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US National Arboretum

Indicator Plant Examples

Listed by Zone


Cold Hardiness Ratings for Selected Woody Plants

Representative plants are listed under the coldest zones in which they normally succeed
Zone Ratings -- Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range

Zone 1    Zone 2    Zone 3    Zone 4    Zone 5    Zone 6    Zone 7    Zone 8    Zone 9    Zone 10   

 

Zone 1
Below -45.6 C
Below -50 F

Betula glandulosa  (dwarf birch)
Empetrum nigrum  (black crowberry)
Populus tremuloides  (quaking aspen)
Potentilla pensylvanica  (Pennsylvania cinquefoil)
Rhododendron lapponicum  (Lapland rhododendron)
Salix reticulata  (netleaf willow)

 

Zone 2
-50 to -40 F
-45.6 to -40 C

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi  (bearberry - zone 2b)
Betula papyrifera  (paper birch)
Cornus canadensis  (bunchberry)
Dasiphora fruticosa  (shrubby cinquefoil)
Elaeagnus commutata  (silverberry)
Larix laricina  (eastern larch)
Pinus mugo  (mugo pine)
Ulmus americana  (American elm)
Viburnum opulus var. americanum  (American cranberry-bush)

 

Zone 3
-40 to -30 F
-40 to -34.5 C

 Acer saccharum  (sugar maple)
Betula pendula  (European white birch)
Cornus alba  (Tatarian dogwood)
Elaeagnus angustifolia  (Russian olive)
Euonymus alatus  (winged euonymus - zone 3b)
Hydrangea paniculata  (panicle hydrangea)
Juniperus communis  (common juniper)
Juniperus horizontalis  (creeping juniper)
Lonicera tatarica  (Tatarian honeysuckle)
Malus baccata  (Siberian crabapple)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia  (Virginia creeper)
Picea abies  (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus  (eastern white pine - zone 3b)
Rosa rugosa  (rugosa rose)
Spiraea ×vanhouttei  (Van Houtte spirea)
Thuja occidentalis (American arborvitae)

 

Zone 4
-30 to -20 F
-34.5 to -28.9 C

Abeliophyllum distichum  (white forsythia)
Aesculus ×carnea  (red horse-chestnut)
Aristolochia durior  (Dutchman's pipe)
Berberis thunbergii  (Japanese barberry)
Forsythia ovata  (early forsythia)
Ginkgo biloba  (ginkgo, maidenhair-tree)
Juniperus chinensis  (Chinese juniper)
Ligustrum obtusifolium ssp. suave  (Amur privet)
Ligustrum vulgare  (common privet)
Malus ×arnoldiana  (Arnold crabapple)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides  (dawn redwood)
Parthenocissus tricuspidata  (Boston ivy)
Rhododendron mollis hybrids  (mollis azalea)
Taxus cuspidata  (Japanese yew)

 

Zone 5
-20 to -10 F
-28.9 to -23.3 C

 Acer palmatum  (Japanese maple)
 Berberis aquifolium  (Oregon-grape - zone 5b)
 Carya illinoinensis 'Major'  (pecan cultivar - grows, but does not fruit, in zone 5)
 Chamaecyparis pisifera  (Sawara cypress)
Cornus florida  (flowering dogwood)
 Cornus kousa  (Japanese dogwood, kousa dogwood)
Cotoneaster microphyllus  (small-leaf cotoneaster)
Deutzia gracilis  (slender deutzia)
 Elaeagnus multiflora  (cherry elaeagnus)
Euonymus fortunei  (winter-creeper)
 Forsythia suspensa  (weeping forsythia - zone 5b)
 Hibiscus syriacus  (shrub althaea, rose-of-Sharon - zone 5b)
 Iberis sempervirens  (evergreen candytuft)
 Ilex crenata  (Japanese holly - zone 5b)
 Koelreuteria paniculata  (golden rain-tree - zone 5b)
 Laburnum ×watereri  (goldenchain tree)
 Pieris japonica  (Japanese andromeda)
 Prunus yedoensis  (Yoshino cherry - zone 5b)
Rosa multiflora  (multiflora rose)
 Stewartia pseudocamellia  (Japanese stewartia)
 Viburnum ×burkwoodii  (Burkwood viburnum)
 Zelkova serrata  (Japanese zelkova)

