13 Perennials That Can Survive Cold Winters

Perennials That Can Survive Cold Winters

You can take these cold-hardy perennials through a polar vortex or two and come back strong in the spring. Before freezing temperatures arrive, it's important to know which cold-weather plants are hardy enough to survive your region's winter climate. Here are some great picks for the most dependable, cold-hardy perennials that can quickly take a polar vortex or two and come back strong in the spring. Before purchasing, check that any perennial you plan to plant is hardy in your zone.

1. Showy Stonecrop

Want a colorful tall plant for the back of the border? Try exotic stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabilis) that can take hot summers and cool winters. It is a drought-tolerant perennial, so it is a good choice if your area receives little rainfall.

2. Peony

Northern gardeners can count on peonies to provide a colorful spring festival. These plants are hardy enough to survive long, cold winters. Peonies are available in a wide variety of flower shapes and colors, so you should have no problem finding one or more that will match the rest of your garden design.

3. Coneflower

An American native perennial, echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) is a hardy and rugged flowering plant that tolerates drought well. Its large flowers bloom in summer and fall, drawing pollinators. Varieties are available in different colors such as pink, purple, yellow, orange, red, and white, and there are also some different flower patterns. Most varieties will do well enough for cold weather, but some modern hybrids are not very cold-tolerant, so check the plant label before you buy.

4. Bee balm

Bring bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to the garden with bee balm (Monarda spp.) These upright, fragrant perennials produce beautiful mopheads of flowers that are pink, red, orange, purple, or white, depending on the variety you choose. This plant is a member of the mint family and like many of its mint relatives, it can spread quickly, so keep it where it has room to roam.

5. Wild Columbine

A delightful spring bloomer, wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) forms large colonies in partial shade. Each plant can only live a few years, but they are easily reseeded, so a patch of this perennial will establish itself for decades. Its wiry stems bear pink and yellow flowers that sway in the bud.

6. Coral Bells

Pack a ton of color into your shady garden beds with coral beads (Heuchera spp.). Mostly valued for their colorful foliage, coral beads come in shades of purple, green, yellow, orange, red, and many other varieties. As a bonus, the plants send up spikes of pink or white bell-shaped flowers in early summer, attracting pollinators.

7. Siberian iris

Native to northern Turkey and Russia, the Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) doesn't care when temperatures drop below zero. This reliable perennial puts on a spectacular spring display of blue, purple, pink, yellow, or white flowers. It produces dense clusters of dark green, bark-like leaves that provide lasting beauty after flowering.

8. 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis

All summer long, 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata) produces an endless supply of cheerful yellow flowers. It is a hardy variety that takes cold winter temperatures gradually. Not all Coreopsis varieties are as winter-hardy as 'Moonbeam', so check the plant label before you buy.

9. Baptisia

Once established, Baptisia can live for decades. Also known as false indigo, this hardy prairie native has beautiful gray-green foliage with a spray of blue, purple, white, or yellow flowers in spring. Thanks to its grassland heritage, Baptisia can tolerate both hot summers and sub-zero winters. This perennial grows slowly, so if you want a quick flower show buy the largest plants you can find.

Experimental garden tip: Baptisia can be a bit messy when transplanted, so put it in your garden in early spring or fall. That way, the plant will have plenty of time to develop a strong root system before the heat of summer sets in.

10. Catmint

You'll love catmint (Nepeta spp.) for its lavender-like flowers in spring and summer, making it a great alternative to true lavender, which is less wintery (and its leaves smell like lavender!). Cut back the plants after the first wave of flowers fades in spring, and you'll get a second wave in late summer.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade in dry to moderately moist, well-drained soil

11. False sunflower

An American native, the false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthus) produces cheerful yellow flowers all summer long. Plant this large perennial where it can spread. False sunflowers don't care about soil type, but need full sun to keep stems upright; If grown in partial shade it will break. The flowers make beautiful cut flowers, and the more you cut, the more the plant will produce.

12. New England Aster

Add plenty of New England asters (Sympheotrichum novae-angilia) to keep your garden colorful in the fall. These easy-care native species bloom just as other perennials in your garden begin to flower. New England asters are a popular source of nectar for monarch butterflies that travel south each year. Available in pinks and purples, asters look great paired with ornamental grasses and chrysanthemums.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moderately moist, well-drained soil

13. Hosta

Make hostas the backbone of your shade garden. Unfazed by cold winters, hostas grow bigger and better every year. Available in an endless selection of shapes, sizes, and colors, these hardy perennials can be a lot of fun to mix and match in your garden. They also make perfect companions to other shade-lovers such as astilbe, deadnettle, barrenwort, coral bells, and bleeding hearts.