Plants That Grow to Be 6 Feet

Broadleaf Evergreens

• Rhododendron "P.J.M. Elite" is a hybrid rhododendron cultivar that grows to 6 feet in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. P.J.M. Elite is evergreen, thrives in full shade and blooms during March and April, generating pink-lavender flowers. Use it in groups or place it at the rear of your shrub borders. In its native West Indies, yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) grows to 30 feet, but this evergreen in cultivation in zones 8 through 10 averages 6 feet high. Its narrow, green leaves resemble those of a willow and the shrub flowers in summer and autumn, turning out yellow blossoms. It is appropriate for containers for use on a deck or patio, but you may also employ it along foundations or as a hedge.

Bulbs

• The gloriosa lily (gloriosa superba) is a vine that develops from a bulb, which generates a flower closely resembling a lily. "Rothschildiana" is a cultivar bearing red and yellow flowers from July through September in USDA zones 8 through 10. Give this vine support and it will climb to 6 feet in a container or on a trellis. Rothschildiana also serves as a houseplant in sunny locations within the home. Lilium "Thunderbolt" is a lily cultivar growing to 6 feet in zones 4 through 9. Plant the bulbs in the rear of your perennial gardens between 12 and 18 inches apart. When it grows and then blooms, Thunderbolt produces trumpet-shaped flowers with mixes of green, orange and purple during July and August.

Deciduous Shrubs

• Use red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) as a screen or in shrub borders in USDA zones as cold as zone 3. It grows between 6 and 10 feet, but you can keep it in the 6-foot range with diligent pruning. Red twig dogwood has attractive crimson stems in winter, and its leaves change from green to shades of purple-red in winter. The deciduous shrub flowers by the end of May or the first week of June. Philadelphus "Innocence" is a 6-foot high mock orange cultivar for use as a low hedge or the hiding of unsightly foundations. It grows in USDA zones 4 through 8, produces many stems, loses its leaves and features aromatic, white flowers in late springtime.

Trees

• Cultivars of the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) that grow to be around 6 feet tall include "Shaina" and "Sharp's Pygmy." These small trees are suitable for the edge of a rock garden or as an understory tree in USDA zones 5 through 9. Their size allows you to from miniature groves of these trees, which possess interesting foliage. Mountain palm (Cordyline indivisa) is a New Zealand tree growing to 6 feet in zones 9 through 11. In colder zones, use it in containers and bring it inside when temperatures plummet. Mountain palm's best feature is its long, glossy leaves.