Cold doesn’t have to kill your dreams for beautiful flowerbeds overflowing with vibrant color and stupendous blooms. While the deepest freezes of winter will put a stop to any flowering plant, there are beautiful plants that can chill out without damage or difficulty. The trick is recognizing which of these cold-tolerant flowering plants will work best in your climate and garden, and we’re here to help with that.
Freeze Tolerant Annuals
These are annuals that can withstand freezing temperatures and hard frosts for short periods with little or no injury. The best options include…
- Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)
- Swan River Daisy (Brachycomb iberidifolia)
- Million Bells (Calibrachoa x hybrida)
- Dracaena Spike (Cordyline australis)
- Dusty Miller (Scenecio cineraria)
- Gazania (Gazania rigens)
- Nemesia (Nemesia fruticans)
- Cape Daisy (Osteospermum spp.)
- Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)
- Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
- Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
Semi-Hardy Annuals
These are annuals that are perennials in warmer zones and can actually overwinter in cooler areas during mild winters of if they are located in a warm, sunny, protected spot. These are very frost and freeze tolerant annuals…
- Annual Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
- Annual Pinks (Dianthus chinensis)
- Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana)
- Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)
- Mealycup Sage (Salvia farinacea)
- Variegated Vinca Vine (Vinca major ‘Variegata’)
Perennials
Perennials are plants with roots that survive through the winter months, sending out new growth each spring. Appearing in your garden year after year, they become old and treasured friends. Perennials come in many sizes, shapes and colors with various bloom times and periods. It is best to plan your garden by the bloom time of the plant along with its cultural needs (sun/shade and drought-tolerant/water-lovers, etc.) to be sure you have a good, healthy balance of plants that will keep your garden and landscaping lush for months. Because these plants have evolved to survive the winter’s cold, they are all cold-tolerant to at least some measure. Popular favorites include…
- Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’ – No garden is complete without a patch of Bleeding Hearts. This fringed variety is longer blooming than the old-fashioned selections. Rose-pink flowers are borne gracefully above soft green foliage with a slight blue cast that looks fresh all summer. 18-24” tall. Plant in part shade.
- Bergenia – Spikes of delicate pink blooms soften the bold evergreen foliage of this early blooming perennial in March or April.
- Armeria (Sea Pink) – Another evergreen perennial, this bloomer sends out masses of papery pink or white flowers above grass-like clumps of foliage.
- Basket of Gold (Aurinia) – Charming yellow flowers float above dense mats of attractive gray foliage on this old-fashioned favorite. Plant in full sun. Excellent for a rock garden.
- Candytuft (Iberis) – Flat-topped clusters of white flowers cover this evergreen perennial in early spring. Excellent as an edging in a border or to use in a rock garden.
- Columbine (Aquilegia) – Beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies, columbine is also a great cut flower. Available in many color shades and bi-color combinations, columbine is perfect in any border or landscape situation.
- Coralbell (Heuchera) – Tiny bell flowers on 1-2’ slender stems bloom from spring into summer. Shades of foliage vary from green to pink to deep burgundy. Plant in sun or shade.
Not sure which plants are best for the cold in your yard? Stop in and see our landscaping experts today for help choosing just which blooms will heat up even on cold days!
