12 Best Plants for Black Thumbs

(Rosa rugosa)

This super-hardy, mostly pest-free rose is sometimes called sea tomato because it shrugs off salt spray along coastlines and produces red fruit, called "hips," that resemble cherry tomatoes. Single or double blossoms can be white, yellow, pink, purple or red, depending on the variety. The stems have lots of sharp thorns—good if you want a hedge no one will sneak through. Longtime favorites include 'Frau Dagmar Hartrpp," a single pink, and 'Hansa,' with double magenta flowers; and purplish rose.

Grows 3-6 feet tall and wide. Needs full sun; prefers moist soil but can be fairly drought-tolerant once established. Perennial in zones 3-9.