Zone 7 Plants for Lasting Color and Garden Structure

Gardeners in USDA Zone 7 can choose from a wide variety of flowering perennials, shrubs, and other landscape plants. Zone 7 is defined by an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature between 0°F and 10°F, with Zone 7a covering 0°F to 5°F and Zone 7b covering 5°F to 10°F.

Garden Crossings offers zone 7 plants suited to these winter conditions, making it easier to build beds, borders, and landscapes with plants selected for your growing zone. Hardiness is an important starting point, but sunlight, soil moisture, mature size, and seasonal interest should also guide your choices.

A close-up of vibrant orange tubular blooms on Summerlong™ Peach Hummingbird Mint (Agastache), with green stems and leaves, showing multiple flowering spikes - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.
A close-up of a single 'Candida' Clematis bloom with five broad white petals and yellow stamens, set against green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Candida' Clematis

$21.99
$21.99

A cluster of 'Captain Kirk' Hosta with bold green leaves and striking variegation, grows in soil near the base of a tree - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.The 'Captain Kirk' Hosta features large, variegated green leaves with yellowish centers and is sun tolerant, making it a standout among perennial shade plants with diverse leaf patterns and colors - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Captain Kirk' Hosta

$18.99
$18.99

'Cardinal Wyszynski' Clematis blooms with bright magenta, five-petaled flowers among green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Donahue's Clematis

'Cardinal Wyszynski' Clematis

$20.99
$20.99

Dense spikes of lush green leaves and clusters of lavender-blue flowers create a vibrant garden display with 'Cats Meow' Catmint (Nepeta - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A bushy 'Cats Meow' Catmint (Nepeta) perennial covered in lavender blue flowers on upright stems with green serrated leaves, growing in a mulched garden bed - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Cat's Meow' Catmint (Nepeta)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of blooming purple Cat's Pajamas' Catmint (Nepeta) with green leaves, grows in a garden bed covered with mulch - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of purple Cat's Pajamas' Catmint (Nepeta) blooms with green leaves in a mulched garden bed by a white lattice fence - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Cat's Pajamas' Catmint (Nepeta)

$17.99
$17.99

A dense cluster of 'Catwalk Queen' Catmint (Nepeta) with purple-blue flowers and green foliage thrives in a mulched garden bed among grass and other plants - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of blooming 'Catwalk Queen' Catmint (Nepeta) flowers, with green stems and blurred purple blooms in the background, create a soft, colorful outdoor scene - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Catwalk Queen' Catmint (Nepeta)

$17.99
$17.99

A cluster of white Celestial White' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers in full bloom, surrounded by small, unopened buds and green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of blooming white Celestial White' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) with pale yellow centers, showing layered petals and lush green leaves in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Celestial White' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
A close-up of the Center of Attention Japanese Iris, showing its ruffled purple and white petals with yellow accents, framed by green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A row of blooming Center of Attention Japanese Iris with ruffled purple flowers and green leaves thrives along a garden path, adding vibrant texture - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Center of Attention' Japanese (Iris)

$19.99
$19.99

'Chantilly Lace' Goatsbeard (Aruncus) features delicate, feathery stems topped with tiny cream flowers, creating an airy texture - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of 'Chantilly Lace' Goatsbeard (Aruncus) features feathery, creamy white plumes and deep green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Chantilly Lace' Goatsbeard (Aruncus)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of 'Chartreuse On the Loose' Catmint (Nepeta) is a bushy perennial with vibrant purple flower clusters and light green, serrated leaves, thriving in natural gardens and blooming for an extended period - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.'Chartreuse On the Loose' Catmint (Nepeta) is a bushy perennial with bright green leaves and clusters of small purple flowers, thriving outdoors in sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Chartreuse On the Loose' Catmint (Nepeta)

$17.99
$17.99

A close-up of 'Cherry Sparks' Beardtongue (Penstemon), a vibrant perennial with clusters of red, trumpet-shaped flowers and green leaves, set against a blurred green background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Clusters of vibrant red tubular flowers with white markings bloom among long, narrow green leaves on leafy stems—this native perennial is called 'Cherry Sparks' Beardtongue (Penstemon) - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

'Cherry Sparks' Beardtongue (Penstemon)

$18.99
$18.99

'‘Cinderella’ Milkweed (Asclepias) features clusters of pinkish-purple blooms on green stems with slender leaves against a blurred floral backdrop - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A striped monarch caterpillar crawls on the stem of a pink 'Cinderella' Milkweed (Asclepias) flower cluster, a perennial favorite in Monarch Butterfly habitats, surrounded by lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Cinderella' Milkweed (Asclepias)

