City guide · Zone 5a
What to plant in Minneapolis, Minnesota
A full-sun bed in Minneapolis: Ninebark 'Summer Wine', Northern sea oats, Blue false indigo, Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun', Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'. Zone 5a, last frost around May 5.
Cold continental with a short, productive season. Fully hardy plants are essential.
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Minneapolis, Minnesota at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 5a (ZIP 55401)
- Typical last spring frost
- May 5
- Typical first fall frost
- Oct 1
- Spring planting window
- mid-May to mid-June
- Fall planting window
- early September to early October
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 31 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Humid summers and wide temperature swings matter alongside winter cold; most plants hardy here also take the heat. Our lists for Minneapolis use the rules for the Midwest.
Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 (USDA Agricultural Research Service; data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University). ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.
A full-sun bed in Minneapolis
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 5a · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Seward'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 5 ft apart · grows 5–6 ft tall · Jun
Can't find it? Use Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger' or Weigela 'Wine & Roses'.
Chasmanthium latifolium
Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Jul–Sep
Can't find it? Use Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' or Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'.
Baptisia australis
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · May–Jun
Can't find it? Use Bee balm or Hardy geranium 'Rozanne'.
Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'
Filler · Front of bed · quart pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.5–1 ft tall · Jun–Oct
Can't find it? Use Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'.
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'
Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · May–Jun
Can't find it? Use Evergreen candytuft 'Purity' or Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'.
Kinds
5
Plants
15
Coverage
89%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 89% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A part-shade bed in Minneapolis
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 5a · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Jun–Aug
Can't find it? Use Bigleaf hydrangea 'Endless Summer' or Oakleaf hydrangea 'Ruby Slippers'.
Autumn fern
× 7
Dryopteris erythrosora
Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.
Geranium 'Gerwat' (Rozanne)
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Oct
Can't find it? Use Chinese astilbe 'Visions' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Apr–May
Can't find it? Use Chinese astilbe 'Visions' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Evergold' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Kinds
5
Plants
26
Coverage
91%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A shady bed in Minneapolis
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 5a · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Jun–Aug
Autumn fern
× 7
Dryopteris erythrosora
Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.
Lenten rose
× 7
Helleborus × hybridus
Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Feb–Apr
Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Apr–May
Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Kinds
5
Plants
28
Coverage
87%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 87% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
Guides for zone 5
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5
- Dog-safe plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 5
Questions and answers
- What hardiness zone is Minneapolis, Minnesota in?
- Central Minneapolis (ZIP 55401) is in zone 5a on the 2023 USDA map: the coldest night of an average winter falls between -20°F and -15°F. Suburbs can be half a zone colder.
- When is the last frost in Minneapolis?
- Typically around May 5 in spring and Oct 1 in fall. These are typical dates; any one year can be two weeks earlier or later.
- When should I plant shrubs and perennials in Minneapolis?
- In spring, mid-May to mid-June; in fall, early September to early October. Fall planting gives roots a cool, moist season to settle before summer.
- How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed in Minneapolis?
- Our full-sun bed list for Minneapolis uses 15 plants of 5 kinds, plus 9 bags of mulch.
How this page was made
This page was generated from FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules: the rules engine composed each list for the city's 2023 USDA zone, its region's summers and its state's invasive lists. The frost dates and rainfall are approximate metro values. No person or chat model chose these plants, and no named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
- ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants