Zone 5 Plants for Color, Structure, and Cold-Hardy Performance

Gardeners in USDA Zone 5 have plenty of options for creating colorful, layered landscapes. Zone 5 is defined by an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of -20°F to -10°F, with Zone 5a covering -20°F to -15°F and Zone 5b covering -15°F to -10°F.

Garden Crossings offers zone 5 plants suited to those colder winter conditions, including flowering shrubs, evergreens, and other landscape choices. When planning your garden, start with hardiness, then consider sunlight, soil moisture, mature size, and seasonal interest.

Zone 5 Plants for Color, Structure, and Cold-Hardy Performance
Close-up of a cluster of bright pink Miss Piggy' Pigsqueak (Bergenia) flowers with green and dark purple leaves in the background. The petals are soft, and the flowers are blooming on a single sturdy stem - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of bright pink Miss Piggy' Pigsqueak (Bergenia) flowers with raindrops rest above large, glossy green leaves in a garden setting - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

'Miss Piggy' Pigsqueak (Bergenia)

$20.99
$20.99

Close-up of a vivid 'Miss Ruby' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) bloom stands out against lush green leaves and large white hydrangea blossoms, showcasing the striking charm of this flowering shrub - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Three hexagons show a butterfly, hummingbird, and bee. Below, Proven Pollinators is in bold green and gold - -

'Miss Ruby' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

$21.99
$21.99

A monarch butterfly with orange and black wings rests on a cluster of vibrant purple blooms from the 'Miss Violet' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), set against a softly blurred green and purple backdrop - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of the 'Miss Violet' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) features vibrant, cone-shaped clusters of small purple flowers amid green leaves, set against a blurred green background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Miss Violet' Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

$21.99
$21.99
'Montgomery' Japanese Astilbe displays bright red flower clusters above glossy, serrated green leaves, standing out as a striking perennial for shady gardens - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.‘Montgomery’ Japanese Astilbe features tall, deep red feathery blooms above green foliage, creating a striking shade garden display. It stands out beautifully against blurred greenery and red-toned backgrounds - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Montgomery' Japanese Astilbe

$18.99
$18.99

A large, dense clump of 'Morning Light' Maiden Grass (Miscanthus), a drought-tolerant grass with thin, arching green blades, grows in a mulched garden bed and forms a rounded, fountain-like shape - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.‘Morning Light’ Maiden Grass (Miscanthus) features thin, arching green blades in the garden, surrounded by low green plants and small trees with light yellow-green foliage in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Morning Light' Maiden Grass (Miscanthus)

$18.99
$18.99

The 'Multi-Blue' Clematis features vibrant purple blooms with pointed petals and a spiky green-purple center - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The 'Multi-Blue' Clematis, a vibrant purple double-flowering variety with pointed petals and a spiky yellow-purple center, blooms by a wooden fence among green leaves and a flower bud - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Multi-Blue' Clematis

$20.99
$20.99

A cluster of 'Munchkin Fire' Hosta displays light green leaves and tall stems topped with pale purple flowers beside a stone border in a shade garden, surrounded by various foliage plants in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The 'Munchkin Fire' Hosta is a compact miniature with long bright yellow-green spikey leaves, thriving in dark soil and shade - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Munchkin Fire' Hosta

$18.99
$18.99

A close-up of the 'Nelly Moser' Clematis shows its large flowers with eight pointed pink-striped petals, set against green leaves and a wooden trellis in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of a large 'Nelly Moser' Clematis in bloom, featuring eight-pointed petals with dark pink central stripes and a cluster of dark stamens, set against green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Nelly Moser' Clematis

$20.99
$20.99
Close-up of lush green leaves with clusters of bright yellow 'Night Light' Moneywort (Lysimachia) flowers. This vibrant shade garden perennial forms excellent ground cover with multi-petaled blooms and layers of leafy bracts - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Close-up of lush green and purple-tinged leaves with clusters of small, bright yellow flowers. 'Night Light' Moneywort (Lysimachia) is a healthy, dense ground cover ideal for any shade garden perennial display - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

'Night Light' Moneywort (Lysimachia)

$14.39
$17.99 $14.39

The 'Niobe' Clematis features deep burgundy red flowers with six pointed petals and a pale yellow center, blooming against a wooden trellis and green leafy background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.The 'Niobe' Clematis displays vibrant purple reblooming flowers with pale centers, climbing and spreading over a wooden lattice in the garden, surrounded by lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Decorative trellis not included.

'Niobe' Clematis

$20.99
$20.99

The 'Old Glory' Hosta features broad, heart-shaped green leaves and tall flower stalks - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.‘Old Glory’ Hosta features large, textured leaves with bright yellow centers and green edges, forming a lush cluster in mulched soil - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Old Glory' Hosta

$18.99
$18.99
‘Onyx and Pearls’ Beardtongue (Penstemon) is a bushy, drought-tolerant plant with dark green-purple foliage and tall stems of pale lavender-white flowers, shown growing in mulched garden beds with blurred greenery behind - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Onyx and Pearls' Beardtongue (Penstemon) boasts pale purple tubular flowers and dark green-purple foliage, thriving in sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Onyx and Pearls' Beardtongue (Penstemon)

$18.99
$18.99

Clusters of light purple 'Opening Act Blush' Hybrid Phlox flowers, each with five petals and green foliage, create a lush garden look - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of clusters of vibrant light purple 'Opening Act Blush' Hybrid Phlox flowers bloom early amid lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Opening Act Blush' Hybrid Phlox

