Zone 6 Plants for Color, Structure, and Seasonal Interest

USDA Zone 6 gives gardeners plenty of options for building colorful, layered landscapes. The zone is defined by an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of -10°F to 0°F, with Zone 6a covering -10°F to -5°F and Zone 6b covering -5°F to 0°F.

Garden Crossings offers Zone 6 plants suited to these winter conditions, including flowering shrubs, evergreens, and other landscape choices. The current collection includes plants for full sun, part shade, and full shade, making it easier to match your selections to the conditions in your yard.

Lavender Bubbles' Allium, an ornamental onion with round, vivid purple blooms, creates a striking display against green grass, adding bold color and interest with blurred grass in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
Clusters of light pink, trumpet-shaped flowers and red-tinged leaves distinguish Poco Loco® Abelia, a compact shrub with green and reddish foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of Poco Loco® Abelia is a compact shrub with clusters of small, tubular pink and white flowers and reddish-green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Poco Loco® Abelia

$21.99
$21.99

A lush Polar Gold® Arborvitae (Thuja) stands out in a landscaped garden, its golden foliage shimmering among other shrubs and colorful plants, with sunlight and shade enhancing this striking evergreen hedge - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A close-up of Polar Gold® Arborvitae (Thuja) shows its bright green, dense, feathery foliage in a landscaped garden, surrounded by other shrubs and softly blurred tall trees in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Polar Gold® Arborvitae (Thuja)

$22.99
$22.99

A close-up of the Pollypetite® Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) displays a compact flowering shrub with light lavender-purple hibiscus blooms, delicate ruffled petals, a yellow-tipped stamen, and lush green leaves and buds. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Pollypetite® Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) is a compact shrub featuring abundant lavender-purple blooms, perfect for bright gardens amid lush greenery and trees under a clear blue sky. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Pollypetite® Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)

$22.99
$22.99
Close-up of the vibrant Boulevard® Poseidon™ Clematis, featuring bi-colored pointed petals and a detailed pale yellow center, with green leaves in the background - Photo Courtesy of Donahue's Clematis

Poseidon™ Boulevard® Clematis

FREE
FREE

Large clusters of pale green Powerball™ Panicle Hydrangea flowers, tinged with pink, bloom densely on leafy stems - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. A close-up of a Powerball™ Panicle Hydrangea flower cluster featuring soft green and pale pink petals, surrounded by lush green leaves. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Powerball™ Panicle Hydrangea

$22.99
$40.99 $22.99

Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose' Switch Grass (Panicum) forms a dense clump of green leaves and airy, purple-tinted flower spikes, bringing ornamental beauty to garden beds with rich soil and vibrant companion plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose' Switch Grass (Panicum) with thin green blades and wispy flowerheads stands among various flowering plants in the garden - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$18.99
$18.99

A dense clump of tall, upright Prairie Winds® 'Blue Paradise' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium) with reddish-purple stems and leaves grows in a garden bed featuring plant markers and other plants in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Two clumps of Prairie Winds® 'Blue Paradise' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium) with reddish-purple stems stand upright in the garden bed, surrounded by a mix of green and yellow plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Blue Paradise' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of tall, narrow green stalks of Prairie Winds® 'Blue Spear' Switch Grass (Panicum) with feathery yellowish seed heads grow densely in an outdoor garden, set against a background of blurred greenery - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A tall, dense clump of Prairie Winds® 'Blue Spear' Switch Grass (Panicum) displays thin upright green leaves and feathery tan flower spikes, growing in a landscaped garden amid other shrubs and greenery - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Blue Spear' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$18.99
$18.99
Purple Prairie Winds® 'Blue Steel' grass with slender stems and dark purple-brown seed heads, photographed outdoors against a blurred green garden background. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Purple-tonedPrairie Winds® 'Blue Steel' grass with fine, wispy seed heads and narrow blue-green leaves, photographed outdoors against a blurred green foliage background. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Blue Steel' Big Bluestem (Andropogon)

$19.99
$19.99
Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium) features tall, narrow bluish-green blades with reddish-purple tips, thriving in a mulched garden bed among green plants - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A clump of upright, narrow, blue-green Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium) grows in a mulched garden bed, surrounded by leafy green plants in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes' Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium)

$18.99
$18.99
A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Candy Floss' Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia), with its airy pinkish-purple plumes, stands in a garden amid green grasses and yellow flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A field of Prairie Winds® 'Candy Floss' Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia) displays wispy pink plumes, creating a soft, cloud-like effect with green ornamental grass and trees blurred in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Candy Floss' Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia)

$18.99
$18.99
A clump of Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum), with green and reddish-purple blades, grows in a mulched garden bed surrounded by other flowering plants in the softly blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum) with tall, thin green blades and reddish-purple seed heads grows in a garden bed, surrounded by other green plants - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) with tall green blades and fuzzy seed heads, growing densely in a sunlit outdoor setting that highlights the plants’ texture - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) displays slender green leaves and bottlebrush-like flower spikes, growing in a garden bed with mulch and surrounding greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)

