Cold-Hardy Plants for Northern Gardens and Landscapes

Gardening in the Northern Climates poses the special challenge of finding cold-hardy plants that can survive the extreme cold. Fortunately, there are many. You have only to look around as you travel along the old country roads of New England to see examples of plants that have not only survived, but thrived from the original plantings generations ago. Ornamental Sweet Peas and Tiger Lilies are some of the most winter-hardy perennial flowers around and from single plantings have often multiplied to thousands of plants over as much as a hundred years or more alongside the old stonewalls of country farms. Here is a list of some favorite cold-hardy plants for the North.

Cold-Hardy Perennial Flowers

Crocus: What discussion of cold-hardy plants doesn't start with the tiny crocus? The colorful crocus is almost always the first to poke up through the spring snow to let us know that winter is done. Small leaves and oversized blossoms are characteristic of the crocus. Soon after flowering the plant dies back to prepare for the next spring. Many people bury crocus bulbs throughout their lawns since they are often up and gone before the lawn needs to be mowed in the spring.

Tiger Lily: These tough as nails perennials provide large bright orange flowers to brighten any landscape. Tiger Lilies will spread as the underground bulbs multiply. Established sets can be dug up and moved to new locations. No northern winter is too cold for this New England favorite.

Black-eyed Susan: The bright and distinctive flowers of the black-eyed Susan are present in farm fields, meadows and riparian borders across the North. They make an excellent addition to property edges that border on overgrown. Large bright flowers are plentiful and last for most of the summer.