 

Zone 6
-10 to 0 F
-23.3 to -17.8 C

Buxus sempervirens  (common boxwood)
 Carya illinoinensis 'Major'  (pecan cultivar - fruits in zone 6)
Cedrus atlantica  (Atlas cedar)
 Cercis chinensis  (Chinese redbud)
 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana  (Lawson cypress - zone 6b)
 Cytisus ×praecox  (Warminster broom)
Hedera helix  (English ivy)
Ilex opaca  (American holly)
Ligustrum ovalifolium  (California privet)
Nandina domestica  (heavenly bamboo)
Prunus laurocerasus  (cherry-laurel)
Sequoiadendron giganteum  (giant sequoia)
Taxus baccata  (English yew)

 

Zone 7
0 to 10 F C
-17.8 to -12.3 C

Acer macrophyllum  (bigleaf maple)
Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle - zone 7b)
Berberis darwinii (Darwin's barberry)
Camellia sasanqua (sasanqua camellia)
Cedrus deodara (deodar cedar)
Cistus laurifolius (laurel rockrose)
Cunninghamia lanceolata (cunninghamia)
Elaeagnus pungens (thorny elaeagnus)
Ilex aquifolium (English holly)
Lagerstroemia indica (crapemyrtle)
Melia azedarach (chinaberry - zone 7b)
Osmanthus heterophyllus (holly osmanthus)
Pinus radiata (Monterey pine - zone 7b)
Rhododendron Kurume Group  (Kurume azalea)
Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood)

 

Zone 8
10 to 20 F
-12.3 to -6.6 C

Arbutus unedo  (strawberry-tree)
Butia capitata (Pindo palm - zone 8b)
Camellia reticulata (Yunnan camellia)
Ceanothus impressus (Santa Barbara ceanothus)
Choisya ternata  (Mexican orange)
Cinnamomum camphora (camphor tree)
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat)
×Fatshedera lizei (botanical-wonder)
Myrtus communis (true myrtle - zone 8b)
Nerium oleander (oleander - zone 8b)
Olea eurpoaea (common olive)
Olearia x haastii  (New Zealand daisy-bush)
Pittosporum tobira  (Japanese pittosporum)
Rhaphiolepis indica (Indian hawthorn)
Rhododendron 'Loderi King George' (hybrid rhododendron)
Rhododendron southern Indian hybrids (Indian azalea)
Viburnum tinus  (laurustinus)

 

Zone 9
20 to 30 F
-6.6 to -1.1 C

Asparagus setaceus  (asparagus-fern)
Bauhinia variegata (orchidtree)
Casuarina equisetifolia (Australian pine - zone 9b)
Corymbia citriodora (lemon-scented gum)
Eucalyptus globulus  (Tasmanian blue gum)
Fremontodendron mexicanum (flannel bush)
Fuchsia hybrids  (fuchsia)
Grevillea robusta  (silky-oak)
Schinus molle  (California pepper-tree)
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis  (Chinese hibiscus)
Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper-tree)
Syzygium paniculatum  (Australian brush-cherry)

 

Zone 10
30 to 40 F
-1.1 to 4.4 C

Bougainvillea spectabilis  (bougainvillea)
Cassia fistula  (golden shower)
Ensete ventricosum  (Abyssinian-banana)
Euphorbia pulcherrima  (poinsettia)
Ficus elastica  (rubber plant)
Jacaranda acutifolia  (green ebony)
Roystonea regia  (royal palm)

 

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Last Updated   January 24, 2012 10:06 PM
URL = http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon4.html

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