In winter, the temperature can be as low as -10°F (-23°C) and in summer, it will be warm but not extreme heat. This climate makes Zone 6 a perfect growing zone for a huge variety of perennial plants. No matter if you are looking for perennial flowering plants or just ornamental plants, I have brought a handpicked list of perennial plants.
I am not going to include images as this list is intended to help people finding the best perennials to grow in Zone 6 and this is going to be a comprehensive list separated by few major categories.
I will start with these two major categories:
- Sun loving perennials
- Shade loving perennials
Besides each plant, I will mention if you can grow them indoors or not.
Then I will cover the lists:
- Native Perennials for Zone 6
- Ornamental perennials
- Perennial herbs
I know there will be plants that might come under multiple categories, but looking at the ease of readability for my readers, I plan to go with this listing method.
You will find planting season, blooming season (for flowering plants), their growing maintenance difficulty level, and other necessary information.
Scroll the tables side-wise so that you don't miss any information on the table. (For mobile devices)
If you are looking for flowering perennials, just check if the flowering column value is "yes" or "no". Yes means it is a flowering plant.
Sun Loving Perennials
| Plant Name | Planting Season | Flowering | Blooming Season | Maintenance Difficulty | Max Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coneflower (Echinacea) | Spring | Yes | Summer to Early Fall | Easy | 2–4 feet |
| Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina) | Spring | No | N/A | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) | Spring | Yes | Summer to Early Fall | Easy | 2–3 feet |
| Silver Mound Artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana) | Spring | No | N/A | Easy | 1–1.5 feet |
| Coreopsis | Spring | Yes | Late Spring to Summer | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) | Spring or Fall | No | N/A | Easy | 1 foot |
| Russian Sage (Perovskia) | Spring | Yes | Summer to Early Fall | Moderate | 3–5 feet |
| Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum) | Spring | Yes | Early Summer to Fall | Easy | 2–3 feet |
| Lavender (Lavandula) | Spring | Yes | Summer | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Sedum (Stonecrop) | Spring | No | N/A | Easy | 1–3 feet |
| Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) | Spring | Yes | Summer to Fall | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Yarrow (Achillea) | Spring | Yes | Late Spring to Summer | Easy | 2–3 feet |
| Veronica (Speedwell) | Spring | Yes | Early Summer to Late Summer | Easy | 1–3 feet |
I love blue veronica and lavender.
Shade Loving Perennials
| Plant Name | Planting Season | Flowering | Blooming Season | Maintenance Difficulty | Max Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astilbe (False Goat’s Beard) | Spring | Yes | Late Spring to Early Summer | Easy | 1–4 feet |
| Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) | Spring | Yes | Spring to Early Summer | Easy | 2–3 feet |
| Hosta (Plantain Lily) | Spring | Yes | Summer | Easy | 1–4 feet |
| Foxglove (Digitalis) | Spring | Yes | Early to Mid-Summer | Moderate | 2–5 feet |
| Toad Lily (Tricyrtis) | Spring | Yes | Late Summer to Fall | Moderate | 1–3 feet |
| Ferns (Various Species) | Spring | No | N/A | Easy | 1–3 feet |
| Heuchera (Coral Bells) | Spring | Yes | Late Spring to Summer | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum) | Spring | Yes | Spring | Easy | 1–3 feet |
| Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) | Spring | No | N/A | Moderate | 1–2 feet |
| Foamflower (Tiarella) | Spring | Yes | Spring to Early Summer | Easy | 1–2 feet |
| Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss) | Spring | Yes | Spring | Easy | 1–2 feet |
Plantain Lily, Coral Bells, False Goat’s Beard, and Ferns - These plants can also grow in partial direct sunlight but you need to keep the soil moist.
Native Perennials for Zone 6
| Plant Name | Planting Season | Flowering | Blooming Season | Max Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | Spring | Yes | Summer to Fall | 1–3 feet |
| Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) | Spring | Yes | Spring to Early Summer | 1–2 feet |
| Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) | Spring | Yes | Summer | 1–3 feet |
| Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) | Spring | Yes | Late Summer to Fall | 4–7 feet |
| Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) | Spring | Yes | Spring to Early Summer | 2–3 feet |
| Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) | Spring | Yes | Summer | 2–4 feet |
| New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | Spring | Yes | Late Summer to Fall | 3–6 feet |
| Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) | Spring | Yes | Late Summer to Fall | 2–5 feet |
| Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) | Spring | Yes | Mid-Summer to Fall | 2–4 feet |
| Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) | Spring | No | N/A | 6–12 inches |
| Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) | Spring | No | N/A | 1–1.5 feet |
I know Zone 6 is a broad region and native plants change with the region. I have considered the most common native plants. If you feel to avoid any of these feel free to do so.
Ornamental Perennials
| Plant Name | Planting Season | Max Height |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis) | Spring | 3–4 feet |
| Coral Bells (Heuchera) | Spring | 1–2 feet |
| Peony (Paeonia) | Spring | 2–4 feet |
| Ornamental Grasses (e.g., Feather Reed Grass) | Spring | 3–6 feet |
| Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) | Spring | 1–2 feet |
| Daylily (Hemerocallis) | Spring | 1–4 feet |
| Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) | Spring | 2–3 feet |
| Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) | Spring | 2–5 feet |
| Astilbe (Astilbe spp.) | Spring | 1–3 feet |
| Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum) | Spring | 1–2 feet |
These plants are considered to grow as ornamental perennials in Zone 6.
Perennial Herbs
| Herb Name | Planting Season | Max Height |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) | Spring | 1–3 feet |
| Mint (Mentha spp.) | Spring | 1–2 feet |
| Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) | Spring | 6–12 inches |
| Oregano (Origanum vulgare) | Spring | 1–2 feet |
| Sage (Salvia officinalis) | Spring | 1–3 feet |
| Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) | Spring | 12–18 inches |
| Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) | Spring | 2–3 feet |
| Lovage (Levisticum officinale) | Spring | 3–6 feet |
| Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) | Spring | 6–12 inches |
| Winter Savory (Satureja montana) | Spring | 6–18 inches |
Tip: In extreme cold and frost, protect the roots by adding a mulch layer to the soil.
Request to my readers
I have tried my best to organize everything in a single place so that you don't have to search again and again on the internet for specific plants. Subscribe to this site for free! It helps me write more for Zone 6 Gardeners.
