13 U.S.-Native Plants That Can Withstand Extreme Cold

Winter frost threatens tender gardens! Plant native species that withstand extreme temperatures and you’ll never have to worry again. Native plant gardener Jerad Bryant shares 13 U.S.-native plants perfect for chilly landscapes.

Dense green foliage of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi covered in small, oval leaves and bright pinkish-red berries.

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Many North American gardens receive significant frost from November through March. It settles in on tender plants, sucking moisture from their stems and freezing it. Unless a plant has natural defenses, it’ll succumb to the extreme weather conditions and die before spring returns.

When plants evolve in cold regions, they grow accustomed to recurring frosts and develop a strong tolerance for frost. Many take on a perennial nature, entering dormancy during winter and sprouting anew when warm weather arrives. Others have thick, frost-tolerant foliage, or they’re deciduous and lose their leaves. 

No matter how they survive the winter, native plants are excellent options for North American gardens. They require less water, nutrients, and care than non-native species, and they offer prized nectar and pollen to pollinating insects in spring. 

These species are incredibly tolerant of severe cold, making them ideal for chilly gardens throughout the U.S. Choose from these 13 groundcovers, perennials, and deciduous shrubs to design the climate-hardy garden of your dreams. 

Purple Coneflower Echinacea Seeds

Purple Coneflower Echinacea Seeds

Echinacea grows well in a variety of conditions, and is excellent for borders and water-wise gardens. Perfect for fresh cut flowers.

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Kinnikinnik

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi stems with glossy green leaves and small, bell-shaped pink flowers hanging in clusters.
The Arctostaphylos uva-ursi sports glossy green leaves and small, bell-shaped pink flowers hanging in clusters.
common-name common name Kinnikinnik
botanical-name botanical name Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 6-12”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-7

Kinnikinnik, or bearberry, is a frost-loving groundcover that creeps along the soil. Its woody stems root freely along the ground, creating large colonies of evergreen growth. Resisting extreme frost, this native groundcover retains its leaves despite freezing temperatures. It’ll survive winters in USDA Hardiness Zone 2 with extra mulch protection

Kinnikinnik is a close relative of Manzanita trees and shrubs. Its leaves, flowers, and peeling bark resemble them, though they’re much smaller on the groundcover. It’ll grow despite frost, snow, and ice. Plant it as a low-growing groundcover for the best results. Alternatively, try situating it on rock walls so it drapes and hangs. 

Pussytoes

Pink clusters of Antennaria dioica ‘pusilla’ flowers with soft, woolly petals and gray-green stems growing upright.
Their pink and white flowers emerge on short stems, providing excellent ornamental value for pollinator gardens. 
common-name common name Pussytoes
botanical-name botanical name Antennaria dioica
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 3-9”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

This Alaskan native plant loves frosty weather! Pussytoes are herbaceous perennial groundcovers that excel in chilly gardens. They dislike foot traffic, though they’re gorgeous from spring through fall in areas away from pathways. 

Pussytoes prefer sandy, gritty soil with few nutrients. If other spreading perennials fail to sprout after a chilly winter, try planting a few pussytoes throughout the garden. Their pink and white flowers emerge on short stems, providing excellent ornamental value for pollinator gardens. 

Dense Blazing Star

This plant offers tall spikes of feathery, purple flowers above slender, grass-like foliage.
It sprouts long flowering spikes full of purple blossoms.
common-name common name Dense Blazing Star
botanical-name botanical name Liatris spicata
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2-6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

Blazing stars rival non-native ornamentals. The dense blazing star is one of the best types; it sprouts long flowering spikes full of purple blossoms. They’ll feed butterflies, bees, and pollinating flies during spring and summer, and their seeds offer nutritious rewards to overwintering birds. 

As fall frost returns, these Midwest native perennials lose their aboveground stems and pull energy into their roots. They’ll stay dormant during winter, remaining safe underground. Cover them with compost, leaf mold, or a similar mulch to protect them further. You’ll see new growth emerge as warmth arrives in spring.  

