While I realize that the title of this article is going to attract those gardeners who may have killed more than their fair share of plants over the years, I think I’m up to the challenge. Of course, when I say a plant is indestructible that doesn’t mean you can’t kill it with severe neglect, such as not watering at all during its first summer or leaving it under a heavy pile of snow for an extended period when you shovel the drive in winter. What I’m offering here are plant survivors that have endured difficult growing conditions or general neglect and still manage to thrive. I have personally used all of these perennials, trees, and shrubs for decades as both a landscaper and garden designer and have found them to be what I like to classify as "bulletproof."

Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ / Pink Korean Dogwood

Our prolonged wet springs have often brought out the worst in our flowering trees, whether it’s the ornamental cherries shedding their blossoms prematurely or Eastern Dogwoods (Cornus florida) being infected by anthracnose fungus causing most of the leaves and flower bracts to be riddled with dark spots. Enter the pink Korean dogwood ‘Satomi’ which blooms later (avoiding the worst of the rains), is resistant to anthracnose, and is more cold hardy than Cornus florida. Just give them a few seasons to settle in and then you can expect beautiful displays (as well as great autumn colour) for years to come.

Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’ / Variegated English Boxwood

Are you looking for a small to medium-sized hedge that doesn’t require pruning every two weeks and looks great in all kinds of weather? Then look no further than variegated English boxwood. It is reliably evergreen year-round and the cream-edged foliage goes a long way to deter the "boring factor" that most boxwood evokes. Mine (shown here) survived the severe winter two years ago without a scratch, while an adjacent lemon cypress and heavenly bamboo were both wind-scorched into oblivion.

Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ / Golden Groundcover Sedum

I just sold a hundred plants of this golden groundcover sedum to a customer looking to cover a sunny, dry slope. This individual had no success with any other plants except for this tough evergreen perennial. Golden groundcover sedum also thrives in well-drained and infrequently-watered containers with other succulents such as Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum). Expect bright gold needle-like foliage that turns an attractive bronze-red from late autumn and retains that colour throughout winter.

Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’ / Hybrid Rugosa Rose

Many gardeners give up on roses due to winter dieback, fungal problems, and pest issues. But there is a class of rose species known as rugosa that are extremely cold hardy (USDA zone 3), nearly impervious to black spot and mildew, drought tolerant, and aren’t usually grafted, which means the suckers grow true to form. ‘Hansa’ in particular bears very fragrant large (4” wide) crimson-purple double blooms all summer long, followed by edible reddish-orange hips. It also makes a great informal hedge that doubles as a thorny dog barrier.

Iris sibirica / Siberian Iris

Bulbous irises such as I. reticulata can be quite fleeting, with blooms only lasting a few days while the more showy German bearded iris (I. germanica) are very prone to rhizome rot in wet soils. Siberian Iris tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions, including wet spring saturation and even summer drought. They endure light shade, are quite disease-resistant, and are long-lived (several decades) provided they are divided every 3-5 years. Iris sibirica also produces great cut flowers and comes in many colours including blue, purple, lavender-pink, white, and yellow.

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis / Dwarf Christmas Box

Do you have a shady "dead zone" underneath some trees or in the north-facing foundation bed, a dark space where only hostas grow that is completely devoid of greenery in winter? Well, help is on its way in the form of a compact (18” tall) evergreen shrub that thrives in total darkness, never requires pruning, and bears jasmine-scented flowers in winter. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it isn't! Dwarf Christmas box also works well in containers.

Isotoma fluviatilis / Blue Star Creeper

Has your creeping thyme petered out? Does your Corsican mint disappear every winter? Are you tired of constantly trying to find a low-maintenance groundcover that takes care of itself and blooms all summer? Then look no further than blue star creeper. Reliably evergreen in mild winters, it may die to the ground in extreme cold but it always bounces back in time to provide a carpet of starry pale blue flowers over dense mid-green foliage from late spring to early autumn.

Rhododendron ‘Purple Gem’ / Dwarf Rhododendron

This compact (2-3’ tall and wide) rhododendron much resembles an azalea with its fine bluish-green foliage and smothering violet-purple flowers in mid-spring. It tolerates full-sun exposures, requires little to no pruning, and is not prone to common rhododendron cultural problems such as bud blast and chlorosis.

Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ / Blue Star Juniper

Imagine a juniper with intense steel-blue foliage that grows so densely that it requires no pruning and is resistant to the fungal blights that plague many other varieties. Blue Star Juniper will tolerate the reflected heat of river rock and is also very drought tolerant. So, if you are a hands-off sort of gardener with full-sun exposure in your garden, here’s the perfect shrub for you.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ / Black-Eyed Susan

I saved the best for last! Although many gardeners think Black-Eyed Susan is too commonplace, maybe we need to ask ourselves why there are so many of them in our landscapes. The answer is simple, this no-nonsense perennial will flower for weeks on end, tolerate a wide pH range, and doesn’t need to be constantly divided to perform well. Add to that the fact that it attracts both pollinators as well as birds (for the seedheads), and you have a perennial that is as good for the planet as it is for your pocketbook.