Native plants still need to be deadheaded, still need to be pruned and trimmed.

Native plants still require maintenance, they just have better synthesis with the other plants.

The time is for the amount of plants. Yeah having 4 plants in a small yard is easy work, but 4 plants in a large yard would look barren and empty… so more plants, more work. If 4 plants are 5 minutes of work a week, 40 plants is 50 minutes. For a similar yard of turf it would be 30 minutes of mowing. Now you have to maintain your grass, can’t mow since it’s not all turf, and still need to deal with the additional plants. It’s x+y, not x or y….

People who buy into this “native is easier” is being sold a bridge that requires more work down the road if they don’t want it to look like shit. For a few years it’s fine, and why every rants about it, because it hasn’t reached the issue point yet. Native plants thrive more, or should, meaning they require more work since they you know, grow and spread easier….