Gardening in Minnesota is a rewarding challenge. We may have long winters, but our fertile soil and long summer days make for some of the most vibrant gardens in the country. Whether you’re in the rocky woods of Duluth, the flat prairies of Worthington, or the lush urban and suburban lands surrounding the Twin Cities, this guide will help you navigate USDA Zones 3, 4, and even the newly added Zone 5A.
What are these Zones we’re talking about?
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones are the standard used by gardeners and growers to determine which plants are most likely to thrive in a specific location. Essentially, they tell you how cold your winters get so you don't buy a plant that will freeze to death.
The system is based on the Average Annual Extreme Minimum Temperature, in other words the typical temperature on the absolute coldest night of the year.
Know Your Zone: The "Can It Survive?" Test
Minnesota is primarily split into USDA Hardiness Zones 3, 4, and 5. This number is determined by the coldest temperature a perennial can survive during the winter.
- Zone 3 (Northern MN): Extremely cold-hardy plants only.
- Zone 4 (Central/Twin Cities): Most standard perennials thrive here.
- Zone 5 (Southern MN): Allows for a slightly wider variety of plants.
The Rule: When looking at a plant at a garden center, always check the tag! If you live in Minneapolis (Zone 4b) and buy anything labeled "Zone 6," it will likely die over the winter.
The Big Debate: Annuals vs. Perennials
In Minnesota, your plant’s lifespan is largely dictated by our harsh winters.
Annuals are the "one-hit wonders." They sprout, bloom their hearts out all summer, and die with the first hard frost.
- Why plant them? They provide instant gratification and constant color from May to October.
- Minnesota-friendly examples include petunias, marigolds, zinnias, and impatiens.
Perennials are the "long-term residents." They die back to the ground in winter, but their roots stay alive to regrow the following spring.
- Why plant them? They are an investment that pays off year after year. They usually have a shorter bloom window of 2–4 weeks, but they get bigger and better every growing season.
- Minnesota-friendly examples include hostas, peonies, coneflowers, and daylilies.
Pro-Tip: A great garden uses a mix of both. Use perennials for your "backbone" structure and annuals to fill in the gaps with bright, season-long color.
Light Requirements: Decoding the Tags
The most common mistake made by beginners is putting a sun-loving plant in the dark, or vice versa. In Minnesota, the intensity of the sun matters just as much as the hours.
Garden centers typically label plants with a sunlight guideline. For Minnesota gardens, here's what those guidelines really mean:
- Full Sun: will tolerate 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. Zinnias, coneflowers, tomatoes, and marigolds are plants that enjoy this much sun.
- Part Sun: will tolerate 4-6 hours of direct sun, including afternoon heat. Daylilies, bee balm, and hydrangeas fall into this category.
- Part Shade: will tolerate 4-6 hours of direct sun, but mostly in the morning. Bleeding hearts and astilbe are great examples of Part Shade plants.
- Full Shade: will not tolerate more than 4 hours of direct sun. Plants such as hostas, ferns, impatiens, and coral bells need to avoid sunny areas of your garden.
Our Sunlight Guidelines article sheds some additional light that will help you find plants that will thrive in your space.
The "Before You Buy" Checklist
It is easy to get "nursery fever" when you see rows of blooming flowers. Before you load up your cart, watch your yard for a full day. Where does the sun hit at 10:00 AM? What about 4:00 PM? Knowing these things will help you choose the best plants for a specific area.
Know before you go, and ask yourself these questions:
- What is my Hardiness Zone? Most of the Twin Cities is Zone 4b or 5a, while Northern Minnesota can be Zone 3. Always check the tag for the Zone to ensure a perennial can survive a Minnesota winter.
- Does the spot where my plant will go have a hose nearby? New plants, especially annuals in pots, need a lot of water. If you have to haul a heavy watering can 50 yards, you might regret that purchase by July.
- What is my soil like? Is it heavy clay that holds water like a bathtub, or sandy soil that dries out in minutes? You may need to add compost to help your plants breathe. Check out our Guide to Minnesota Soil for more details about prepping the ground you want to plant in.
- When was our last frost? In Minnesota, the "safe" date to plant tender annuals is usually after Mother’s Day. Even then, keep an eye on the forecast!
- How much work do I actually want to do? If you hate dead-heading (snapping off old blooms), look for "self-cleaning" varieties like begonias or certain types of petunias.
- How big will this get? That cute little 4-inch perennial might grow into a 4-foot wide bush in three years. Plan to give it the space it will need!
- Is it deer or bunny resistant? If you live near a park or wooded area, the local wildlife might see your new hostas as an expensive salad bar. Have a plan for protecting them, or resign yourself to keeping them off the menu.
