Zone 3 - Perennials

Cold-climate gardens can still offer dependable color, texture, and seasonal interest. Our Zone 3 perennials include bellflowers, catmint, yarrow, salvia, hostas, ferns, and ornamental grasses selected for reliable performance through northern winters. Use these plants in borders, ground covers, and pollinator gardens, while mixing bloom times and foliage to keep Zone 3 flowers lively from spring through fall.
A tall spike of vibrant blue delphinium flowers with white centers stands against a blurred green background of foliage and grass.
Close-up of Chick Charms® Giant Copper Canyon Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with thick red-green leaves and a layered rosette look - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Giant Copper Canyon Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$18.99
$18.99
Two hands with painted nails gently hold a black pot containing a Chick Charms® Giant Emerald Explosion Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a vibrant, drought tolerant succulent, set against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Chick Charms® Giant Emerald Explosion Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$17.09
$18.99 $17.09
A close-up of Chick Charms® Giant Glacier Blue Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant perennial with thick, pointed leaves forming a rosette and displaying green tips that deepen to reddish-purple at the base - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Giant Glacier Blue Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of a Chick Charms® Giant Gold Mine Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) potted succulent, an evergreen perennial with pointed leaves—greenish-yellow tips and deep red centers—forming a striking rosette against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.A close-up of Chick Charms® Giant Gold Mine Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) succulents with red-centered, yellow-green pointed leaves arranged in neat rows and sprinkled with water droplets - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Giant Gold Mine Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Chick Charms® Giant Maroon Mountain Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) with thick, pointed burgundy leaves forming a rosette, glistening with droplets and subtle green in the background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Giant Maroon Mountain Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Chick Charms® Giant Pink Sapphire Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with thick, pointed leaves edged in green and arranged in a vibrant rosette - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Giant Pink Sapphire Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$17.09
$18.99 $17.09
Top-down view of Chick Charms® Giant Steel Appeal Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) in a pot, showing green leaves with vibrant red centers and water droplets - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.Two hands gently hold a black pot with a Chick Charms® Giant Steel Appeal Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), an evergreen perennial featuring green and deep red leaves, set against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Chick Charms® Giant Steel Appeal Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$17.09
$18.99 $17.09

Close-up of Chick Charms® Gold Crown Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant perennial with red, yellow-tipped leaves in a symmetrical spiral - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Gold Crown Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$8.99
$9.99 $8.99
Close-up of drought-tolerant Chick Charms® Gold Dust Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) with red and green pointed leaves, fine white hairs, water droplets, and a dense, symmetrical rosette pattern - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.Close-up of Chick Charms® Gold Dust Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with pointed green leaves tipped in red and fine white hairs, forming a striking rosette pattern - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Gold Dust Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$8.79
$10.99 $8.79
Close-up of Chick Charms® Gold Rush Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant, evergreen succulent with pointed green-tipped, deep red leaves, growing in dark soil speckled with small white particles - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.A close-up of Chick Charms® Gold Rush Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with pointed leaves—dark red centers, greenish edges, yellow tips—forming striking rosettes against a blurred backdrop - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Gold Rush Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Chick Charms® Grape Galaxy™ Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a hardy succulent with dark purple, pointed leaves adorned with water droplets, textures highlighted against a softly blurred background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions.

Chick Charms® Grape Galaxy™ Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$7.99
$9.99 $7.99
A close-up of Chick Charms® Lemon Waves Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with pointed light green and red leaves covered in water droplets, radiates outward with fresh, healthy foliage - Photo Courtesy of Garden SolutionsClose-up of Chick Charms® Lemon Waves Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant succulent with pointed leaves—yellow-green at the tips and deep red at the base—adorned with tiny water droplets - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions

Chick Charms® Lemon Waves Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$9.99
$9.99

Close-up of Chick Charms® Mint Chocolate Chip Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant perennial with red and green rosettes covered in fine hairs - Photo Courtesy of Garden SolutionsClose-up of a succulent garden with colorful, drought-tolerant perennials in red, green, and yellow hues. Water droplets glisten on the leaves of Chick Charms® Mint Chocolate Chip Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum). - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions

Chick Charms® Mint Chocolate Chip Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$8.99
$9.99 $8.99

A close-up of the vibrant Chick Charms® Pineapple Paradise™ Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum) shows its spiky red-to-green leaves, with other colorful succulents in the background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions

Chick Charms® Pineapple Paradise™ Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$9.99
$9.99
Close-up of Chick Charms® Powdered Pastry Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), a drought-tolerant perennial with pointed, overlapping green leaves tipped with red and covered in delicate white fuzz - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions

Chick Charms® Powdered Pastry Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)

$7.99
$9.99 $7.99
A close-up of Color Spires® 'Azure Snow' Perennial Salvia shows tall purple and white flowers blooming densely with green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of Color Spires® 'Azure Snow' Perennial Salvia displays its vibrant purple and white blossoms on a flowering spike, set against lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Color Spires® 'Azure Snow' Perennial Salvia

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of tall spikes of light purple and pink blooms with green leaves, Color Spires® 'Back To the Fuchsia' Perennial Salvia grows closely outdoors in natural light - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of a dense purple flower spikes of Color Spires® 'Back To the Fuchsia' Perennial Salvia rise above green foliage in a mulched bed, with grass in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Color Spires® 'Back To the Fuchsia' Perennial Salvia

