The Best Zone 7 Plants to Grow Regionally

Gardeners in zone 7 are fortunate. They exist in a swath of mild climates that sweep states extending from New Jersey to California and everywhere in between. When selecting perennials for the garden, they can focus more narrowly on aesthetics than can gardeners in the far North or the deep South. The former are plagued by cold winters, the latter by intense summer heat. This limits them in their plant selection, as many plants dislike one or the other (or both) of those extremes. Zone 7 gardeners reside comfortably between the two extremes and are freer to select the loveliest flowering plants to give their gardens color throughout spring and summer. Your choices include not only classic perennials but also bulb plants and ground covers, as well as ornamental grasses and other foliage plants. Here are 15 colorful zone 7 plants for spring and summer.

01 Mealy-Cup Sage (Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’)

Salvia pauciflora, which in the North should be considered an annual, is frost-hardy in zone 7. This perennial has bright blue flowers and is very useful in red, white and green. For best appearance, trim flowers to keep the plant looking fresh and encourage more blooms.

02 English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Lavender, as a Mediterranean plant, requires plenty of sun and fast-draining soil. Prefers dry soil; Swampy soil means death for him. Technically a subshrub (and often classified as an herb due to its wonderful scent so popular in potpourri), think of it as a perennial flower. It is two to three feet high; so if you put it all together you can create an attractive display.

03 Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-Eyed Susan may be ordinary, but she has an unusually cute flower. This flowering perennial plant grows two to three feet tall. North American native plant lovers will want to give it a place in a local, sunny perennial garden. Black-eyed Suzanne is drought-tolerant, so watering it won’t take much of your time and will make it easier. Sometimes you may have to yank it out of places where you don’t want it to grow.

04 Canna Lily (Canna)

The canna lily is not a true lily, but its flowers have the sparkle we associate with the classic lily. The Tropicanna variety produces variegated leaves. Canna grows from rhizomes. As a tropical and subtropical plant, you will have to dig up the rhizomes in the fall to overwinter indoors in zone 7. Canna can grow tall enough to act (by volume) as an entry hedge in the summer or as a backdrop for shorter plants.

05 Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)

Canna is a tender perennial that shines in summer, and crown is a hardy perennial in zone 7. It adds a lot of color to the plant in spring. It grows from tubers that should be planted in the fall. It may not last long, but at least pests tend to leave it alone. This is likely because its skunk-like odor repels deer as well as smaller pests such as voles. Some great ornamental plants are unscented, so think twice before discarding a crown just because of its scent.

06 Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Asclepias tuberosa is a butterfly magnet, but it is also a beautiful plant in its own right. Group several plants together, whether you want to attract butterflies or simply to better appreciate the beauty of a plant. This perennial plant is drought tolerant once established and can even spread naturally by seed if you don’t remove the seed pods after flowering.

07 Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)

Joe-Pye weed is a tall and stately plant that grows well in the back row of the home garden. It blooms in late summer after many perennials have flowered for the year, so it is useful for gardeners planning flowering sequences. Since this is a plant that naturally lives in wetlands, its main requirement is evenly moist soil.

08 Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Mallow, a traditional garden plant, is another tall example. A row of hollyhocks growing along a white picket fence creates a classic rustic design. The statuette trunk is strewn with flowers that fit tightly to it, and the foliage does not interfere. This makes hollyhocks the tallest and thinnest of plants. It can be a perennial or biennial. Give it sunlight, water and organic matter and watch it grow.

09 Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’)

Ornamental grasses are another perennial garden option in zone 7. They make a good addition to your flower selection because they have characteristics that most flowers don’t have. Mimosa grass shows off its graceful form on a large frame. In early autumn it produces bronze flower heads, which then develop into silvery-white inflorescences. In autumn its trunk also turns red. Young grass will provide much-needed winter interest if you wait until spring to remove the old stems.

10 Lilyturf (Liriope spicata)

Large trees have their uses, but gardeners with small yards often look for smaller trees. Many of the latter fall into the general group of groundcovers, with lilies being among the most popular. This tall flowering perennial is valued not only for its flowers, but also for its foliage. It can spread through rhizomes and be invasive, so check with your county extension agency before planting. Practice slug control on this plant.