Fireweed

Fireweed flowers with slender spikes adorned with vibrant pink tubular blooms and delicate green leaves line the Alaska Highway.
Long flowering stems sprout in spring with rows of pink-red blossoms.
common-name common name Fireweed
botanical-name botanical name Epilobium angustifolium
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 2-5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-7

The iconic perennial fireweed is essential for wild landscapes! It reseeds readily, and it sprouts from underground roots in spring. Long flowering stems sprout in spring with rows of pink-red blossoms. After wildfires, fireweed is one of the first native plants to return to the burned area. This is why it has the word “fire” in its name. 

Because of its weedy tendencies, this plant is best for wild and natural landscapes without formal lines and borders. Seedlings will sprout far from the mother plant, as the seeds have tufts on them that help them float large distances. Pull seedlings up if you don’t want them—throw them in your compost for free soil!

Ostrich Fern

Large, feathery fronds that unfurl in a distinctive fiddlehead shape, forming a lush, green clump.
The orchid fern features large, feathery fronds that unfurl in a distinctive fiddlehead shape.
common-name common name Ostrich Fern
botanical-name botanical name Onoclea struthiopteris
sun-requirements sun requirements Partial to full shade
height height 3-5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-8

Shady gardens are often difficult to plant in, as sun-loving plants struggle to photosynthesize under low light. That’s why shade-loving plants are essential for these spaces! Ferns are ideal options, as they perform well in dense shade. The ostrich fern is a superb type for North American landscapes. 

Not only is this native fern plant incredibly cold-hardy, but it also produces edible fiddleheads! They emerge after the snow melts in spring, producing lovely tender greens that sauté well in many recipes. Not all fern fiddleheads are edible, so be sure to verify the plant you collect is the one you intend to eat. 

Purple Coneflower

Large Echinacea purpurea ‘pallida’ flower with pink, drooping petals and a prominent orange-brown cone at the center.
A purple coneflower displays pink, drooping petals and a prominent orange-brown cone at the center.
common-name common name Purple Coneflower
botanical-name botanical name Echinacea purpurea
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 2-5’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

Purple coneflowers are iconic wildflowers from the Great Plains ecoregion. They’re herbaceous perennials that enter dormancy in winter. They stay safe underground in their roots before emerging with new growth in spring. Dozens of varieties exist with various colors, offering unique hues for your garden designs. 

In order to withstand the cold, these native plants must grow for some time before fall frost arrives. Sow seeds at least two months before the first average frost date, and they’ll overwinter well. For spring plantings, sow them two to four weeks before the last average frost date. 

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Graceful, blue and white blooms with spurred petals rise above delicate, fern-like leaves.
The Rocky Mountain columbine is an excellent type that survives harsh winters!
common-name common name Rocky Mountain Columbine
botanical-name botanical name Aquilegia coerulea
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 1-2’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-10

Columbines are lovely wildflowers, and the Rocky Mountain columbine is an excellent type that survives harsh winters! It’s the state flower of Colorado, growing wild in alpine environments throughout the state. Grant it lots of sunlight and fertile, well-drained soil. The only condition this columbine dislikes is soggy, wet dirt.

Like many native perennials, this plant has a cold stratification requirement. This means the seeds must undergo weeks of freezing temperatures before they germinate. Plant them 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost date in your region so they receive the cold they need.

Inkberry

An evergreen shrub with dark, lustrous leaves with small black berries, and a dense, upright growth habit.
Their bright black fruits form at summer’s end.
common-name common name Inkberry
botanical-name botanical name Ilex glabra
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 5-10’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 4-11

Inkberry is aptly named for its bright black fruits that form at summer’s end. They’re inky black. Although inedible, they provide delicious food for birds and small creatures looking for a winter snack. Salt, cold, and wet tolerant, this native plant excels in many conditions. It’s perfect for that tough spot in your yard where nothing else will grow!

Grant inkberry some winter protection, as it’s an evergreen shrub that suffers below zone 5. Add extra compost or leaf mold onto the soil around the shrub’s base. When hard freezes approach, consider adding frost cloth around the branches. Old bedsheets work well if you don’t have horticultural frost cloth!

Highbush Cranberry

Compact with rounded foliage, this dwarf viburnum showcases warm tones of red, burgundy, and purple, enhancing its clusters of small red berries.
The red fruits are edible for gardeners and birds!
common-name common name Highbush Cranberry
botanical-name botanical name Viburnum trilobum
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 8-12’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-7

Highbush cranberry isn’t a cranberry, though it sprouts fruits that resemble cranberries! The shrub is incredibly frost-resistant and grows well in bright or shady conditions. It dislikes warm, hot summers and will prefer partial shade in the hottest areas. 

