Hardiness zone guide
Plants for Zone 6
Winter lows of -10°F to 0°F set the rules here — the sweet spot — nearly everything hardy grows here. Every plant below is proven hardy in Zone 6 and ranked by how many Sow gardeners actually grow it.
Most-saved Zone 6 plants
#1 most savedCheyenne Spirit Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
#2 most savedButterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
#3 most savedPink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
May Night Sage
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'
Purple Coneflower Rainbow
Echinacea purpurea 'Rainbow'
Incrediball Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball'
Butterfly Kisses Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Butterfly Kisses'
Hello Yellow Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow'
Old Farmyard Hollyhock
Alcea rosea 'Old Farmyard'
Butterfly Weed Gay Butterflies Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies'
Butterfly Garden Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Deluxe Butterfly Garden'
American Gold Rush Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'American Gold Rush'
Gay Butterflies Mix Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies Mix'
Pugster Amethyst Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii 'Pugster Amethyst'
Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Mix'
Walker's Low Catmint
Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low'
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias x hybrida
Zinnia Raggedy Ann
Zinnia elegans 'Raggedy Ann'
Mixed Border Blanket Flower
Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Mixed Border'
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Autumn Colors Mix Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors Mix'
Cinderella Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'
New England Aster Harringtons Pink
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Harringtons Pink'
Goldsturm Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'
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Zone 6 questions
What does USDA Zone 6 mean?
Zone 6 averages winter minimums of -10°F to 0°F. A plant rated for Zone 6 survives those lows in the ground — the sweet spot — nearly everything hardy grows here.
When is the last frost in Zone 6?
Typically around late April, with first fall frost near mid-October. Local microclimates shift this by a week or two — Sow tracks your actual forecast and warns you before frost nights.
How many plants grow in Zone 6?
9,489 plants in the Sow catalog are hardy in Zone 6, from groundcovers to shade trees. The picks above are ranked by real gardeners, not editorial guesswork.
Keep exploring
Garden smarter in Zone 6
Sow knows your zone, tracks your real weather, and tells you what to plant, prune, and protect — week by week.