$18.99
$18.99

Color Spires® 'Crystal Blue' Perennial Salvia features dense clusters of light purple and lavender blooms with green leaves in a drought-tolerant garden. Pink flowers appear in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A dense cluster of tall, slender Color Spires® 'Crystal Blue' Perennial Salvia blooms rises among bright green foliage, highlighting this drought-tolerant perennial’s striking beauty in the garden - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Color Spires® 'Crystal Blue' Perennial Salvia

$15.19
$18.99 $15.19
Color Spires® 'Indiglo Girl' Perennial Salvia displays tall, leafy green stems with indigo blue blooms, adding vibrant violet hues to outdoor gardens against a lush backdrop of greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Color Spires® 'Indiglo Girl' Perennial Salvia forms dense clusters of tall, vibrant indigo blue flowers and green foliage, growing closely together in gardens and serving as an excellent pollinator plant - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Color Spires® 'Indiglo Girl' Perennial Salvia

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Color Spires® 'Pink Dawn' Perennial Salvia showcases tall, spiky purple-pink flower stems and green serrated leaves, standing out against a blurred garden background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Color Spires® 'Pink Dawn' Perennial Salvia features tall spikes of pink-purple, drought-tolerant, tubular blossoms densely arranged on upright stems, with green leafy foliage in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Color Spires® 'Pink Dawn' Perennial Salvia

$17.09
$18.99 $17.09

Close-up of Color Spires® 'Violet Riot' Perennial Salvia features tall, purple blooms and green foliage that grow densely in gardens, creating a vibrant and colorful display - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of Color Spires® 'Violet Riot' Perennial Salvia features tall spikes of vibrant purple blooms above lush green foliage, creating a striking, textured display that is eye-catching - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Color Spires® 'Violet Riot' Perennial Salvia

$18.99
$18.99
Illustration of a house with EZ Scapes™ Dry Space Filler #1 Garden Kit, featuring symmetrical clusters of yellow, purple, and green flowering plants and shrubs—perfect for creating a lush, water-wise front yard garden - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Diagram showing two layouts for the EZ Scapes™ Dry Space Filler #1 Garden Kit (5’x10’ Shallow Border and 12’x10’ Deep Border) with rows of colorful icons representing drought-tolerant perennials - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

EZ Scapes™ - Dry Space Filler #1 - Garden Kit

$152.73
$173.70 $152.73
A line drawing of a house with a porch and large windows overlooks a lush garden bed, created with the EZ Scapes™ Fairy Lace Treasure Garden Kit, featuring green foliage, purple and blue flowers, and tall grasses. A close-up of the garden bed is shown below - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Illustration showing two border planting layouts for EZ Scapes™ Fairy Lace Treasure Garden Kit: a shallow border (10 x 5) and a deep border (12 x 7), each with groups of four labeled plant types in colored circles - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

EZ Scapes™ - Fairy Lace Treasure - Garden Kit

$167.31
$185.90 $167.31
Illustration of a single-story house with a porch and landscaped plants. The lower image highlights a shade garden featuring green and yellow foliage from the EZ Scapes™ Made for the Shade #3 Garden Kit in front of the house. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.EZ Scapes™ Made for the Shade #3 Garden Kit offers two 10 x 5 garden layouts: Shallow Border arranges green, blue, and yellow circles in rows; Island mixes them for vibrant foliage. Icons and labels identify various plant types. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

EZ Scapes™ - Made for the Shade #3 - Garden Kit

$126.84
$140.93 $126.84
Spintop Red Blanket Flower with red and orange blooms, yellow-tipped petals, and green foliage

Choose Hardy Zone 3 Perennials for Your Growing Conditions

The best perennial garden begins with plants suited to your climate and each bed. These perennials may tolerate low winter temperatures, but they still need the right sunlight, soil drainage, and moisture to perform well. Check each plant’s care information before deciding where it belongs.

When arranging perennials, sunny beds can support yarrow, catmint, false sunflower, milkweed, perennial salvia, and ornamental grasses. In locations with less direct light, hostas, lady ferns, lungwort, and other foliage-rich choices can bring color and texture. Group plants with similar needs together, then leave enough room for each variety to reach its mature size.

Mini Marvels Twilight Bellflower with light purple blooms and dense green foliage

Plan Flowers for Color Across the Seasons

A beautiful Zone 3 garden does not need to bloom all at once. Select Zone 3 flowers with different bloom windows so fresh color continues as the growing season progresses. Bellflowers and catmint can begin the display, while yarrow, milkweed, false sunflower, and salvia provide summer interest. Foliage plants and grasses help carry the design between flowering periods and into fall.

Use the collection filters to compare sun exposure, bloom time, water needs, pollinator value, critter resistance, and design use. You can also find plants suited to borders, mass plantings, containers, ground cover, and cut-flower gardens.

Shop online or from a family-owned nursery with more than 20 years of plant-shipping experience. Every order is personally inspected before leaving Garden Crossings, helping you start with healthy plants selected for garden success.

FAQs

Plant these perennials in the springtime after the soil becomes workable, and the risk of a hard freeze has passed. Early fall planting is also possible, but we recommend planting them six weeks before the first freeze.

Plants such as catmint, yarrow, salvia, and bellflower can provide weeks of color when planted in suitable conditions. Combine plants with different bloom times to enjoy these perennials from late spring through fall.