Cold-Hardy Plants That Tolerate Frost and Cold Winters

Cold hardiness is the single most important question when choosing plants for a garden in a cold climate: a plant that can't survive your winter lows will die no matter how well it is watered and fed. The plants below are cold-hardy by one of two measures in PlantoScan's data — a USDA hardiness zone range that reaches zone 6 or colder (average winter lows of −23 °C / −10 °F or below), or a recorded minimum temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) or lower.

That covers a wide range: conifers and deciduous trees, hardy shrubs such as boxwood and rhododendrons, perennials, ornamental grasses and spring bulbs. Hardiness ratings assume plants that are established in the ground; container plants are less hardy because their roots aren't insulated by soil, so wrap pots or move them to shelter during hard frosts. Wind, winter wet and late spring frosts can damage even hardy plants, and young plants are more vulnerable than mature ones. To see which of these plants suit your exact climate, look up your zone with the hardiness zone tool and compare it with the zone range on each plant's care guide.