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of a cluster of 'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' Hybrid Phlox features light pink blooms with darker centers and lush green foliage, thriving in the garden as a charming native plant - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of 'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' Hybrid Phlox, each five-petaled bloom showing light purple and pink hues, stand out among green leaves in the garden, highlighting the charm of this vibrant native plant - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' Hybrid Phlox

$16.99
$19.99 $16.99

A bushy cluster of 'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox showcases vibrant lavender-pink blooms in full bloom outdoors, nestled in a mulched garden bed with green grass and shrubs in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of a cluster of vibrant lavender-pink flowers, 'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox displays five-petaled blooms densely packed amid lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox

$16.99
$19.99 $16.99

Close-up of a cluster of vibrant pink 'Opening Act Ultrapink' Hybrid Phlox blooms, with green stems and buds, stands out against a blurred backdrop of additional tall phlox and lush foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Opening Act Ultrapink Hybrid Phlox with pink and purple blooms clustered amid green stems and leaves, brightly lit by sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Opening Act Ultrapink' Hybrid Phlox

$16.99
$19.99 $16.99
A dense cluster of 'Opening Act White' Hybrid Phlox stands tall in a garden bed amid mulch, lush green leaves, and vibrant foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A cluster of 'Opening Act White' Hybrid Phlox early-blooming perennial, thrives in the garden bed with lush green leaves and purple phlox flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Opening Act White' Hybrid Phlox

$18.99
$18.99
The sun-loving 'Orange Gnome' Catchfly (Lychnis) displays bright orange-red blooms among green leaves in a garden bed, with dark purple foliage and visible soil in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of bright orange flowers from 'Orange Gnome' Catchfly (Lychnis) stand out against dark green foliage, blooming in bright sunlight with a blurred background of purple and green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Orange Gnome' Catchfly (Lychnis)

$18.99
$18.99

'Orange Slices' Spigelia is a bushy perennial with clusters of bright red, tubular flowers and green leaves, thriving in gardens among lush foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.‘Orange Slices’ Spigelia is a bushy perennial with clusters of vibrant red, tubular flowers and green leaves, thriving in garden beds alongside mulch and other plants - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Orange Slices' Spigelia

$18.69
$21.99 $18.69

A close-up of 'Over in Gloryland' Siberian Iris shows its vibrant deep purple-blue, ruffled petals with white and yellow markings - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Over in Gloryland' Siberian (Iris)

$17.99
$17.99
Close-up of a tall cluster of vibrant 'Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium, a striking purple perennial, blooms brilliantly against a soft-focus green cut flower garden background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Tall spikes of vibrant blue Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium bloom in the garden amid green foliage, a wood fence and house visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium

$18.99
$18.99

Top-down view of‘Paint the Town Fancy’ Pinks (Dianthus) showcases bright pink, fringed flowers with deep pink centers in clusters above green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Vivid pink, fringed flowers with deep magenta centers bloom amid slender green leaves on 'Paint the Town Fancy' Pinks (Dianthus) - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Paint the Town Fancy' Pinks (Dianthus)

$18.99
$18.99

Clusters of vibrant 'Paint the Town Fuchsia' Pinks (Dianthus) bloom low to the ground, surrounded by green stems and mulch - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A dense patch of 'Paint the Town Fuchsia' Pinks (Dianthus) with fringed fuchsia blooms, grows low in a garden bed, surrounded by mulch and green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Paint the Town Fuchsia' Pinks (Dianthus)

$18.99
$18.99
A dense cluster of bright pink 'Paint the Town Magenta' Pinks (Dianthus) covers the ground like a vibrant carpet. Green foliage and more pink and light purple blooms appear behind, with a large pale rock on the left - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of vibrant 'Paint the Town Magenta' Pinks (Dianthus) fills a garden bed with lush green foliage, set against a blurred background of green lawn and other plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Paint the Town Magenta' Pinks (Dianthus)

$18.99
$18.99

White snowberry clusters growing on a leafy Zone 5 shrub

Choosing Zone 5 Flowers for Your Garden

When selecting zone 5 flowers, think about more than bloom color alone. Matching plants to your garden’s sun exposure and moisture conditions can make a big difference in long-term performance.

Perennials are especially useful for adding color and texture that returns year after year. Explore our Zone 5 perennials to find options for beds, borders, and mixed plantings.

If you’re comparing the best flowers for Zone 5, look for varieties with bloom times that complement one another. Combining spring, summer, and fall interest can help keep the garden colorful for a longer stretch of the growing season.

Lavender chastetree flowers blooming on a leafy Zone 5 shrub

Add Structure With Zone 5 Shrubs

Zone 5 shrubs can bring height, screening, flowers, foliage color, and year-round structure to the landscape. The current collection includes both deciduous and evergreen choices, with options for full sun, part shade, and even some full-shade locations.

Browse our shrubs alongside other zone 5 plants to compare mature size, light needs, and landscape uses before choosing the right varieties for your space.

FAQs

Zone 5 is based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperatures from -20°F to -10°F. Individual varieties may differ in cold tolerance, so always confirm the hardiness range for the specific plant.

Many flowering perennials grow well in Zone 5. Your best options depend on sunlight, soil moisture, bloom season, mature size, and the overall look you want for your garden.

Many deciduous and evergreen shrubs are suitable for Zone 5, including certain butterfly bush, arborvitae, hydrangea, lilac, juniper, and other varieties. The live Garden Crossings collection currently includes both flowering and evergreen shrub options for this zone.