange-blossom-scented flowers . They bloom between late spring and early fall. If you plant different varieties mixed together you can have a multitude of flowers from spring to autumn. When they are not in flower they are also attractive for their grass-like leaves. They prefer to be in partial shade and in soils that do not get waterlogged.

The viburnum (Viburnum tinus) popularly known as durillo or wild laurel, is a native shrub that can reach 2-4 meters in height and is used in gardening, both as an isolated ornamental plant and to form hedges and fences and even in a pot . In addition to being very resistant and tolerant to extreme conditions , it has a highly appreciated flowering that lasts all winter until well into spring.

The tube cleaner, brush tree or red broom (Callistemon citrinus) is an evergreen shrub that can reach 4 meters on the ground and 3 meters in a pot. In spring and summer, dense spikes of bright red, lemon-scented flowers appear among the gray-green leaves . It is a very resistant plant that is used to decorate land that is poor in nutrients but requires a lot of sun. 

The firethorn, burning bush or pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea) is a very resistant thorny bush with dense white inflorescences, which bloom from late spring or early summer. These flowers give rise to an infinity of red, orange or yellow berries in autumn , which remain throughout the winter. It is used as an ornamental wall shrub but also to form feral hedges (not geometric). It grows well in any type of soil, in full sun and semi-shade, and hardly needs any water.

Another outdoor plant highly valued for its attractive fruits in gardening is the deciduous or semi-persistent creeping shrub known as cotoneaster, cotoneaster or horizontal cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis). Blooms profusely in spring. It produces  numerous berries that persist on the branches for a long time. It is used as an ornamental, to cover floors, walls and rockeries. 

The Ligustrum texanum is a variety of privet or troanilla that gives very good results in gardening due to its compact and vigorous size , as well as having a very attractive flowering and being very undemanding in terms of conditions and maintenance. It is ideal for forming natural or geometric hedges (it admits pruning).

The Chinese orange blossom or pittosporo (Pittosporum tobira) is an evergreen shrub that can become a tree up to 10 m tall. It is highly appreciated for its rapid growth and hardiness. It is very resistant and accepts practically any condition or exposure . It has multiple white, star-shaped flowers that appear in spring, completely covering the plant. It is used both as an ornamental plant and as a plant for geometric hedges.

The Photinia (Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’) is an outdoor plant much appreciated for the reddish hue of its leaves to form hedges. It is an evergreen shrub that grows rapidly and can reach 3 meters in height . The leaves are elongated, bright red when they appear in spring, purple in summer and green in winter. To intensify the color, it prefers full sun exposures and lives well in all types of soils.

The leylandi or leilandi cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii) is an alternative to the high cypress hedges of all life because it is much more resistant and leafy than this one. Its growth is very fast, up to 50 centimeters per year, and it can be cut back formally, but it is recommended to keep it at a minimum height of two meters. It is ideal as a tall vegetable screen to isolate the garden from the outside , but it is not suitable for small gardens. It adapts to any soil and tolerates the proximity of the sea and intense cold.