City guide · Zone 7b
What to plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A full-sun bed in Philadelphia: Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond', Northern sea oats, Butterfly weed, Garden peony 'Sarah Bernhardt', Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'. Zone 7b, last frost around Apr 10.
Humid summers and moderate winters allow a wide palette. Clay and compacted urban soil are common.
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.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 7b (ZIP 19103)
- Typical last spring frost
- Apr 10
- Typical first fall frost
- Nov 1
- Spring planting window
- mid-April to mid-May
- Fall planting window
- late September to late October
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 44 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Hot, humid summers are the real test here: some northern favourites rated for your zone sulk or rot by August. Our lists for Philadelphia use the rules for the Mid-Atlantic.
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 Philadelphia
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage
Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 4–5 ft tall · Mar–Apr
Can't find it? Use Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope' or Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'.
Chasmanthium latifolium
Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Jul–Sep
Can't find it? Use Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln' or Pink muhly grass.
Asclepias tuberosa
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2.5 ft tall · Jun–Aug
Can't find it? Use Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam' or Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'.
Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt'
Filler · Middle of bed · 2-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 2.5–3 ft tall · May–Jun
Can't find it? Use Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam' or Garden phlox 'David'.
Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'
Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 1 ft apart · grows 3–6 in tall · Jul–Aug
Can't find it? Use Creeping thyme or Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'.
Kinds
5
Plants
23
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.
A part-shade bed in Philadelphia
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 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'.
Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there) 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 Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun
Can't find it? Use Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'
Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Blue star creeper.
Kinds
5
Plants
46
Coverage
86%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A shady bed in Philadelphia
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic
Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata' or Spreading yew 'Densiformis'.
Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.
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 Lenten rose or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun
Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'
Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant
Kinds
5
Plants
46
Coverage
86%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% 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 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in?
- Central Philadelphia (ZIP 19103) 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 Philadelphia?
- Typically around Apr 10 in spring and Nov 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 Philadelphia?
- 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 Philadelphia?
- Our full-sun bed list for Philadelphia uses 23 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