Gifts for gardeners, by zone and budget

The one rule for plant gifts: give something hardy in their zone. A shrub that dies in its first winter is a sad gift. Find their zone by ZIP code with our frost date lookup, then use the zone lists below.

Under about $25

• Spring bulbs to plant before the ground freezes, in zones 3 to 8. Daffodils and alliums are skipped by deer and squirrels.
• A potted kitchen herb for the windowsill: parsley, chives or thyme. Basil sulks in winter light.
• Seed packets picked for their zone, with a note of when to sow them from our winter planting guide.
• Good gloves, plant labels or a soil thermometer, the small things that wear out or go missing.

DaffodilPlant in fall, blooms in springOrnamental onionDeer and squirrels leave it aloneChivesComes back every yearCommon thymeTough, for a sunny sill

$25 to $75

• A perennial in a gallon pot that is hardy in their zone, given in spring, or as a promise card in winter.
• Bypass hand pruners or a sturdy hori hori knife: the two tools most gardeners use every day.
• A kneeler seat for gardeners whose knees complain.
• A soil test from their state's cooperative extension office, often the most useful thing a new gardener can get.

$75 and up

• A flowering shrub hardy in their zone, such as a panicle hydrangea or lilac in cold zones, or a camellia in zones 7 to 9.
• A seed starting setup with a grow light and heat mat, so they can start the plants on our winter seed starting dates.
• A raised bed kit or a load of good compost delivered in spring.

Plant gifts by zone

For each zone, the flowering shrubs and perennials in our plant guide that survive its winter, with the ones that give the most first: scent, cut flowers and blooms that bring bees and butterflies.

Zone 3

Common lilacShrub · Mid springNinebarkShrub · Late springPanicle hydrangeaShrub · Mid to late summerSmooth hydrangeaShrub · Early to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fallCatmintPerennial · Late spring to fallPurple coneflowerPerennial · Early summer to early fallYarrowPerennial · Early summer to early fallGarden peonyPerennial · Late spring

All shrubs for zone 3 · all perennials for zone 3

Zone 4

Common lilacShrub · Mid springNinebarkShrub · Late springSpireaShrub · Late spring to summerWeigelaShrub · Late springAnise hyssopPerennial · Summer to fallGarden phloxPerennial · Mid to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fallCatmintPerennial · Late spring to fall

All shrubs for zone 4 · all perennials for zone 4

Zone 5

Butterfly bushShrub · Summer to fallCommon lilacShrub · Mid springNinebarkShrub · Late springShrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostEnglish lavenderPerennial · Early to midsummerAnise hyssopPerennial · Summer to fallGarden phloxPerennial · Mid to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fall

All shrubs for zone 5 · all perennials for zone 5

Zone 6

Butterfly bushShrub · Summer to fallCommon lilacShrub · Mid springNinebarkShrub · Late springShrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostEnglish lavenderPerennial · Early to midsummerAnise hyssopPerennial · Summer to fallGarden phloxPerennial · Mid to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fall

All shrubs for zone 6 · all perennials for zone 6

Zone 7

Butterfly bushShrub · Summer to fallCommon lilacShrub · Mid springNinebarkShrub · Late springShrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostEnglish lavenderPerennial · Early to midsummerAnise hyssopPerennial · Summer to fallGarden phloxPerennial · Mid to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fall

All shrubs for zone 7 · all perennials for zone 7

Zone 8

Butterfly bushShrub · Summer to fallShrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostSpireaShrub · Late spring to summerCamelliaShrub · Late fall to springEnglish lavenderPerennial · Early to midsummerAnise hyssopPerennial · Summer to fallGarden phloxPerennial · Mid to late summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fall

All shrubs for zone 8 · all perennials for zone 8

Zone 9

Butterfly bushShrub · Summer to fallShrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostCamelliaShrub · Late fall to springGardeniaShrub · Late spring to summerBearded irisPerennial · Late springBee balmPerennial · MidsummerBlack-eyed SusanPerennial · Midsummer to fallYarrowPerennial · Early summer to early fallBlanket flowerPerennial · Early summer to fallBlue false indigoPerennial · Late spring

All shrubs for zone 9 · all perennials for zone 9

Zone 10

Shrub roseShrub · Late spring to frostGardeniaShrub · Late spring to summerBlanket flowerPerennial · Early summer to fall

All shrubs for zone 10 · all perennials for zone 10

Giving a plant in winter

Most plants are not for sale in December, and a shrub in a pot does not want to sit in a cold car. Two ways round it: write the plant you will buy them in spring on a card, or give one that is happy in winter, such as a Lenten rose, which blooms from late winter in zones 4 to 9.

Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.