Don’t lose hope if you live in a colder climate and want to start a garden. Despite the low temperatures, there are plenty of plant options available. By taking into account the sunny spots and moderate zones in your garden’s specific climate, you can discover a wide range of beautiful and appropriate plants. In case you encounter any issues, please respond with the error message: Unable to process the request due to encountered difficulties.
Here’s our pick of the best perennial AND annual plants for your Zone 3 garden.
Best Perennial Plants for Growing in Zone 3
1. Bee Balm
Favorites of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, this vibrant plant produces colorful spiky clusters of several tubular flowers rising high above mid-green oval leaves.
- When To Plant: In spring or fall
- Mature Size: 2-4 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Flowering: Lilac, deep-purple, red, white, or pink blooms from early summer-early fall
- Light Requirements: Full to partial sun
2. Asiatic Lilies
This show-stopping lily variety features bowl-shaped or trumpet-shaped flowers in various colors! Blooms grow from straight dark-green stems with multiple skinny strap-like leaves.
- When To Plant: In early fall, (a few weeks before frost)
- Mature Size: 2-3 feet tall, 0.9 feet wide
- Flowering: Pastel and saturated orange, yellow, red, white and bicolors from early-midsummer
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
3. Iris
Short-lived but stunning, irises feature elegant upright and hanging petal formations in various colors and patterns. The light-green stems may be solid or hollow with erect blade-like leaves.
- When To Plant: September-November
- Mature Size: 1-4 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide
- Flowering: Purple, blue, black, red, orange, yellow, white (and bicolors) between May-July
- Light Requirements: Full sun
4. Peonies
Pretty peonies send out large fluffy heads of single and double flowers in rich and soft pastel shades.
The blooms sit atop deeply lobed dark-green leaves with a slightly glossy texture. Plant them in organic, well-draining soil for best results!
- When To Plant: Fall or spring
- Mature Size: 3 feet tall and wide
- Flowering: Red, rose pink, yellow, white, and orange blooms from late spring-early summer
- Light Requirements: Full sun
5. Delphiniums
Delphiniums, or larkspurs, boast tall, slender flower spikes in saturated shades that stand out beautifully against their dark-green stalks and maple-like leaves.
Provide a support stake/cage if planting in a windy spot.
- When To Plant: Spring or early summer
- Mature Size: 5-6 feet tall, 2 feet wide
- Flowering: Violet, blue, lavender, pink, coral, and white blooms from June-July (and again in August-September with proper pruning)
- Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
6. Foxglove
This stunning plant produces slender stalks adorned with pendulous bell-shaped flowers. At the base are large, downy leaves with a broad spear shape and puckered surface.
- When To Plant: Spring or early fall
- Mature Size: 2-5 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide
- Flowering: Purple, yellow, pink, red, and white blooms the following summer
- Light Requirements: Full to partial sun
7. Goldenrod
A subtle but sweet pollinator favorite, goldenrod plants bear pretty sprays of golden-yellow flower spikes on slim mid-green stalks bearing downy and toothed lance-shaped leaves.
- When To Plant: Spring or fall
- Mature Size: 2-5 feet tall, 1-3 feet wide
- Flowering: Golden yellow florets bloom from late summer-fall
- Light Requirements: Full to partial sun
8. Ostrich Fern
This unusual but attractive filler plant sends out lush feathery fronds that grow close together in vase-shaped clusters. The tips of each new fern frond remain tightly curled, resembling baby seahorses!
- When To Plant: Fall
- Mature Size: 3-6 feet tall, 5-8 feet wide
- Flowering: None
- Light Requirements: Part shade or dappled sunlight
9. Hostas
These gorgeous, bushy plants come in thousands of varieties of large heart-shaped leaves of light-dark green, yellow, or cream with beautiful detail on their veins and margins.
Plant hostas in sandy soil to get the best out of them.
- When To Plant: Anytime besides midsummer (due to dry soil)
- Mature Size: 0.5-3 feet tall, 0.5-5 feet wide
- Flowering: Tiny pink/purple lily-like blossoms between May-September
- Light Requirements: Part shade (or full sun for some varieties)
10. Bleeding Hearts
This eye-catching plant produces a line of drooping heart-shaped flowers hanging from slender arched stems above lacy bright-green foliage. Opt for rich, moist soil for fuller results!
- When To Plant: Fall or late spring
- Mature Size: 0.5-3 feet tall, 1-3 feet wide
- Flowering: Deep-pink, red, and white blooms between April-May
- Light Requirements: Part to full shade
11. Snowdrop Anemone
A low-maintenance, shade-loving beauty, snowdrop anemones produce pristine cup-shaped flowers with yellow centers.
Blooms rise tall on long maroon stems from a mound of lacy, feathery mid-green leaves.
- When To Plant: Early to mid spring
- Mature Size: 1 foot tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Flowering: Pristine-white and sunny yellow blooms from late spring
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
12. Creeping Phlox
This beautiful groundcover plant produces a mat of bright candy-colored flowers in tight clumps among mid-green needle-like foliage.
Control weed growth before the phlox fully blooms to prevent nutrient competition.
- When To Plant: Mid spring
- Mature Size: 0.5-1 foot tall, 1-1.5 feet wide
- Flowering: Bright pink, purple, and white blooms from spring-early summer
- Light Requirements: Full to partial sun
Best Annual Plants for Growing in Zone 3
13. Forget-Me-Nots
The neat and teensy pale-blue flowers of this classic wildflower grow on central dark-green stems surrounded by branched stems of other blooms, creating a stunning display of mini bouquets.
