• Plant hardy plants that can withstand the weather of the region.Nick M Do/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Choosing hardy perennial landscape plants can benefit a homeowner by providing years of growth for only a minimal monetary investment and very little maintenance. The value of real estate can increase when it boasts an adequately landscaped yard. Pick plant varieties that require very little maintenance to thrive and are suited to the regional weather they will be planted in.
  
  

Blue Star

• A herbaceous perennial, the blue star plant (Amsonia tabernaemontana) thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 to 9. The plant grows to a height of 1 1/2 feet with a width of up to 1 foot. From April to May, the plant produces an abundance of blue flower clusters. The small flowers that comprise the cluster are star-shaped and measure about 3/4 inch in diameter. After the plant flowers, consider cutting it back to a height of 6 to 8 inches to encourage it to bush out, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. During the fall months the green, straplike foliage turns a bright yellow. Plant in full sunlight or partial shade for the best growth results. Choose a planting location that has well-draining soil.
  
  

Variegated Kiwi Vine

• The hardy variegated kiwi vine (Actinidia kolomikta) grows well in USDA zones 4 to 8. The deciduous, fast-growing vine can attain a height of 40 feet, according to North Carolina State University. It has pink and green variegated foliage that appears heart-shaped and measures up to 5 inches in length. The foliage can also be a variegated white and green, depending on the cultivar. During the early summer months the vine sports small, white flowers that offer a pleasing fragrance to the landscape. Dioecious, the vine is either male or female. Only the female vine produces berrylike fruit after flowering. The fruit appears approximately 1 inch in diameter and is a greenish-yellow. It is edible for humans, songbirds and small mammals.
  
  Plant the variegated kiwi vine in well-draining soil. Choose a location that has full sunlight or partial shade. One male vine will successfully pollinate three or four female vines to produce fruit. Keep the soil moist to encourage the vine's best growth.
  
  

Common Ninebark

• The common ninebark shrub offers hardiness down to USDA zone 2. A deciduous shrub, it grows up to 10 feet in height and 10 feet wide. The foliage sports three to five lobes and measures 3 inches long. In June, the shrub has flower clusters in shades of pinkish-white that measure 2 inches in width. Following flowering, small, berrylike fruits appear that begin to turn red in September. During the fall months, the shrub puts on a nice display with yellow and orange foliage. The shrub's unique feature is its constantly peeling bark. It boasts nine layers of bark that shed off constantly, according to the University of Connecticut. Plant in full sunlight or partial shade for the best growth. The shrub can withstand a diverse range of soils with ease.