Landscaping Ideas for Zone 7

Bigleaf Maple Shade Tree

• The U.S. National Arboretum uses bigleaf maple trees as an example of plants hardy in Zone 7. Bigleaf maples make great shade trees during hot summers in the home landscape because of their large leaves and heights of up to 100 feet. During the winter, however, the trees lose their leaves and do not block much light from a home. Their showy leaf color transition during fall adds a lot of color to a yard. The USDA Forest Service also explains that people can make syrup from bigleaf maples.

Kurume Azalea Border

• Azaleas make popular landscape plants across much of the country, and kurume azaleas grow well in USDA Hardiness Zone 7. According to North Carolina State University, kurume azaleas stay green year-round and flower in midspring. Kurume azalea flowers come in a variety of colors, including white, red, violet and pink. This plant is a 2-foot to 6-foot-tall shrub, so landscapers can use it to make a garden border that adds some privacy and color to the area. Since this variety reaches a shorter height than many azalea types, short kurume azalea plants also work as pathway borders that do not obstruct views too much.

Yarrow Accents

• The National Gardening Association suggests yarrow, also called milfoil, as a landscape plant for Zone 7. Yarrow makes a low-maintenance landscape plant because it survives droughts and a variety of soils. According to Texas A&M University, yarrow reaches heights of 1 feet to 3 feet. It has attractive yellow or white flowers and makes a good short landscape border or an accent to rock gardens. Since the plant spreads easily, gardeners often choose to plant yarrow over large areas. However, it can stay in smaller clumps for small color accents in rock gardens.