Afternoon Sun Plants for Zone 5

Dress Up that Hot Summer Garden

• “Henry’s Garnet” Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica “Henry’s Garnet”) and roses (Rosa spp.) are deciduous shrubs that thrive in the afternoon sun. “Henry’s Garnet” grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet and width of 4 to 6 feet with deep green, oval leaves that change to brilliant red in the fall. In late spring or early summer, it produces fragrant white flowers. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Roses are available in many sizes and flower colors and most are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. “Carefree Wonder” (Rosa “Meipitac” “Carefree Wonder”) is a shrub rose that grows to a height and width of 3 to 4 feet and blooms in bright pink from spring to fall. It is tolerant of air pollution and has good disease resistance. “Henry’s Garnet” and “Carefree Wonder” can be grown as foundation or specimen plants.

Defy the Cold with Evergreens

• Conifers generally thrive in afternoon sun and are available in a variety of sizes and needle colors. “Jean’s Dilly” (Picea glauca “Jean’s Dilly”) is a dwarf white spruce that grows slowly to a height of 2 to 5 feet and width of 1 to 2 1/2 feet with short, light green needles. It does not need to be sheared to maintain its conical shape. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 6. “Filifera Aurea” Japanese false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera “Filifera Aurea”) is an unusual-looking, semi-dwarf shrub that takes 20 years to grow to a height of 6 to 7 feet. Over time, it may grow to a height of 15 to 20 feet. It has long, gold, thread-type foliage that hangs down from the branches, which inspired the common name threadleaf false cypress. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Both of these evergreens are planted as foundation or specimen plants.

Pretty it Up

• Verbenas (Verbena spp. and hybrids) are perennial plants that thrive in afternoon sun and bloom from spring to first frost. “Annie” (Verbena “Annie”) is a spreading verbena cultivar that grows to a height of 6 to 9 inches tall and width of 1 to 2 feet. It blooms in pink and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. “Snow Flurry” (Verbena “Snow Flurry”) is a semi-upright cultivar that grows to a height of 10 to 12 inches and width of 1 1/2 feet. It blooms in white and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum hybrids) range in height from a few inches to 5 feet, depending on the hybrid. They are generally hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, but this varies slightly. “Color Echo“ (Chrysanthemum “Color Echo”) is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. It grows to a height of 1 1/2 to 2 feet and blooms in purple and white. Chrysanthemums begin blooming in September in USDA zone 5 and continue until the first frost.

Mix it Up

• Sun-loving flowering annuals are ideal for the gardener who likes to plant something different from year to year. Gerber daisies (Gerber jamesonii) and snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) thrive in afternoon sun when planted in soil that drains quickly. Both bloom all summer in a variety of flower colors and forms, depending on the cultivar. Gerber daisies grow to a height of 1 to 1 1/2 feet while snapdragons are available in heights ranging from 1 to 3 feet. Gerber daisies are hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10 and snapdragons are hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10 but they are both grown as annuals in USDA zone 5.