We talked about this... yes, our local area has been deemed zone 5a. While I cautioned you not to expect miracles, the gardener in us yearns to experiment. “Trial and Error” is nearly as much a mantra as “Right Plant, Right Place”.
So, let’s just dive in and peek at some of those zone 5a plants we’ve only dreamed of...
Buddleia also called Butterfly Bush (technically it’s classified as a perennial) The flowers offer plenty of nectar. In our area, the Red Admiral and Painted Ladies are often found on the beautiful flowers that smother this bush from July to September. Color choices range from deep purple to 3 shades of pink to a light blue. Their average height is 4 ft tall with a 3 ft spread. Full sun is required. Prune them in early spring. Expect other pollinators. I do caution you that the plant’s leaves are not a useful source of food for our native caterpillars, they need our native plants and are quite selective.
Ooo, I found some gems! No, really. Geums, commonly called avens, offer up darling, dainty flowers and there are some zone 5 options to investigate. Specifically, they include 'Koi', 'Pretticoats Peach', 'Sunkissed Lime' and ‘Totally Tangerine'.
Geum ‘Pretticoats Peach’
FYI - our native Prairie Smoke is a geum!
Geum ‘Prairie Smoke’ – you can see how it got its name
Let’s talk shrubs!
There is a conical boxwood I would recommend trying. Whether you want a specimen or a low growing green hedge, 'Green Mountain’ is worth looking into. In full sun to part shade, this evergreen shrub grows to 5 ft tall and 4 ft wide.
Boxwood ‘Green Mountain’
If you’re looking for DRAMA, then check out ‘Royal Purple’ Smokebush! Deep purple foliage lasts into fall when it turns red. Pink puffy panicles look like big pom poms. The actual flowers are insignificant. It must be planted in full sun where it will grow 10 ft tall and 10 ft wide. Yes, it’s dramatic!
Smokebush ‘Royal Purple’
Maybe something small and pretty whets your appetite. Weigela ‘Wine & Roses’ continues the drama but in a smaller size. It is the first weigela with dark burgundy foliage and delightful trumpet shaped pink flowers that bloom profusely in spring and then sporadically through mid to late summer. Bonus: it tolerates clay soil! Growing in full to part sun it reaches 4 to 5 ft tall and wide. It’s great planted as an accent or as a hedge.
Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’
Trees!
Let’s start with this zone 5 small Japanese Maple. I LOVE its name ‘Wabi Sabi’ which means imperfect beauty. While the name implies imperfection, I find it perfectly beautiful. Its cascading growth does mean it needs some space. Growing about 6 to 7 ft tall, its spread can reach 10 ft. The finely divided, lacy leaves turn a mixture of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. Features a gently cascading growth habit. Bright red upright seeds add a spot of color in spring.
Maple ‘Wabi Sabi’
An early spring blooming showstopper is Magnolia ‘Butterflies’. The flowers of magnolia trees appear before the leaves, making them stand out even more. ‘Butterflies’ flowers are a true yellow. It grows to 20 ft tall with a 12 ft spread. Thriving in sun to part shade, it can live up to 50 years. And it’s great under powerlines.
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ photo by Amy Stidham
Remember my previous Garden Scoop... plant survival and plant hardiness depend on a lot more than the average low temperature. Drought, snow cover, early or late frosts, wind and microclimates in your landscape play a huge role.
Don’t forget, the care YOU take when planting. It is important to plant when the soil is workable, not too early in spring or too late in fall if the soil has started to freeze. Dig a hole 3 times wider than you think it needs. Mix the soil with a recommended amount of compost and add some mycorrhizal or fertilizer recommended for the plant you purchase. If you don’t know, then ask.
Don’t plant trees too deep. The graft needs to be above the soil line. If you’re not sure, be certain to ask the experts where you purchased it from before you leave the lot. Add a layer of mulch 3 to 4 inches thick around the planting. NOT up to it. That means Donut not Volcano.
Leave about a 3 inch space around the trunk
I swear (really, I swear out loud) every time I drive by new tree plantings with mulch scooched all the way up the trunk, I want to stop the car and fix it! This will shorten the life of your plants. Roots will grow closer around the plant and circle it, eventually strangling it.
ARGH!
