Cold Weather Plants (11 Cold Tolerant Plants To Try)

Gardening in a cold-climate zone is tough. Not only is our growing season much shorter (and our winters much longer) than warmer zones, but the cold limits the plants that we can grow as many gorgeous plants just can’t survive the winter. But don’t despair – growing in cold-climate zones can be just as rewarding. You just need to find the right, imaginative, cold-hardy plants.

Hardiness (or cold hardiness) refers to a plant’s ability to withstand cold winter temperatures. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map uses a scale of 1 to 12 (1 being coldest, 12 being warmest) to break up the US into regions based on the average low temperatures during the winter. You can plant lower than your zone (ex. Plant a Zone 2 plant in Zone 3), but not higher (ex. Plant a Zone 3 plant in Zone 2) unless you can protect it during the winter.

However, it’s important to remember that the cold hardiness zone map may not be accurate for you. The climate is shifting, with places getting colder lows.

Elevation can affect your zone, as well as being in a valley. And every garden has its own micro-climate. A brick wall that’s exposed to southern exposure will make the nearby garden warmer, even in winter.

Medieval arborists used to take advantage of walls to extend the growing season and range of fruit trees. Talk to other local gardeners and find out what works well for them.

This guide uses the USDA Hardiness Zones for reference, with all the plants being hardy to Zone 3 (winter lows at -40F or -40C) and some being hardy to Zone 2 (winter temperatures as low as -50F or -45C).

Canada uses another system, the Canadian Plant Hardiness Zones, which run from Zone 0 to Zone 9. The quick and dirty method of converting USDA Zones to Canadian Zones is to add one (so USDA Zone 2 becomes Canadian Zone 3). This isn’t fool-proof, though, as many factors can differ, so double check.

Ready? Let’s begin.

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Cold Weather Plants

#1 Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

Type: Perennial Bulb
Geographic Origin: Europe, Southwestern Asia
USDA Zone: 3 to 7
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 6 to 9 inches

You know a flower is cold-hardy when its flowers push through the snow. Snowdrop blooms don’t last very long, but they’re a beautiful ephemeral that heralds the coming of spring. These flowers are so beloved that they even have dedicated fans that call themselves galanthophiles.

Snowdrops are easy to care for. They like medium moist, well-draining soil, and full sun when they’re blooming but part shade for the rest of the growing season (like under deciduous tree cover). If you have the right conditions, Snowdrop will naturalize and spread into sweeping drifts. Best planted in meadows and under deciduous trees, you can also pair them with these other winter ephemerals.

#2 Anemone, Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Central and Eastern United States
USDA Zone: 2 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 1 to 2 feet

Thimbleweed is seriously cold-hardy, surviving winters that drop as low as -50F (-45C), droughts, heavy shade, and even dry soil. In the spring, Thimbleweed sends up 2 foot tall stems with five white petals surrounding a thimble-like central mound of stamens, which then turns into thimble-shaped seed heads that last well into winter. And it’s native to the Central and Eastern US.

Thimbleweed is really easy to care for, so long as you don’t have wet, poorly draining soil. Its favorite soil is moist, sandy-loam. Sow seeds in fall or early spring. It’s also not as aggressive as other species, and it has no serious insect or disease problems.

#3 Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Siberia, Japan, Northern China, Korea
USDA Zone: 3 to 9
Light Requirement: Part Shade to Full Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 2 to 3 feet

You know a plant is cold hardy when it comes from Siberia! Bleeding Heart has been a long-time favorite of gardeners (especially those of us in cold climates) for its heart-shaped pink flowers that give this plant its common name. These hearts dangle from its arching stems. Like its epithet ‘spectabilis’ says, this perennial is spectacular!

Bleeding Heart is a great flower for the shady parts of your garden, as it can tolerate full shade, although it prefers part shade. It struggles in soil that’s wet in the winter and dry in the summer. It needs well-draining soil high in organic matter to do well. Since the foliage will die back mid-summer, plant it among later developing perennials like hostas to fill in the gaps.

Bleeding Heart used to be known as Dicentra spectabilis.

#4 Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea, A. canadensis)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Western North America (A. caerulea), Eastern North America (A. canadensis)
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 1 to 2 feet, 2 to 3 feet

4 - Columbine, Blue — Columbine is a cold tolerant perennial that can tolerate partial shade.

Some may say that native plants aren’t showy, but these 2 Columbine plants beg to differ. Native to Eastern North America, A. canadensis has gorgeous drooping, red and yellow bell-like flowers with delicate foliage. Native to Western North America above elevations of 6,000 feet, A. caerulea has large, upward-facing sky-blue and white flowers.

Both flowers grow easily in medium moist, well-draining soil of any texture in full sun or part shade. A. canadensis will easily self-seed and naturalize into large sweeps of flowers, but while you can start it from seed, A. caerulea will only self-seed in optimal conditions. While they both flower only in the spring, the foliage will last into mid-summer if the soil stays moist. Once the foliage starts looking ragged, you can cut them to the ground to pop up next year. Both are best used in woodland gardens, shade gardens, hummingbird gardens, and native plant meadows.

#5 Creeping Phlox ‘Sherwood Purple’ (Phlox stolonifera ‘Sherwood Purple’)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Eastern North America
USDA Zone: 2 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 3 to 6 inches

While Phlox is a garden favorite in general, cultivar Sherwood Purple is sure to please cold-climate gardeners as it’s hardy to Zone 2. Creeping Phlox is a great ground cover, as it forms a mat of foliage that grows 3 inches tall and spreads as far as it can. Sherwood Purple produces fragrant lavender five-petalled flowers at the end of spring.

