Gardening Zone 7

This is the coldest zone in which many plants can survive, such as Chinese fringe-flower, laurustinus, passionflower, and most cannas. Some large plants, like the crape myrtle, can grow to full stature here but will be dwarfed in colder zones.

Remember that USDA zones address only winter temperatures. None of the other elements that make plants fail or thrive are taken into account. Also, your garden may be in a microclimate that is warmer or colder than the rest of zone 7. The plants on this list will do well in zone 7 gardens, but don’t be afraid to try others!

Perennials for Zone 7

Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia)
Aster (Aster sp.)
Astilbe (Astilbe sp.)
Baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
Balloon flower or Chinese bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
Barrenwort (Epimedium)
Basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
Beardtongue, penstemon (Penstemon)
Bear's breeches (Acanthus sp.)
Bee balm (Monarda sp.)
Begonia, hardy (Begonia grandis)
Bellflower (Campanula sp.)
Bergenia (Bergenia sp.)
Blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora)
Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana)
Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)
Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
Bugbane (Cimicifuga)
Bugleweed (Ajuga sp.)
Bugloss (Anchusa)
Calamint (Calamintha nepetoides)
Campion, catchfly (Lychnis)
Candytuft (Iberis)
Cardinal flower (Lobelia)
Chamomile (Anthemis)
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum)
Canna (Canna sp.)
Cinquefoil (Potentilla nepalensis)
Colewort (Crambe)
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Coral bells (Heuchera) hybrids)
Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora and Coreopsis verticillata)
Cranesbill (Geranium)
Crocosmia (Crocosmia crocosmiiflora) hybrids
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Delphinium (Delphinium)
Dianthus, pink, carnation (Dianthus)
Elephant's ear (Colocasia)
Fleabane (Erigeron)
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Foxglove (Digitalis)
Gas plant (Dictamnus)
Gayfeather (Liatris)
Globeflower (Trollius)
Goatsbeard (Aruncus sp.)
Golden-ray (Ligularia)
Hedgenettle, scarlet or Texas betony (Stachys coccinea)
Hellebore (Helleborus)
Hibiscus, rose mallow (Hibiscus)
Hosta (Hosta) hybrids
Iris (Iris)
Lady's mantle (Alchemilla)
Lamb's ears (Stachys)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
Leopard's-bane (Doronicum)
Lily (Lilium)
Liriope, or lilyturf (Liriope muscari)
Meadow rue (Thalictrum)
Meadowsweet (Filipendula)
Flowering Onion (Allium)
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis)
Peony (Paenoia)
Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Pincushion flower (Scabiosa)
Plumbago, leadwort (Ceratostigma)
Poppy (Papaver)
Primrose (Primula)
Red-hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria)
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Salvia (Salvia x superba)
Sandwort (Arenaria)
Sea holly (Eryngium)
Sea lavender (Limonium)
Solomon's seal (Polygonatum)
Speedwell (Veronica)
Sunflower (Helianthus)
Thrift, moss pink (Phlox subulata)
Thrift, sea pink (Armeria)
Valerian (Centranthus)
Verbena (Verbena)
Violet (Viola)
Windflower (Anemone)
Wormwood (Artemisia)
Yarrow (Achillea)

Deciduous Shrubs for Zone 7

American cranberry bush (Viburnum trilobum)
Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum)
Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Beautyberry (Callicarpa)
Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)
Buckthorn (Rhamnus carolinianus)
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)
Cinquefoil, bush (Potentilla fruticosa)
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster)
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia), compact types
Croton (Croton alabamensis)
Corneliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas) Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus)
Euonymus, burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
Filbert (Corylus avellana)
Fothergilla (Fothergilla)
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
Fothergilla (Fothergilla major)
Fringetree (Chionanthus)
Groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
Huckleberry (Vaccinium elliottii)
Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
Indigo (Indigofera heteranthera)
Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
Kerria (Kerria japonica)
Korean Rhododendron (Rhododendron mucronulatum)
Lilac (Syringa)
Plum (Prunus angustifolia)
Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
Rose (Rosa) hybrids
Rose-of-Sharon, shrub althea (Hibiscus syriacus)
Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) Snowbell (Styrax grandifolius)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Spirea (Spiraea )
Sumac, staghorn (Rhus hirta)
Summersweet clethra, sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
Sweetleaf, horse-sugar (Symplocos tinctoria)
Sweetshrub, Carolina allspice, spicebush (Calycanthus floridus)
Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima)
Viburnum (Viburnum )
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Winterhazel (Corylopsis glabrescens)
Witchhazel (Hamamelis)

Broadleaf Evergreens for Zone 7

Aucuba (Aucuba japonica)
Boxwood (Buxus)
Broom (Cytisus purgans)
Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
Butterfly bush (Buddleia lindleyana)
Camellia (Camellia)
Carolina Cherrylaurel (Prunus caroliniana)
Cotoneaster, bearberry (Cotoneaster dammeri)
Daphne, fragrant or winter (Daphne odora)
Euonymus (Euonymus)
Firethorn (Pyracantha)
Florida Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides)
Heath (Erica)
Holly (Ilex)
Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum)
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Mahonia, leatherleaf (Mahonia bealei) Maple (Acer)
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Nandina or heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)
Oregon Grapeholly (Mahonia aquifolium)
Photinia (Photinia)
Pieris (Pieris japonica)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus)
Sarcococca (Sarcococca orientalis)
Skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
Sparkleberry, farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)
Ternstroemia, Japanese, also called Japanese cleyera (Ternstroemia gymnanthera)
Yucca (Yucca)

Conifers for Zone 7

Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis)
Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica)
Cypress (X Cupressocyparis leylandii)
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) (deciduous conifer)
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)
Falsecypress (Chamaecyparis)
Fraser Fir, southern balsam (Abies fraseri)
Florida Torreya, stinking cedar (Torreya taxifolia)
Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia)
Juniper (Juniperus)
Pine (Pinus)
Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Yew (Taxus x media)

Deciduous Trees for Zone 7

Alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
Beech (Fagus)
Birch (Betula)
Box elder (Acer negundo)
Buckeye (Aesculus)
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera)
Chittamwood, gum bumelia (Bumelia lanuginosa)
Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera)
Crabapple (Malus)
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia)
Dove-tree (Davidia involucrata)
Dogwood (Cornus)
Elm (Ulmus)
Eucalyptus, gum tree (Eucalyptus sp.)
Evodia (Evodia sp.)
Fig (Ficus carica)
Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha)
Fringetree (Chionanthus)
Golden Raintree
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Hickory (Carya glabra)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)
Hophornbeam, ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume)
Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
Jujube, Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba)
Katsuratree
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) Laburnum, goldenchain tree (Laburnum x watereri)
Linden (Tilia cordata)
Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Maple (Acer)
Oak (Quercus)
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)
Pawpaw, common (Asimina triloba)
Pear (Pyrus sp.)
Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Pistache (Pistacia)
Plum (Prunus x blireiana)
Poplar (Populus alba)
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)
Redbud (Cercis)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Snowbell (Styrax)
Southern Prickly Ash, Hercules' club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis)
Soapberry (Sapindus drummondii)
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Tupelo (Nyssa)
Walnut (Juglans)
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Witchhazel (Hamamelis)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea)
Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)

Vines for Zone 7

Perennial Vines

Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
Clematis (Clematis), selected varieties
Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia durior)
Goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera x heckrottii x 'Goldflame')
Passionflower (Passiflora)
Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)
Wisteria (Wisteria sp.)

Annual Vines

Gourd (Curcubita, Lagenaria and Luffa)
Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
Purple hyacinth bean (Lablab purpurea)