City guide · Zone 7b
What to plant in Salt Lake City, Utah
A full-sun bed in Salt Lake City: Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln', English lavender 'Hidcote', Bearded iris, Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'. Zone 7b, last frost around Apr 20.
Semi-arid with alkaline soil. A water-wise palette is recommended.
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.
Salt Lake City, Utah at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 7b (ZIP 84101)
- Typical last spring frost
- Apr 20
- Typical first fall frost
- Oct 15
- Spring planting window
- After your last frost, until mid-May
- Fall planting window
- late September to late October
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 16 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Dry air, intense sun at altitude and sudden temperature swings matter more than the zone number alone suggests. Our lists for Salt Lake City use the rules for the Mountain West.
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 Salt Lake City
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage
Abelia × grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Sep
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.
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–2 ft tall · Jun–Jul
Can't find it? Use Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' or Catmint 'Walker's Low'.
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 Bee balm or Blue false indigo.
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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' or Creeping thyme.
Kinds
5
Plants
29
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 Salt Lake City
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic
Buxus sinica var. insularis 'Wintergreen'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope' or Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem'.
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'.
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Aug
Can't find it? Use Bleeding heart or Hosta 'Patriot'.
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 Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Chinese astilbe 'Visions'.
Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Apr–May
Can't find it? Use Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there) or Cranesbill 'Biokovo'.
Kinds
5
Plants
14
Coverage
95%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 95% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A shady bed in Salt Lake City
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 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'.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–Jun
Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
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 Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.
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 Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.
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.
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 Salt Lake City, Utah in?
- Central Salt Lake City (ZIP 84101) 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 Salt Lake City?
- Typically around Apr 20 in spring and Oct 15 in fall. These are typical dates; any one year can be two weeks earlier or later.
- When should I plant shrubs and perennials in Salt Lake City?
- In spring, after your last frost, until 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 Salt Lake City?
- Our full-sun bed list for Salt Lake City uses 29 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