3 Pro Tips for Selecting Bedding Plants
When picking out your "babies" at the garden center:
- Look for "bushy," not "tall." A leggy, tall plant is often stressed. Short and compact is better.
- Check the roots. If you can, gently lift the plant out of its container. If the roots are circling the pot tightly (we call this "root-bound"), it might struggle to establish itself in a garden setting.
- Buds > blooms. It’s tempting to buy the plant with the most open flowers, but the plant with lots of closed buds will actually give you a longer show once you get it home!
Ready to start digging?
If you have a specific spot in your yard you're looking to fill, we can help you pick out a few specific plants that thrive in Minnesota soil!
The "Full Sun" Starter Pack
Best for: south-facing yards, open spaces, and curbsides
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Marigold The classic garden workhorse. Famous for their sturdy, pom-pom like blooms in shades of gold, orange, and yellow. Marigolds are remarkably drought-tolerant and have a scent that naturally deters many common garden pests. |
Zinnia The ultimate “bang for your buck” flower. They grow incredibly fast and come in almost every color except blue. Zinnias are heat-tolerant and actually grow bushier the more you cut the flowers for bouquets. |
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Geranium Loved for their thick, scalloped leaves and clusters of vibrant blooms that continue all summer long. Geraniums prefer their soil to dry out between watering, so they are very forgiving for individuals with busy schedules. |
Moss Rose Have a spot that is baked by the sun or where your soil is sandy and poor? Moss Roses will be your best friend. With looks like a succulent, you can’t go wrong with this drought-tolerant annual. They are especially beautiful when trailing or spilling over the edges of containers or a rock wall. |
The "Shade & Part Shade" Starter Pack
Best for: under big maple trees, the north side of your house, or wooded lots
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Impatiens The gold standard for shade color, impatiens will give you a mounding cart of flowers that bloom continuously from spring until the first frost. Because impatiens are self-cleaning, they don’t require deadheading, making them a go-to for any gardener looking for easy shade plants with a pop of color. |
Wax Begonias With succulent-like leaves, Wax Begonias have small, clustered flowers that come in red, pink, or white and you can choose between the green-leafed variety or the bronze-leafed type. Wax Begonias are remarkably pest-resistant and can handle a wide range of moisture levels, making them extra forgiving. |
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Coleus Known for its spectacular foliage instead of its flowers, you’ll find coleus in neon greens, deep burgundies, hot pinks, and even some bronze colors. Coleus brings instant color to a dark corner without needing to wait for blooms. |
Lobelia
Famous for creating an “electric” carpet of color, it produces hundreds of tiny, delicate flowers that come in a stunning cobalt blue, crisp white, or soft lilac. Trailing and upright varieties are available and work well in part sun conditions when they can avoid the hot afternoon sun. |
3 Expert Tips for Your First Week
While easy to plant it and forget it, it’s best to spend a bit of time during your first week with plants to ensure you set them up for a successful growing season.
Mulch is your best friend. Add 2 or 3 inches of wood mulch around your new plants. It keeps the moisture in during those 90°F July days and prevents weeds from taking over.
Use the "finger test." Before watering, stick your finger an inch into the soil. If it feels damp, wait. If it's bone dry, give it a soak. Overwatering kills just as many plants as underwatering!
Label your perennials. Use a small stake or a little rock. It’s easy to forget where you planted something when it disappears underground for 5 months of winter!
Summertime Maintenance for your Minnesota Garden
The key to "Minnesota-sized" blooms is consistent care during the heat of July and August. Remember these three words to keep your garden tin tip-top shape:
- Watering. Containers and hanging baskets may need water every day, and sometimes twice a day during a heatwave. In-ground annuals usually need about 1 inch of water per week.
- Fertilizing. Because annuals bloom constantly, they exhaust soil nutrients quickly. Use a water-soluble "Bloom Booster" fertilizer every 7-10 days. We recommend Jack’s Fertilizer, which is available at every Untiedt's Garden Center.
- Deadheading. This is the most often overlooked task. Remove faded flowers by pinching the stem back to the first set of leaves. This stops the plant from producing seeds and forces it to create more flowers.
Wrapping Up at the End of the Season
When the first hard frost is predicted, it’s time to say goodbye to your garden for the season. In the Twin Cities, this usually occurs in early to mid-October. Your to-do list is short, but critical to ensure a successful reboot next spring.
- Save Your Containers. You don't need to throw away all your potting soil. You can reuse it next year if you mix in some fresh compost, but avoid reusing it if your plants had diseases like powdery mildew.
- Keep Up Some Winter Interest. Once you pull your annuals, replace them with "Winter Containers" using evergreen boughs, dogwood sticks, and birch logs - a Minnesota classic!
