USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7

The range of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7 extends across much of the South, spreading across Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas, including some regions in California while also reaching upward to areas in Washington. The typically moderate, but quite diverse, climate in this zone includes the humid South, the Mediterranean climate in California and the Pacific Northwest. The common thread that binds these areas together is the average low winter temperature, which fluctuates between 0 to 10 degrees F.

Zone 7 gardeners are able to grow a variety of plants that include edible as well as ornamental choices, such as:

Trees

The warm climate in Zone 7 doesn't dull the vibrant colors of these fall foliage trees:

Deciduous

• American Red Maple (Acer rubrum) – a North American native tree with exceptional red leaf color in autumn; adaptable to various climates and soils
• Autumn Purple Ash (Fraxinus americana 'Autumn Purple') – another Native American tree; fall foliage is yellow with purplish splashes
• Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) – a tall tree for larger landscapes; leaves and yellow-orange flowers are shaped like tulips

Evergreen

These trees add green in a winter landscape:

• Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) – quintessentially Southern, the large, dramatic Southern magnolia has glossy green leaves and fragrant flowers
• Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant') – the award-winning Thuja Green Giant is a disease-resistant substitute for weaker cypresses and other needled evergreens
• Skyrocket Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket') – a different shade of green with a bluish cast, and good for smaller spaces where towering evergreens are too large

Flowering

Boost your landscape's curb appeal with these flowering trees:

• Tuscarora Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica 'Tuscarora') – striking shades of watermelon and coral adorn these summer-blooming trees
• Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) – a large-flowering, later-blooming and disease-resistant option to other dogwood species
• Rising Sun Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'JN2' Rising Sun) – a show-stopping combination of early-blooming hot-pink flowers that appear on plants before the leaves open, revealing shades of green and yellow

Shrubs with Evergreen Foliage

Keep part of your landscape green during winter with these evergreen shrubs:

• Nellie Stevens Holly (Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens') – very fast-growing holly with dense foliage
• Waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera, formerly M. cerifera) – fragrant leaves and black berries, which provide a late-season fruiting food source for many songbirds
• Soft Touch Holly (Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch') – a smaller holly choice with smooth leaves

Flowering Shrubs

These shrubs have white flowers to brighten any Zone 7 yard or garden:

• Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) – the tiny white flowers of this shrub produce an intoxicating scent that perfumes an entire garden
• August Beauty Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'August Beauty') – sweetly-scented gardenia that has a long bloom season
• April Snow Camellia (Camellia japonica 'April Snow') – large, white flowers with yellow centers contrast beautifully against the glossy leaves

Roses

Some regions across Zone 7 have humid summers, which pose a challenge to growing healthy roses. These selections are resistant to blackspot and mildew, two common diseases of roses that are grown in humid climates:

• Drift Roses (Rosa 'Apricot Drift') – a flowering groundcover that blooms continuously over a long growing season and doesn't need deadheading
• Oso Easy Rose (Rosa x Oso Easy®) – single or double flowers in shades of red, pink, orange or yellow on low-maintenance plants
• Knock Out Rose (Rosa x Knock Out®) – minimal pruning with no deadheading needed; selections include single- or double-flowers

Fruits

Apples

• Pink Lady Apple (Malus domestica 'Pink Lady') – higher tolerance for warm weather than other apple trees (plant more than one apple cultivar for cross-pollination of the flowers)
• Dwarf Gala Apple (Malus domestica 'Gala') – shorter trees grow only 10 to 15 feet, which makes harvesting easier (plant another type of apple as a “pollination partner”)

Cherries

• Dwarf Bing Cherry (Prunus avium 'Bing') – a shorter cherry tree for smaller yards
• Dwarf Black Tartarian Cherry (Prunus 'Black Tartarian') – easy-to-grow fruit that's packed with healthy anti-oxidants

Peaches

• Contender Peach (Prunus persica 'Contender') – fruit is protected from late-season frosts because of flower buds that develop later than most peaches
• Redhaven Peach (Prunus persica 'Redhaven') – a sweet snacking peach that also freezes well

Berries

These brightly-colored berries are easy to grow in Zone 7:

• Pink Lemonade Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum 'Pink Lemonade') – pink berries with the same taste as conventional blueberries
• Heritage Raspberry (Rubus idaeus 'Heritage') – the naturally upright growth of these canes doesn't need staking
• Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry (Rubus 'Triple Crown') – you won't have to wear gloves to harvest these thornless berries