Tianshan® Seven-son Flower. Photos: First Editions® Shrubs & Trees
Embrace the vibrance of fall with plant suggestions.
The green thumbs of Woodbury can explore new opportunities in the garden with a zone shift that allows for trying some hardier plants.
Spurred by warmer temperatures over the last 30 years, the 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hardiness Zones shift from Zone 4 to Zone 5a continues to be gradual and doesn’t mean gardens will have an entire new palette of plants. However, it will allow for some new varieties to be explored.
We turned to Ryan McEnaney, marketing and communications manager of Bailey Nurseries, to offer some insight on the shift to Zone 5a and what that means for plants in the impacted region.
“In the grand scheme of things, this shift in USDA Hardiness zones doesn’t have any immediate or significant impact,” he says. “What it does mean is that we can start to try some marginally hardy Zone 5 plants.”
To ease into the change, McEnaney suggests the following plants that have so far proven some success:
- Sapphire Surf Bluebeard: A compact, low-maintenance shrub, that produces a swell of blue flowers from top to bottom in late summer and fall when other plants showcase the late-season warm tones.
- Tianshan Seven-son Flower: This small tree or large shrub has white flowers in summer, as the monarch butterflies begin their migration, that turn a beautiful red in fall.
- Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea: The first true dark-leaf bigleaf hydrangea offers season-long beauty with intense, dark purple leaves that hold their color with cranberry-colored flowers.
To ensure plants can survive Minnesota’s colder temperatures, McEnaney says they’ll need to be properly protected.
“Use oak leaves, straw or mulch to cover the crown of the plant, and be sure that it’s watered well until the ground freezes,” he says. “Just because temperatures are getting colder doesn’t mean you have to stop watering. If you have a marginally hardy plant, you could also protect the entire shrub or perennial by wrapping in burlap or chicken wire and filling with winter protection.”
And while cold weather is on the horizon, don’t jump into winter too quickly. Autumn is a beautiful time of year full of color both inside and outside the home.
Jade Parade® Sand Cherry
When considering outdoor fall plants, McEnaney has a few suggestions:
- Berry White Panicle Hydrangea has flowers that bloom white in summer and change to a deep merlot as fall temperatures get cooler. It’s a great plant for the back of a border or as a focal point in the garden.
- Jade Parade Sand Cherry is a great multiseason plant for Woodbury because of its incredible spring flowers, great texture and blue-green summer foliage, and amazing deep red fall color. It’s a low grower that’s excellent for hillsides in the front of a border or as a low-growing filler between plantings.
- Tiger Eyes Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac is a must in Minnesota. The deeply textured leaves turn to a deep yellow, orange and red in fall and absolutely light up the garden. As the leaves drop, the structure of the shrub is fantastic for the winter landscape.
Bailey Nurseries
1325 Bailey Road; 800.829.8898
