City guide · Zone 7b
What to plant in New York City
A full-sun bed in New York: Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger', Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln', Bearded iris, New England aster 'Purple Dome', Evergreen candytuft 'Purity'. Zone 7b, last frost around Apr 10.
Humid summers and cold snaps; city heat keeps it warmer than the suburbs. Raised beds and containers dry out fast.
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.
New York City at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 7b (ZIP 10001)
- Typical last spring frost
- Apr 10
- Typical first fall frost
- Nov 5
- Spring planting window
- mid-April to mid-May
- Fall planting window
- late September to late October
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 47 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Summers are warm and humid but rarely extreme, so most plants rated for your zone also cope with your summers. Our lists for New York use the rules for the Northeast.
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 New York
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage
Dasiphora fruticosa 'Goldfinger'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Sep
Can't find it? Use Shrub rose 'Knock Out' or Birchleaf spirea 'Tor'.
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jul–Sep
Can't find it? Use Pink muhly grass or Northern sea oats.
Bearded iris
× 7
Iris germanica
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun
Can't find it? Use Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' or Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Sep–Oct
Can't find it? Use Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' or Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'.
Iberis sempervirens 'Purity'
Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.5–1 ft tall · Apr–May
Can't find it? Use Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood' or Creeping phlox.
Kinds
5
Plants
24
Coverage
88%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 88% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A part-shade bed in New York
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic
Taxus × media 'Densiformis'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Gardenia 'Frostproof' or Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'.
Holly fern
× 3
Cyrtomium falcatum
Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant
Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.
Can't find it? Use Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' or Autumn fern.
Astilbe × arendsii 'Fanal'
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Jul
Can't find it? Use Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Bleeding heart.
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 Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Bleeding heart.
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
21
Coverage
83%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 83% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A shady bed in New York
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic
Taxus × media 'Densiformis'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata' or Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'.
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 Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'.
Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun
Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Hosta 'Sum and Substance'.
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 Mondo grass.
Kinds
5
Plants
25
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 7
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 7
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 7
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 7
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 7
- Cottage garden plants for a sunny bed in zone 7
Questions and answers
- What hardiness zone is New York City in?
- Central New York (ZIP 10001) is in zone 7b on the 2023 USDA map: the coldest night of an average winter falls between 5°F and 10°F. Suburbs can be half a zone colder.
- When is the last frost in New York?
- Typically around Apr 10 in spring and Nov 5 in fall. These are typical dates; any one year can be two weeks earlier or later.
- When should I plant shrubs and perennials in New York?
- In spring, mid-April to mid-May; in fall, late September to late 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 New York?
- Our full-sun bed list for New York uses 24 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