Guide to Selecting Landscape Plants for Wisconsin

Choosing Plants

• Before choosing landscaping plants, consider your growing zone and the plants' full size, colors, texture, soil, water and light requirements and the spot you plan to place them. Flowers may attract you, but think about how the plant will look the rest of the year, too, the University of Wisconsin-Extension website recommends. Consider native plants, which require less maintenance and cause fewer problems because of their adaptability, according to the Wild Ones environmental education website.

Trees and Shrubs

• Trees that grow well in Wisconsin landscapes, depending on zone, include several varieties of maples, beech, ash and oak, all growing up to 100 feet high. Shorter tree choices include many evergreens, birch, weeping willow, cherry, hawthorn, ornamental crabapple, plum and other fruit trees, among others. Good shrub choices include some dogwoods, forsythia and hydrangeas, the University of Wisconsin Extension notes.

Other Plants

• Wisconsin landscapes also can include vines, such as clematis, honeysuckle and climbing hydrangea. Many ground cover plants also make strong choices, such as bishop's hat and bugleweed, the xxtension service said.