As Creeping Phlox is native to the wooded areas and stream banks of the Appalachian Mountains, it grows best in medium moist, well-draining soil that’s high in organic matter. It can grow in part shade. It will self-seed in optimal conditions, but if you prefer that it doesn’t, then cut back the stems after the flowers have passed, which will also cut down on powdery mildew if you live in a place with humid summers. If you live in dry conditions, watch out for spider mites.

Plant Sherwood Purple as a ground cover in woodland, shade, and native plant gardens.

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#6 Blanketflower, Common Gaillardia (Gaillardia aristata)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 9 to 12 inches

Common Gaillardia is another stunning native wildflower found from North Dakota to Colorado, up to southwestern Canada, and can grow at elevations up to 9,000 feet. It produces flowers with bright red centers and yellow tips from June to August. If you live in semi-arid or arid conditions, then Common Gaillardia has got you as its very tolerant of dry soil and drought.

Common Gaillardia grows best in dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Give this one a miss if you have poorly drained soil or long periods of heavy summer rains, as it is susceptible to root rot and powdery mildew. While you don’t need to deadhead flowers, you can deadhead them to tidy up the look. If you have goldfinches in your area, leave the seedheads to attract them to your yard.

#7 Saskatoon Berries (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 2 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 4 to 6 feet

If you grew up in the Canadian Prairies, then you know Saskatoon Berries. Also called by the less imaginative June Berry or Serviceberry, Saskatoon Berries are an incredibly hardy shrub that can survive winters as low as -58F (-50C). It produces berries in June or July that look like blueberries but taste sweet with a subtle nutty taste. They’re a boom kind of plant, producing all of its berries within a couple of weeks. Like other berries, Saskatoon Berries are packed with nutrients and go great in pies, jams, wine, and teas.

They’re also a great addition to your yard aesthetically, as it produces clusters of showy white flowers before they self-fertilize into berries, and the foliage turns a nice yellow in the fall.

Saskatoon Berry Bushes grow well in a wide range of soils, including alkaline, which makes them a great swap for acid-loving blueberries. They are otherwise pretty easy to grow, although you’ll need to rush to harvest the berries as birds love them too.

#8 Hansa Rose (Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’)

Type: Deciduous Shrub
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 4 to 5 feet

While most roses are too delicate to survive Zone 3 winters, the Hansa hybrid rose is a favorite among cold-climate gardeners. Hansa grows to 4 to 5 feet (or even as tall as 7 feet!) and produces enormous, double petal deep pink flowers with a strong fragrance through most of the growing season. However, the thorns are quite sharp, so watch out.

But while Hansa is quite hardy, it still requires maintenance, and is susceptible to the same number of pests and diseases that affect all roses. When possible, water at the base and not overhead to avoid powdery mildew. Mulch in the summer and protect the crown of the rose with mulch and burlap over the winter. You don’t need to prune much, but pruning will improve airflow, which will cut down on several diseases. Check with your local gardening association for tips and advice specific to your area.

While Hansa can grow in part shade, you’ll get the best results and fewer diseases when planted in full sun.

#9 Common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Geographic Origin: Eastern North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 15 to 20 feet

What native shrub is both hardy to Zone 3 and flowers throughout the winter? Common Witch Hazel! Witch Hazel is an unusual plant as it produces crinkly, spindly yellow petals in the fall through the winter that have a spicy scent. (It’s also one of our recommendations for winter-blooming plants!) While there’s many species of Witch Hazel, Common Witch Hazel is the most cold-hardy.

Witch Hazel prefers moist, acidic soil high in organic matter, making them a great choice for a low spot or a rain garden. Otherwise, it’s easy to grow and has few insect or disease problems.

#10 Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 7
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium To Wet
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 6 to 9 feet

Another great choice for a rain garden or swampy area that adds interest year round is Red Twig Dogwood. During the summer, it features dark green leaves that turn to red, then orange, then purple throughout the autumn before baring bright red stems in the winter. It also flowers tiny fragrant white flowers in the spring, and birds love its fruit.

Red Twig Dogwood grows well in consistently moist soils, whether that’s in a rain garden, along a waterway, or in swampy or boggy conditions. You don’t need to prune, but if you remove a quarter of its oldest stems in early spring, it’ll grow new stems to show off its best colors. You could even coppice it to 8 inches in early spring every 2 to 3 years to fully renew this shrub.

#11 Junipers (Juniperus spp.)

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Geographic Origin: Worldwide
USDA Zone: 3 to 7
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium To Wet
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 6 to 9 feet

There are over 50 different Juniper species, with hundreds of species, although most people will only be familiar with one or two. And they can be dismissed by gardeners. Why? It’s not because they’re difficult to grow – most junipers adapt to many soil conditions, some tolerate salt spray and air pollution, some are incredibly drought and cold hardy – with Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) hardy up to Zone 2. Some Juniper species are also great at handling snow loads, a plus if you’re in a region where snow is plentiful.

It’s also not because of their appearances – they are pretty good looking, with either needles or flat scales, ranging from dark green to silvery blue, and many forms from spreading, to cascading, to conical, to shrubby. They also support local wildlife with food and habitat.

No, Junipers are dismissed because, as the Chicago Botanic Garden muses, they’re overused without imagination (mostly of only two varieties), and without properly considering how big and how spread out they’ll get when they mature, which forces people to prune them in ways they’re not meant to be pruned.

But if you’re ready to be a gardening maverick, check out the different Juniper species. Find something different that fits your space, and then let it grow.