Cold and Hardy Flowering Plants

Columbine is remarkably cold-hardy.garden aquilegia (columbine) over white background image by Tamara Kulikova from Fotolia.com

Severe nighttime temperatures and cold winters are often a death sentence for flowers, as many species are highly cold-sensitive. Gardeners living in a cool climate don't have to settle for stoic evergreen shrubs, however; there are a number of lush flowering plants that will produce their best blooms in chilly weather.

Rose Campion

A member of the pink family, rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) is a flowering biennial that is notable for its velvety gray foliage and silky flowers. Though the plant typically boasts flowers in a range of pink shades, cultivars such as 'Alba' offer white flowers. A native of northern Africa and southern Europe, rose campion is quite cold-hardy and will survive in USDA zones 3 to 8. The plant, which grows to be about 2 feet tall, is suitable as a border or bedding plant. Cultivate rose campion in well-drained rocky or sandy soil in full or partial sun.

New England aster (Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome') is a clumping perennial that is frost-tolerant enough to handle the winters of the eastern United States. The plant barely grows to be 2 feet tall, producing daisy-like flower heads. Cultivars such as 'Purple Dome' produce bright purple blooms in the summer and early fall. Plant New England aster in a full-sun or partial-shade location in USDA zones 4 to 8, taking care to use soil that is fertile and rich. The plant is adaptable to watering conditions, and is largely resistant to mildew and other problems. The flowers are highly attractive to butterflies.

Ideal for a rock garden, Canadian columbine is a flowering perennial that hails from North America. The spring- and summer-blooming plant is on the small side, growing to be 1 to 3 feet tall with a spread of 1 foot or less. The plant is notable for its distinct, box-shaped flowers and dark green foliage. Canadian columbine has a wide range, and will grow in USDA zones 3 to 8. Plant the flower in well-drained soil in full or partial sun, and check occasionally for pests such as caterpillars, aphids and leaf miners.