$17.99
$17.99

A lush garden bed features vibrant 'Cloudburst' Tall Cushion Phlox in full bloom, surrounded by green foliage and mulch - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of vibrant purple-pink 'Cloudburst' Tall Cushion Phlox, a bee-friendly perennial, bloom above lush green leaves, with a fence and soft greenery visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Cloudburst' Tall Cushion Phlox

$19.99
$19.99

Close-up of bright blue 'Cobalt Dreams' Hybrid Bee Delphinium blooms with white centers rise on tall green stems, creating a striking focal point for any perennial garden against lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Cobalt Dreams' Hybrid Bee Delphinium

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of a dense cluster of vibrant purple flowers—'Coccineus' Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus)—thrives as a drought-tolerant ground cover among green foliage and wood mulch in bright sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A dense mat of vibrant pink 'Coccineus' Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus) flowers creates a drought-tolerant ground cover, contrasting beautifully with green foliage and brown soil - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Coccineus' Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus)

$18.99
$18.99
Long, pointed leaves with green and yellow stripes and hints of pink overlap densely on 'Color Guard' Adam's Needle (Yucca) - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Color Guard' Adam's Needle (Yucca)

$20.99
$20.99

Close-up of a vibrant red Cosmic Fireball Red' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flower in full bloom, surrounded by several other red chrysanthemums in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Cosmic Fireball Red' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
Close-up of a vibrant magenta Cosmic Galaxy Purple' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flower in full bloom, with layers of delicate petals and more similar flowers blurred in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Cosmic Galaxy Purple' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
Close-up of a vibrant pink Cosmic Lunar Pink' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flower in full bloom, with several blurred pink flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Cosmic Lunar Pink' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99

Close-up of an orange Cosmic Meteor Bronze' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flower in full bloom, with layered petals and a dark red center, surrounded by other blurred orange flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Cosmic Meteor Bronze' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
A close-up of a vibrant yellow Cosmic Solar Yellow' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flower in full bloom, surrounded by similar yellow blossoms in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

'Cosmic Solar Yellow' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
'Cotton Ball' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) features tall, leafy stems topped with clusters of fluffy white blooms, set among green foliage and pink flowers in a mixed perennial garden bed - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Clusters of airy, white 'Cotton Ball' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) flowers with delicate, thread-like petals bloom on tall stems in a perennial garden, set against softly blurred green grass and pink-red blooms in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Cotton Ball' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)

$14.99
$19.99 $14.99

Close-up of a cluster of delicate, fluffy, pale purple 'Cotton Candy' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) flowers on tall dark stems with green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Tall, delicate 'Cotton Candy' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) features pale purple, feathery blooms above lush green foliage with a blurred hosta in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Cotton Candy' Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)

$15.99
$19.99 $15.99

A 'Crested Surf' Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium) with silvery-green, purple-veined fronds grows beside green leafy plants in a shade garden, bordered by brown wood mulch - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A 'Crested Surf' Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium) with dark reddish stems and silvery-green fronds thrives in a shady garden bed, nestled among companion plants near a lattice fence - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Crested Surf' Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium)

$19.99
$19.99
Red bush cherries growing on a leafy Zone 7 shrub

Choosing Zone 7 Flowers for Your Garden

When selecting zone 7 flowers, think about when you want color and how much sun the planting area receives. Combining plants with different bloom times can help keep the garden interesting from spring through fall.

Perennials are especially useful for creating recurring color and texture from year to year. Browse our perennial plants to explore options for sunny borders, shaded spaces, and mixed plantings.

The USDA hardiness zone system is designed primarily to help gardeners judge whether perennial plants are likely to withstand winter cold in a particular location. It does not account for every growing condition, so always check the individual plant’s light and moisture requirements as well.

Lavender butterfly bush flowers blooming on a compact Zone 7 shrub

Add Structure With Zone 7 Shrubs

Zone 7 shrubs can provide height, screening, flowers, foliage, and long-lasting structure in the landscape. The current Garden Crossings Zone 7 collection includes choices such as butterfly bush, arborvitae, juniper, dogwood, roses, lilacs, holly, and rhododendron.

When choosing the best shrubs for Zone 7, consider mature size, sun exposure, moisture needs, and whether you want flowers, evergreen foliage, or multi-season interest. Explore our shrubs to compare options for different garden uses.

FAQs

Zone 7 is based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperatures from 0°F to 10°F. Individual cold tolerance still varies by plant and variety.

Many flowering perennials grow well in Zone 7. Your best choices depend on sunlight, soil moisture, bloom season, mature size, and the look you want for your garden.

Many deciduous and evergreen shrubs are suitable for Zone 7, including certain varieties of hydrangea, lilac, holly, arborvitae, rose, and butterfly bush. Always confirm that the specific variety lists Zone 7 within its recommended hardiness range.