Zone 5: Types of Plants to Grow in USDA Hardiness Zone 5

A hardiness zone is a geographic area in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (designated by the US Department of Agriculture) that maintains consistent climate conditions encouraging specific plants to thrive. The USDA map has thirteen growing zones, each representing a ten-degree range of temperatures based on the average annual minimum winter temperature in these areas.

Gardeners can evaluate their plant’s specific planting zone preferences to determine the warmest and coldest temperatures they can withstand. Typically, you can find this information on the instructions on the back of seed packets or the labels on new plants. Most gardening catalogs will also feature a USDA Hardiness Zone Map.

Zone 5 is one of the thirteen climate zones that comprise the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which outlines the regional average temperatures and frost dates in the US, including Puerto Rico. This specific planting zone extends from the Northeastern US, through the Central US, to the Northwestern US.

Zone 5 experiences mild summers and cold winters, with the average minimum winter temperature falling between negative ten and negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit. This area’s short growing season lasts from late spring to mid-fall, with the last frost date falling in early May and the first frost occurring around mid-October. (If you reside in this zone, winterizing your plant’s roots with a layer of mulch will protect them from the winter’s freezing temperatures.)

Zone 5 has two subzones: 5a and 5b. Zone 5a has an average minimum temperature between negative fifteen and negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 5b has a low minimum temperature between negative ten and negative fifteen degrees Fahrenheit.

Zone 5 starts in the Northeastern United States (including parts of New England, like Maine and New Hampshire, and mid-Atlantic states like New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). It extends across the northern part of the Central US (including Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin). It reaches all the way to the Northwest (including Montana, Wyoming, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho). Parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska also fall under Zone 5.

Zone 5 experiences cold temperatures and short growing seasons, with few year-round plants able to survive the freezing winter temperatures. However, many cold-hardy plants thrive in this region’s mild summers, including:

