Home Garden
# Home & Garden >> Plants, Flowers & Herbs >> Shrubs

Hardy & Wind-Tolerant Border Shrubs

If you live in a region that experiences stormy weather and extreme temperatures, choose shrubs that tolerate cold, windy conditions. Look for species with thick, small, waxy or needlelike foliage. Avoid shrubs with large leaves, as they tend to catch wind and sustain branch damage in storms, according to the Colorado State University Extension. Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which divides North America into regions according to average annual low temperatures, to determine the plants most likely to thrive in your area.

  1. Zone 3

    • In USDA zone 3, average annual lows reach minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The University of Washington recommends pine shrubs for cold, windy sites. Choices include the little mugo, a 6-foot-tall evergreen with narrow, bright-green needles. This compact shrub is hardy in zones 2 through 9. The Albyns Scotch pine is hardy in zones 3 to 7 and has glossy, blue-green needles. It grows to 18 inches tall and spreads up to 4 feet. Other shrubs for this zone include arborvitae, buffaloberry and Russian almond.

    Zone 4

    • USDA zone 4-rated plants are hardy to minus 30 F. The University of Washington recommends the ceanothus for windy sites. This deciduous shrub grows to 4 feet tall in a rounded, broad shape. It has thin, dark foliage and blooms in summer with white-pink flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Ceanothus is hardy in zones 4 to 8. Falsecypress is also hardy in zones 4 to 8. These wind-resistant evergreens have narrow, needlelike foliage and come in a range of cultivars. The yellow hinoki, for example, grows rapidly to 10 feet tall and has gold and green foliage that matures to bright yellow. Other shrubs for this zone include the Anglojap yew and dwarf eastern white pines.

    Zone 5

    • In USDA zone 5, average annual temperatures drop to minus 20 F. The wind-resistant cotoneaster, recommended by the University of Washington, is hardy in zones 5 to 8. This evergreen has small, dark foliage and blooms with white spring flowers, followed by red berries. It grows to 2 feet tall but spreads up to 6 feet. The wind-tolerant Mohave pyracantha is hardy in zones 5 to 8. A 10-foot-tall evergreen, this shrub has narrow, shiny foliage and produces showy orange-red fruit. Other shrubs for this zone include the Standish yew.

    Zone 6

    • Average annual lows in USDA zone 6 reach minus 10 F. North Dakota State University suggests planting meadowlark forsythia in windy sites. These fast-growing deciduous shrubs, hardy in zones 6 to 8, have small foliage. They are prized for their fragrant, yellow spring blossoms. Penn State University recommends yew shrubs for windy sites. The Fastigata Robusta yew is hardy in zones 6 to 7. This upright evergreen has light-green needles and grows in a narrow form. Other zone 6-hardy shrubs include thunderhead pines and scarlet firethorns.

Previous:

Next:

Shrubs
  1. Planting Arrangements for Zone 5
  2. Wind-Tolerant Shrubs
  3. Shade Loving Evergreen Shrubs in Zone 7
  4. Zone 4-5 Shrubs
  5. Shrubs Not Unhealthy to Dogs
  6. The Best Worry-Free Shrubs
  7. Tall Shrubs for Courtyards
  8. Border Shrubs
  9. Border Gem Shrubs
  10. Zone 2 Shrubs & Bushes
  11. Evergreen Shrubs in Zone 5
  12. Shade-Loving Shrubs in Zone 4

Home Garden © https://www.98905.com