Flowering shrubs for zone 3

4 of the 14 flowering shrubs in our guide survive a zone 3 winter.

All plants Perennials Annual flowers Herbs BulbsFlowering shrubsVegetables

Zone 3Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9 Zone 10

Full sun: hardy in zone 3

Common lilacZones 3 to 7 · Mid spring

Sun or part shade: hardy in zone 3

Panicle hydrangeaZones 3 to 8 · Mid to late summer NinebarkZones 3 to 7 · Late spring

Shade: hardy in zone 3

Smooth hydrangeaZones 3 to 9 · Early to late summer

Not reliably hardy in zone 3

These need a milder winter. Some can be grown in pots and moved inside.

Bigleaf hydrangeaZones 5 to 9 Shrub roseZones 5 to 10 Butterfly bushZones 5 to 9 ForsythiaZones 5 to 8 AzaleaZones 5 to 9 RhododendronZones 4 to 8 SpireaZones 4 to 8 WeigelaZones 4 to 8 CamelliaZones 7 to 9 GardeniaZones 8 to 11

When to plant in zone 3

In zone 3b, plant in spring from about May 2 to Jun 27, or in early fall from about Jul 17 to Aug 14.

Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so your own frost dates can be a week or two off the zone median. Look up your frost dates by ZIP code, or read all about zone 3b.

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.