Highbush cranberries are deciduous; their leaves turn bright red in autumn before falling to the ground. This allows them to survive icy storms, as their woody stems are more resilient than thin leaves.

The red fruits are edible for gardeners and birds! You may have to battle local birds to get to them first. Be sure you’re collecting American highbush cranberries, as there is a European lookalike species with bitter, inedible fruits. 

Red Twig Dogwood

Bare reddish-brown Cornus sericea ‘red twig’ branches with a few dried leaves, showcasing their vibrant bark.
It sports red stems that shine bright in the wintertime.
common-name common name Red Twig Dogwood
botanical-name botanical name Cornus sericea
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 3-9’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-7

Whether you garden on the West or East Coast or somewhere in between, this deciduous shrub excels expectations. Red twig dogwood adapts readily to adverse conditions, growing well in moist, wet, or dry sites. 

Red twig dogwood is a close relative of flowering dogwood trees. It sports red stems that shine bright in the wintertime. Green leaves emerge in spring, and white flower clusters follow shortly after. Then, white berries form from pollinated flowers, offering food for birds and small mammals. 

Silverberry

Bright orange and red berries of Elaeagnus commutata ‘silverberry’ nestled among dark green leaves.
Gray-green leaves emerge in spring and fall off in autumn, revealing white, mealy berries.
common-name common name Silverberry
botanical-name botanical name Elaeagnus commutata
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to full shade
height height 1-15’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-6

Silverberry towers over other low-growing shrubs, reaching up to 15 feet tall! Though it reaches tree heights, it grows with many stems in a bush-like structure. Gray-green leaves emerge in spring and fall off in autumn, revealing white, mealy berries. Browsing animals love eating the leaves, so be sure to leave them be!

Though this shrub is winter hardy, it’s intolerant of the heat in warm zones 7 and above. Use it as a windbreak or living hedge in cool, temperate regions throughout the northern U.S. 

Many growers plant Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia, though it’s readily displacing the native silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata. Plant native shrubs like silverberry to help bolster their resistance to invasive species!

Sweet Pepperbush

Pink feathery flowers of summersweet clethra gleam in the radiant sunlight, their delicate petals shimmering with a soft blush hue. Rich leaves embrace them, forming a verdant backdrop that enhances their natural beauty in the garden.
Its white flowers contain sweet nectar that butterflies and hummingbirds love drinking.
common-name common name Sweet Pepperbush
botanical-name botanical name Clethra alnifolia
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 5-10’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

Sweet pepperbush attracts wildlife like no other plant! Its white flowers contain sweet nectar that butterflies and hummingbirds love drinking. Bees like it too; they drink nectar and eat the pollen that dusts off open flowers. 

Sweet pepperbush prefers coastal conditions and likes sandy, well-drained soil with few nutrients. This is why it also goes by the name coastal pepperbush. It grows best with consistent moisture during the growing season. Your specimen should survive extreme temperatures to -22°F (-30°C) and live for many years!

American Witch Hazel

Yellow, ribbon-like flowers in clusters bloom on bare branches, contrasting with the branching structure.
Its blooms look like little spiders; they have spindly petals that dangle downwards.
common-name common name American Witch Hazel
botanical-name botanical name Hamamelis virginiana
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 15-30’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-9

American witch hazel rounds out this list because it’s one of the best shrubs the continent has to offer. Its blooms look like little spiders; they have spindly petals that dangle downwards. The flowers emit the renowned witch hazel fragrance you may have smelled before in astringent products. 

One of the first flowers to bloom in spring, witch hazel blossoms are essential for winter gardens. These native plants are cold-tolerant, surviving lingering frosts from late winter through spring. 

Before the blossoms emerge, naked brown stems offer winter interest in the landscape. Green hazel-like leaves sprout in spring that provide fall color, turning yellow as temperatures cool. Plant your witch hazel in well-drained soil with consistent moisture and give it an annual helping of compost; it’ll thrive for decades.

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