$18.99
$18.99

A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Lemon Squeeze' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum), with tall feathery plumes and long green blades, grows in a garden bed bordered by a wooden fence and surrounded by other plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Lemon Squeeze' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) shows off its tall, slender green leaves and feathery tan plumes amid a backdrop of assorted garden plants and flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Lemon Squeeze' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)

$18.99
$18.99
A dense cluster of Prairie Winds® 'Niagara Falls' Switch Grass (Panicum) features narrow green leaves and silvery, airy flower plumes, showcased outdoors in a natural setting - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Prairie Winds® 'Niagara Falls' Switch Grass (Panicum), with long, slender green leaves and airy flower plumes, grows in a garden amid other foliage and a lush green lawn - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Niagara Falls' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$19.99
$19.99
A Prairie Winds® 'October Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum) features tall, narrow green leaves and wispy reddish-purple plumes, growing in a mulched garden with green grass - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'October Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum) with tall, thin green and reddish blades grows in a landscaped garden bed among plants and trees, with buildings and parked cars visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'October Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$18.99
$29.99 $18.99
Close-up of Prairie Winds® 'Switcheroo' Switch Grass (Panicum) features long, narrow leaves with creamy-white edges in a mulched garden bed, highlighted against a backdrop of blurred green grass - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Switcheroo' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$19.99
$19.99
Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum) stands tall in a garden bed with green foliage and red lilies with a house visible in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A clump of tall, bluish-green Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum) grows in a garden bed among flowering plants and greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$19.99
$19.99

A tall Prairie-Palooza™ Copper Tones Beardtongue (Penstemon), a green perennial featuring reddish leaves and clusters of small white flowers in garden settings alongside other greenery - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A field of delicate white flowers of Prairie-Palooza™ Copper Tones Beardtongue (Penstemon) with green and yellow foliage, photographed in a natural outdoor setting. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prairie-Palooza™ Copper Tones Beardtongue (Penstemon)

$19.99
$19.99
A dense patch of Prelude™ Blue Catmint (Nepeta) displays vibrant purple blooms amid lush foliage set against softly blurred trees - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Close-up of Prelude™ Blue Catmint (Nepeta) with vibrant purple flower clusters and delicate spotted petals, set among green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Prelude™ Blue Catmint (Nepeta)

$17.99
$17.99

A close-up of Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula) displays vibrant double yellow blooms with ruffled petals and green centers, surrounded by lush leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.The Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula) features ruffled double yellow and red blooms amid green leaves, growing low to the ground in early spring, brightening gardens with vibrant color - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
A Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula) potted shade perennial displays many bright yellow, ruffled double flowers and green leaves, set against blurred green foliage and hints of purple blooms - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula) features bright yellow double flowers with layered petals and dark green textured leaves, making it an ideal shade perennial for vibrant spring color - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of two Heuchera types: the top shows vivid pink leaves, while below are ruffled, nearly black Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features dark leaves and tall stems topped with pinkish-white flowers along the garden bed edge, creating striking contrast beside green grass - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$16.14
$18.99 $16.14

Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features ruffled, deer-resistant leaves in deep purple and bronze hues, creating a striking perennial display for your garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of overlapping reddish-brown leaves with ruffled edges and visible veins; Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera) creates a dense, textured foliage pattern - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
silver-green cotoneaster shrub adding texture to a Zone 6 garden

Choosing Zone 6 Flowers for Your Garden

When selecting zone 6 flowers, hardiness is only the starting point. Also consider sunlight, soil moisture, bloom time, mature size, and how each plant will fit into the surrounding landscape.

Perennials can help create a zone 6 flower garden that returns with fresh color and texture from year to year. Browse our perennial plants to compare options for beds, borders, and mixed plantings.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is designed to help gardeners estimate which perennial plants are most likely to survive winter in a given location, but individual growing requirements still matter.

Pink Yuki Cherry Blossom deutzia flowering in a Zone 6 garden

Add Long-Lasting Structure With Zone 6 Shrubs

Zone 6 shrubs can add height, screening, flowers, foliage color, and year-round structure. The live collection includes deciduous and evergreen choices, along with plants suited for borders, mass plantings, specimens, containers, and other landscape uses.

When planning a larger bed or foundation planting, explore our shrubs alongside other zone 6 plants. Look at mature height and width before planting so each shrub has enough room to develop naturally.

FAQs

Zone 6 is based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperatures from -10°F to 0°F. Individual varieties may differ in cold tolerance, so always check the listed hardiness range for the specific plant.

Many flowering perennials grow well in Zone 6. The best choices depend on your garden’s sunlight, moisture, bloom season, mature size, and the color or texture you want to add.

Many deciduous and evergreen shrubs are suitable for Zone 6. Choose varieties whose hardiness range includes your location, then match their sun, moisture, and mature-size requirements to your planting site.