1. 1. Aster: Perennial aster flowers commonly sprout lilac or purple daisy-like flower heads in the fall. No matter which flower color you prefer, planting aster seeds is ideal for keeping your garden vibrant and eye-catching in the late summer through the fall.
2. 2. Bee balm: Bee balm––also known as monarda plant, bergamot, horsemint, or Oswego tea––is a member of the Lamiaceae or mint family. Bee balm has square stems that appear in red, lavender, white, pink, or purple shades, and its leaves are often blue-green. This perennial flowering herb originated in the cool-weather prairie and woodland areas of North America.
3. 3. Beets: Beets are fast-growing, cool-season crops that are simple to grow and harvest in your vegetable garden. To sow beet seeds, wait until the last frost and plant them in early spring. Although susceptible to wireworms, root maggots, and cutworms, beets are generally hardy, able to withstand a cooler climate and partial shade, and ready to harvest in the fall.
4. 4. Butternut squash: Pear-shaped butternut squash has orange-yellow sweet flesh, making it the primary ingredient in many stir-fries and soups. This sweet winter squash variety is cold-hardy and a great culinary staple to grow in your vegetable garden.
5. 5. Catmint: Catmint is the common name for Nepeta, an aromatic perennial plant in the mint family. Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, catmint is easy to grow and maintain. This herb produces long-blooming flowers that start to blossom in late spring and last through the summer. In addition to its multicolored blooms, the catmint plant has silvery green leaves with a potent aroma that cats love.
6. 6. Chives: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a thin, grass-like member of the allium family, which includes garlic, scallions, shallots, and leeks. Chives have a subtle oniony flavor and are available for sale at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets. These plants also produce edible purple flowers called chive blossoms, which growers typically trim during harvest.
7. 7. Coneflowers: Coneflowers are any of three genera of the daisy, aster, and sunflower (Asteraceae) family: Echinacea, Ratibida, and Rudbeckia (also known as black-eyed Susans). The name “coneflower” refers to the flower’s cone-shaped center, or disk. Coneflowers are perfect for home gardens because they are drought- and heat-tolerant and can grow in frigid temperatures. They also attract pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.
8. 8. Coral bells: Coral bells belong to the Heuchera genus of perennial flowering plants from North America. Coral bells have thick, sturdy flower stems; variegated, lobed leaves; and many small, colorful red, purple, white, or pink flowers. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and other insects flock to these plants to consume their sweet nectar.
9. 9. Coreopsis: The coreopsis species, also known as tickseed, is a yellow flower with green foliage that blooms all summer long. This yellow flowering plant offers natural birdseed for chickadees, finches, and sparrows, while its flowers entice hummingbirds, butterflies, and ladybugs. In addition to their visual appeal, coreopsis flowers tolerate heat, humidity, and droughts. The plant is both rabbit- and deer-resistant and grows well in shallow, rocky soil.
10. 10. Geranium: Geraniums bloom showy bright pink (and sometimes dark red) symmetrical flowers. Growers can use them as garden bedding plants, flower bed specimens, or houseplants. During the winter months, outdoor-grown geraniums remain alive underground via creeping rhizomes that sprout again in the spring in Zone 5. Dwarf cultivars and varieties of geraniums will grow up to eight inches tall, while other species will reach three feet in height with the right growing conditions.
11. 11. Hostas: If you’re looking for a low-maintenance foliage plant to provide your garden with some ornamental ground cover, hostas are a great option. Hosta leaves usually come in broad-leaf shapes, from pointed, oval leaves to heart-shaped to circular ones. In addition to their waxy, bright green leaves, hostas bloom showy flowers in pink, lilac, and lavender colors.
12. 12. Hydrangea: Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) bloom in the late summer in colder climates like Zone 5. Deciduous hydrangeas can grow up to fifteen feet tall without pruning. The Hydrangea paniculata thrives in direct sunlight and forms cone-shaped flower heads.
13. 13. Pacific Giant delphinium: With flower spikes in violet, pink, and several shades of blue, this heirloom variety of the perennial delphinium plant makes a gorgeous cut flower for decorative use. Pacific Giants are mildew-resistant and deer-resistant, and they attract hummingbirds to your garden.
14. 14. Phlox: With more than sixty-seven species, the perennial flower phlox comes in various sizes and colors. Phlox is a cold-hardy plant with a long flowering season. Common flower colors include lavender, pink, orange, white, and red. Phlox also have bicolor blooms, featuring an “eye” in the center of each flower, or a color shade distinct from the outer petals.
15. 15. Reblooming daylily: Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are low-maintenance perennial plants. Daylily flowers bloom during the day, wither by night, and emerge again in the morning. Typically, daylily flowers have three petals and three sepals—leaf-like petals that protect the flower buds. The blossoms can grow anywhere from three to fifteen inches wide and come in an extensive range of colors and fragrances.
16. 16. Russian sage: Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a low-maintenance, bushy perennial plant that blooms small violet flowers throughout the summer. It is not a true sage (or salvia) plant but a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its aromatic flowers attract many pollinators like honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Drought-tolerant Russian sage is a popular xeriscaping specimen—which is a style of landscaping that requires little to no water—making it a perfect addition to a rock garden alongside succulents and other ornamental grasses.
17. 17. Rhubarb: Rhubarb plants (Rheum rhabarbarum)—with their large leaves and long, colorful stalks—were initially classified as vegetables. However, the USDA began recognizing rhubarb as a fruit in the twentieth century, thanks in part to how the slightly bitter stalk serves as an ideal template for all manner of fruity desserts. Rhubarb is a popular summer garden vegetable in Zone 5.
18. 18. Sedum: Sedum, also called stonecrop, is a fleshy-stemmed perennial plant with colorful, star-shaped flowers and succulent leaves. Sedum plants vary in size from three-inch-tall low-growers to three-foot-tall upright specimens. Most sedum plants bloom red, yellow, or white flowers in late summer and fall. Sedum nectar attracts all types of pollinators, including hummingbirds.
19. 19. Yarrow: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is an herbaceous perennial with tall stems, fern-like leaves, and bundles of tiny flower heads growing in circular blooms. Yarrow plants have a long bloom time lasting from early spring to late fall. The flowerheads come in white, red, pink, or bright yellow, bringing vibrant blooms to a garden, flower pot, or lawn.

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