- When To Plant: Between late spring and late summer
- Mature Size: 1 foot tall and wide
- Flowering: Blue or pink with white/yellow centers blooming between May-October
- Light Requirements: Full or partial sun
14. Sweet William
Sweet Williams adds texture and life to shady areas with their ruffled, frilly-edged petals and bright color combos. The evenly-spaced blooms sit among a dense bush of strappy dark-green leaves.
- When To Plant: Direct sow between May-August
- Mature Size: 1-2 feet tall, 0.5-1 foot wide
- Flowering: Red, pink, purple, lilac, white and bicolor blooms from May-October
- Light Requirements: Full sun or partial shade
15. Pansies
Flowers with a “face,” colorful pansies have eye-catching overlapping petals with distinct center markings that seem to follow you around the garden!
They also have broad dark-green leaves with softly serrated edges.
- When To Plant: Late summer to mid fall
- Mature Size: 5-8 inches tall, 4-6 inches wide
- Flowering: White, yellow, blue, purple, violet, red, orange, and bicolor blooms from spring-summer
- Light Requirements: Full or partial sun
16. Sweet Alyssum
This dainty and fast-growing groundcover plant produces a colorful carpet of tiny four-petal flowers branching off from narrow, hairy stems and leaves of grayish green.
- When To Plant: Direct sow early spring-early summer
- Mature Size: 3-10 inches tall, 2-4 inches wide
- Flowering: White, dark purple, pale pink, and peach blooms from June-September
- Light Requirements: Full or partial sun
17. Petunia
Pretty petunias offer great variety with their trumpet-shaped blooms that can feature patterns or solid colors, smooth or ruffled petals, and compact or trailing forms.
They’ll perform best in rich, slightly acidic soil.
- When To Plant: Late spring or early summer
- Mature Size: 0.5-2 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Flowering: Saturated blue, red, orange, purple, pink, and variegated blooms from summer-early fall
- Light Requirements: Full sun
18. Coleus
Dubbed “painted nettles,” this plant has stunning variegation in its broad heart and spade-shaped foliage, from smooth or quilted texture leaves to pink, maroon, and lime green markings!
- When To Plant: In May (or after last frost)
- Mature Size: 1-3 feet tall and wide
- Flowering: Nonshowy blue or white flower spikes appear late summer-early fall
- Light Requirements: Part to full shade
19. Snapdragon
Profusely blooming snapdragons send out multiple brightly colored flower heads in the shape of a dragon’s snout that begin blooming from the base of their tall bright-green stalks of spiraling leaves.
- When To Plant: Direct sow February-April or September-October
- Mature Size: 1-4 feet tall, 1 feet wide
- Flowering: Various color blooms appear from spring-fall
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
20. Nemesia
Delicate nemesia flowers resemble mini orchids with their upright and lower petal structures.
The small blooms grow among a bushy mass of small spear-shaped dark-green leaves with toothed edges.
- When To Plant: Early spring to summer
- Mature Size: 0.8-1 foot tall, 1 foot wide
- Flowering: Pink, purple, blue, orange, red, white, and bicolor blooms from late spring-early fall
- Light Requirements: Full sun (with afternoon shade)
21. Cornflower
This vibrant super-saturated flowering plant features long frilly-edged petals and dark, contrasting centers. Blooms grow fairly tall on long branching stems with spindly gray-green leaves.
- When To Plant: Direct sow early-mid spring
- Mature Size: 2-4 feet tall, 1 foot wide
- Flowering: Blue, white, pink, and purple blooms from spring-early fall
- Light Requirements: Full to partial sun
22. Busy Lizzies
These romantic shade-happy plants come in all the colors of the rainbow and feature rounded or irregular-shaped five-petaled flowers growing in contrast to their dark-green, slightly glossy foliage.
- When To Plant: May to June
- Mature Size: 1-3 feet tall and wide
- Flowering: Purple, pink, orange, red, white and bicolor blooms from June-September
- Light Requirements: Full sun or partial shade
23. Sapphire Flowers
This pretty flowering plant features dazzling blue star-shaped blooms with dark inner ridges on the petals, creating a jeweled look.
They grow on a mound of bright-green narrow leaves and come in compact or trailing varieties.
- When To Plant: Direct sown after last spring frost
- Mature Size: 1.5-2 feet tall, 0.8 feet wide
- Flowering: Mostly blue or yellow, green, and purple blooms from mid April through May
- Light Requirements: Part to full shade
24. Wishbone Flower
These distinctive trumpet-shaped flowers resemble a cross between pansies and snapdragons with striking dual-tone colors and inner petal markings.
Flowers are borne on bright-green stems and oval leaves with finely toothed edges.
- When To Plant: In spring after last frost
- Mature Size: 6-12 inches tall and wide
- Flowering: Violet, deep blue, pink, yellow, white, and bicolor blooms from late spring-early fall
- Light Requirements: Partial shade
Wrapping It Up
As you can see, Zone 3 gardens can foster some incredibly varied plants from multicolored leaves to flamboyant flowers in all sizes, shapes, and color palettes!
Just be sure to have some frost-protection measures in place as the fall chill approaches, or consider overwintering your favorite flowering plants in containers indoors.