Let the planning begin,
We talked about this... yes, our local area has been deemed zone 5a. While I cautioned you not to expect miracles, the gardener in us yearns to experiment. “Trial and Error” is nearly as much a mantra as “Right Plant, Right Place”.
So, let’s just dive in and peek at some of those zone 5a plants we’ve only dreamed of...
Buddleia also called Butterfly Bush (technically it’s classified as a perennial) The flowers offer plenty of nectar. In our area, the Red Admiral and Painted Ladies are often found on the beautiful flowers that smother this bush from July to September. Color choices range from deep purple to 3 shades of pink to a light blue. Their average height is 4 ft tall with a 3 ft spread. Full sun is required. Prune them in early spring. Expect other pollinators. I do caution you that the plant’s leaves are not a useful source of food for our native caterpillars, they need our native plants and are quite selective.
Ooo, I found some gems! No, really. Geums, commonly called avens, offer up darling, dainty flowers and there are some zone 5 options to investigate. Specifically, they include 'Koi', 'Pretticoats Peach', 'Sunkissed Lime' and ‘Totally Tangerine'.
Geum ‘Pretticoats Peach’
FYI - our native Prairie Smoke is a geum!
Geum ‘Prairie Smoke’ – you can see how it got its name
Let’s talk shrubs!
There is a conical boxwood I would recommend trying. Whether you want a specimen or a low growing green hedge, 'Green Mountain’ is worth looking into. In full sun to part shade, this evergreen shrub grows to 5 ft tall and 4 ft wide.
Boxwood ‘Green Mountain’
If you’re looking for DRAMA, then check out ‘Royal Purple’ Smokebush! Deep purple foliage lasts into fall when it turns red. Pink puffy panicles look like big pom poms. The actual flowers are insignificant. It must be planted in full sun where it will grow 10 ft tall and 10 ft wide. Yes, it’s dramatic!
Smokebush ‘Royal Purple’
Maybe something small and pretty whets your appetite. Weigela ‘Wine & Roses’ continues the drama but in a smaller size. It is the first weigela with dark burgundy foliage and delightful trumpet shaped pink flowers that bloom profusely in spring and then sporadically through mid to late summer. Bonus: it tolerates clay soil! Growing in full to part sun it reaches 4 to 5 ft tall and wide. It’s great planted as an accent or as a hedge.
Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’
Trees!
Let’s start with this zone 5 small Japanese Maple. I LOVE its name ‘Wabi Sabi’ which means imperfect beauty. While the name implies imperfection, I find it perfectly beautiful. Its cascading growth does mean it needs some space. Growing about 6 to 7 ft tall, its spread can reach 10 ft. The finely divided, lacy leaves turn a mixture of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. Features a gently cascading growth habit. Bright red upright seeds add a spot of color in spring.
Maple ‘Wabi Sabi’
An early spring blooming showstopper is Magnolia ‘Butterflies’. The flowers of magnolia trees appear before the leaves, making them stand out even more. ‘Butterflies’ flowers are a true yellow. It grows to 20 ft tall with a 12 ft spread. Thriving in sun to part shade, it can live up to 50 years. And it’s great under powerlines.
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ photo by Amy Stidham
Remember my previous Garden Scoop... plant survival and plant hardiness depend on a lot more than the average low temperature. Drought, snow cover, early or late frosts, wind and microclimates in your landscape play a huge role.
Don’t forget, the care YOU take when planting. It is important to plant when the soil is workable, not too early in spring or too late in fall if the soil has started to freeze. Dig a hole 3 times wider than you think it needs. Mix the soil with a recommended amount of compost and add some mycorrhizal or fertilizer recommended for the plant you purchase. If you don’t know, then ask.
Don’t plant trees too deep. The graft needs to be above the soil line. If you’re not sure, be certain to ask the experts where you purchased it from before you leave the lot. Add a layer of mulch 3 to 4 inches thick around the planting. NOT up to it. That means Donut not Volcano.
Leave about a 3 inch space around the trunk
I swear (really, I swear out loud) every time I drive by new tree plantings with mulch scooched all the way up the trunk, I want to stop the car and fix it! This will shorten the life of your plants. Roots will grow closer around the plant and circle it, eventually strangling it.
ARGH!
Let the planning begin,
