Staff Answer
May 06, 2021 - 07:49 AM
Click here for all our succulents that can thrive in Zone 6
I grow succulents at zone 7 so I know that these more mild zones can be challenging to find plants for. Here are some recommendations I've given in the past:
1. Anything Sempervivum. Most Sempervivum are zone 5 and the ones that aren't zone 5 are zone 4! I especially like Sempervivum 'Gold Nugget'. It's a Chick Charms® plant that gets very yellow and golden at certain months of the year.
2. Hardy Sedum. These can be quite aggressive in the garden so be ready to manage them. I've enjoyed Sedum 'Mongolian Stardust' recently. It's leaves have interesting serration and it's a cool blue-green color.
3. Opuntia. These cacti produce beautiful flowers that can vary in hardiness but some are even down to zone 5. Also, they produce edible fruit (that some people think is delicious, I remain unconvinced) and, in a survival situation, their sap can be used to quench your thirst!
4. Agave. Only some Agave are hardy to lower zones. One of those is Agave havardiana, which is hardy to zone 5. This one was used by ancient people groups in what's now Texas, Arizona and New Mexico for all kinds of things like fiber, food and drink. I didn't link this one because, sadly, we don't sell it but we do sell other Agave.
5. Orostachys. These are also hardy to zone 5 and look very similar to Sempervivum. However, they're softer and produce longer branches with "chicks" on the ends of them. They're pretty cool but they also die back at the beginning of the winter and regrow themselves in the spring. So even though they'll survive low temperatures, they look dead while doing it. One of our more popular ones is Orostachys malacophylla var. iwarenge or chinese dunce cap. However, we sell a few more types.
6. Delosperma. These are quite aggressive as well. They grow low and make a carpet of really thick, angular leaves and bright flowers. They're hardy to zone 6 and they look like this, but we do sell many more types.
An advantage of living in zone 6 is that it usually doesn't get too hot for plants that are rated to a lower zone. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I hope it helps anyway!
I grow succulents at zone 7 so I know that these more mild zones can be challenging to find plants for. Here are some recommendations I've given in the past:
1. Anything Sempervivum. Most Sempervivum are zone 5 and the ones that aren't zone 5 are zone 4! I especially like Sempervivum 'Gold Nugget'. It's a Chick Charms® plant that gets very yellow and golden at certain months of the year.
2. Hardy Sedum. These can be quite aggressive in the garden so be ready to manage them. I've enjoyed Sedum 'Mongolian Stardust' recently. It's leaves have interesting serration and it's a cool blue-green color.
3. Opuntia. These cacti produce beautiful flowers that can vary in hardiness but some are even down to zone 5. Also, they produce edible fruit (that some people think is delicious, I remain unconvinced) and, in a survival situation, their sap can be used to quench your thirst!
4. Agave. Only some Agave are hardy to lower zones. One of those is Agave havardiana, which is hardy to zone 5. This one was used by ancient people groups in what's now Texas, Arizona and New Mexico for all kinds of things like fiber, food and drink. I didn't link this one because, sadly, we don't sell it but we do sell other Agave.
5. Orostachys. These are also hardy to zone 5 and look very similar to Sempervivum. However, they're softer and produce longer branches with "chicks" on the ends of them. They're pretty cool but they also die back at the beginning of the winter and regrow themselves in the spring. So even though they'll survive low temperatures, they look dead while doing it. One of our more popular ones is Orostachys malacophylla var. iwarenge or chinese dunce cap. However, we sell a few more types.
6. Delosperma. These are quite aggressive as well. They grow low and make a carpet of really thick, angular leaves and bright flowers. They're hardy to zone 6 and they look like this, but we do sell many more types.
An advantage of living in zone 6 is that it usually doesn't get too hot for plants that are rated to a lower zone. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I hope it helps anyway!
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