USDA hardiness zone 6
Zone 6 plants and yard ideas
Zone 6 winters bottom out between ten below and zero, which opens the door to boxwood, Japanese maple, crape myrtle in a sheltered spot, and a long list of roses and flowering shrubs, while still giving peonies and lilac the chill they need. Summers run hot in the middle of the country and dry in the Front Range.
- Coldest night
- -10 to 0 °F
- the USDA definition of the zone
- Rated for zone 6
- 468 plants
- 200 of them proven in containers
- Typical of
- Chicago, Denver, Columbus and Kansas City
- 2023 USDA map · check your ZIP for the exact zone
Styles that suit zone 6
Each one is a real render from our engine. Styles whose plants would not survive a zone 6 winter, or its summer, are not listed.
Modern yard ideas
Clean lines, structured beds
Cottage garden ideas
Abundant flowering borders
Classic curb appeal ideas
Manicured curb appeal
Native plant landscaping ideas
Regional natives, tidy beds
Japanese garden ideas
Serene Zen garden
Coastal garden ideas
Breezy seaside planting
Modern farmhouse landscaping ideas
Tidy, relaxed, white blooms
Woodland shade garden ideas
Ferns & dappled shade
Prairie meadow yard ideas
Naturalistic grasses
Pollinator garden ideas
Nectar-rich & buzzing
Kitchen garden ideas
Raised beds & herbs
Rain garden ideas
Eco runoff basin
Fire-wise landscaping ideas
Defensible space for wildfire
Outdoor living yard ideas
Seating, shade & string lights
Xeriscape ideas
Low-water, cold-hardy beds
Plants rated for zone 6
A sample from each group, drawn from the 468 library plants whose stated hardiness range includes zone 6. Every card opens the plant's page with its sources.
Trees and flowering trees · 154 rated
Shrubs and hedges · 117 rated
Perennials, grasses and groundcovers · 180 rated
Palms and succulents · 10 rated
What winter does here
Zone-6 plants are safe; zone-7 ones want a south wall. Denver gardeners should read the xeriscape style before the cottage one.
A zone is an average of the coldest nights, not a guarantee. The plant pages show a freeze-risk estimate for a specific ZIP when you enter one.
Your yard, your zone
See your own home designed for zone 6
One photo of your yard. The house stays, the yard is restyled, and every plant in the result is a real species that survives a zone 6 winter.
Design my yard