Zone 7 Plants: 20 Flowers and Plants That Can Thrive in Zone 7

Designated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), plant hardiness zones show which kinds of plants are cold-hardy enough for a given region in North America, meaning they can withstand certain types of winter temperatures. There are thirteen hardiness zones, all separated by ten degrees Fahrenheit. Plant Hardiness Zone 1 corresponds to the lowest winter temperatures, and Plant Hardiness Zone 13 includes the highest minimum temperatures.

The USDA Zone Map indicates that multiple hardiness zones can exist in close proximity, even in the same state. For example, the coldest temperatures experienced in a mountainous region may warrant a Zone 5 ranking, whereas the cities just beneath those mountains may be in Zone 7 or 8. This is why no specific zone on a hardiness zone map encompasses entire states or regions—there can be more than one climate in a region.

Hardiness Zone 7’s coldest temperatures fall between zero and ten degrees Fahrenheit. It’s subdivided into Zone 7a—encompassing territories with zero- to five-degree temperatures—and Zone 7b—encompassing territories with five- to ten-degree temperatures. Zone 7 spans twenty-eight different states.

Plenty of flowers can thrive in a Hardiness Zone 7 garden. Here are ten to think about planting:

1. 1. Aster: Asters—descended from the Asteraceae family—are daisy-like blue, purple, and white flowers. Other members of the Asteraceae family that will prosper in a Zone 7 garden include the black-eyed Susan, coreopsis, rudbeckia, and the Shasta daisy.
2. 2. Bee balm: Bee balm flowers look a bit like pink dandelions in bloom. They can survive a Zone 7 winter, but they also profit from plenty of time in the full sun.
3. 3. Clematis: These broad-petaled flowers are relatives to buttercups. Keep in mind that clematis plants can spread themselves quickly throughout a garden once winter is over.
4. 4. Daylily: Members of the subgenus Hemerocallis, daylilies are not actually lily flowers. These perennials come in numerous colors.
5. 5. Echinacea: Echinacea flowers (or coneflowers) are full-headed and broad. They can serve as excellent groundcovers.
6. 6. Geranium: Geraniums will come back afresh every year after they go dormant in winter. You can sometimes see them as cut flowers in bouquets.
7. 7. Hibiscus: Blooming often as red or yellow flowers, hibiscus flowers aren’t just hardy enough for Zone 7—people also use them in hot herbal teas.
8. 8. Hydrangea: Hydrangeas are frilly flowers that can make it through the chill of Zone 7 temperatures at their coldest.
9. 9. Phlox: Phlox enjoy full sun in the summer, but these pink flowers can adapt to cold winters.
10. 10. Yarrow: Yarrows, also known by the Latin name Achillea milleforium, are small but sprout in bunches. Yarrow plants will bloom anew each year after winter.

If you’re looking for foliage to complement your flowers, there are plenty of choices that will suit Hardiness Zone 7 climates. Here are ten worth considering:

1. 1. Beet: Beets aren’t just a tasty food—they’re perfect for planting in a Zone 7 garden. These vegetables will make it through a winter in those regions to return again for the next growing season.
2. 2. Catmint: Catmint is a bushy plant that grows plenty of flowers of its own. It handles winter temperatures well.
3. 3. Hosta: Hostas look like flowers, but their petals are actually tinted leaves. Hosta plants are durable and cold-hardy in Zone 7 temperatures.
4. 4. Japanese painted fern: This fern’s snowy, shady appearance hints at its real ability to withstand cold winter temperatures.
5. 5. Joe Pye weed: Joe Pye weed can spread quickly, and it comes with many flowering heads. Butterfly weed is another similar option that can fit in Zone 7 regions.
6. 6. Russian sage (or perovskia): This sagebrush can weather cold temperatures. Similar-looking brush plants include those in the Heuchera and Nepeta genuses, the latter of which is known for its bright blue flowers.
7. 7. Salvia: Salvia is a bright green perennial plant well-accustomed to handling Zone 7 temperatures.

You should take other things into consideration for your Zone 7 plants besides just cold hardiness. Here are three other things to determine before you plant anything in a Zone 7 area.

• Climate of other seasons: Zone 7 plants can survive a cold winter, but that doesn’t mean they will thrive in the full sun of late summer in the same region. Take stock of whether your cold-hardy plants need things like full shade or ground cover in late spring, partial shade or partial sun in early summer, and so on.
• Specific plant information: Figure out what your Zone 7 plants need species by species. Determine whether they are drought-tolerant or deer-resistant, for example. Clarify if you need to apply any other specific gardening tips—like how many times you should feed your plants with mulch or fertilizer, how often they require watering, or whether a certain cultivar will attract pollinators like hummingbirds to pollinate itself. There are many aspects to consider over the course of a growing season—from early spring to early fall and beyond—that go beyond a plant’s acclimation to the winter temperatures of a hardiness zone.
• Landscaping and aesthetics: Zone 7 perennial flowers and plants are often low-maintenance and long-blooming, which is all the more reason to make sure they fit into the overall look of your garden. These plantings will likely be with you for as long as you want them to be, so be sure to pick flowers and plants that won’t just look good in bouquets but will light up your perennial garden for months to come.

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