Best Cold Hardy
Vaccinium angustifolium, commonly called the lowbush blueberry, is a deciduous shrub native to eastern and central North America. It spreads through underground rhizomes to form low colonies and produces small blue berries that are eaten fresh, processed commercially, and used by wildlife. The speci...
The Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu) is a cold-hardy, seedless mandarin originating in Japan, the most widely grown mandarin in Japan and prized for its easy-peeling skin and tolerance of cool climates.
Oreocereus trollii is a species of columnar cactus native to the high-altitude Andes mountains of Argentina. The plant is distinguished by its dense covering of white, woolly hairs that grow from the areoles along the ribbed stem, providing protection against intense ultraviolet radiation and freezi...
Rhododendron ‘PJM’ is a popular evergreen shrub known for its exceptionally early lavender-colored blooms. Developed in the 1940s by Edmund Mezitt, this cultivar thrives in colder climates and is frequently selected for landscapes across North America. It's particularly well-suited for gardeners see...
Buxus sinica var. insularis, commonly known as Korean boxwood, is a low-growing, broadleaf evergreen shrub belonging to the Buxaceae family. Native to the mountainous regions of Korea, this species is characterized by its small, light green leaves and dense, compact growth habit. It is particularly...
Maihueniopsis darwinii is a species of cactus native to the Patagonian regions of Argentina and Chile. The plant was named after Charles Darwin, who collected it during the Voyage of the HMS Beagle in the 1830s. It forms dense, low-growing clumps of cylindrical, spiny stems and is adapted to survive...
Gymnocalycium bruchii is a species of small, clustering cactus native to the mountainous regions of Córdoba, Argentina. It typically forms low, spherical clusters of blue-green or grayish-green stems that rarely exceed a few inches in height. The plant is distinguished by its distinctive curved spin...
The Spinystar cactus (Coryphantha vivipara) is a small, spherical succulent native to the plains and mountainous regions of central and western North America. It is notably widespread, ranging from the Canadian prairies down to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The plant is disting...
Native to the central United States, the green-flowered torch cactus is distinctive among cacti for producing small, uniquely colored yellowish-green flowers.
Pediocactus simpsonii, known as Simpson's Hedgehog Cactus, is a small, globose to spherical cactus native to the western United States. It is found across high-elevation regions from the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevada, frequently growing in sagebrush and pine communities. The species is notabl...
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum encompasses over 1900 acres of cultivated gardens, natural woodlands, and prairies, offering diverse plant collections and research opportunities near the University of Minnesota in Chaska.
Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the violet prickly pear, is a cactus species native to the Sonoran Desert region of Arizona and northwestern Mexico. The plant is characterized by its blue-green to violet-purple pads, which can develop more intense coloration under drought stress or temperatu...
The Swingle Citrumelo is a citrus hybrid produced by crossing a Duncan grapefruit with a trifoliate orange, created by USDA botanist Walter T. Swingle. It is widely utilized as a cold-hardy, disease-tolerant rootstock in commercial citrus growing, particularly in Florida. Due to its resistance to th...
Rebutia fiebrigii is a species of small, clustering cactus native to the mountainous regions of Bolivia. The plant is characterized by its spherical, deeply ribbed stems covered in fine, comb-like spines. It is particularly noted among horticulturists for its large, brightly colored orange-to-red fl...
*Escobaria missouriensis*, commonly known as the Missouri foxtail cactus, is a small, globular cactus native to the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of North America. It is recognized for its exceptional cold hardiness, allowing it to survive in climates far north of most cactus species, rang...
Pediocactus simpsonii, commonly called Simpson's hedgehog cactus or mountain ball cactus, is a small globular cactus native to elevated, dry environments in the western United States. It typically grows as a solitary or clustered stem covered by dense radial and central spines, with flowers appearin...
The Lakeland limequat is a citrus hybrid developed in Lakeland, Florida, in the early 20th century by crossing a West Indian lime with a kumquat. It produces small, elongated, yellow-green fruit with a sweet, edible rind and a tart, acidic flesh similar to a traditional lime. Like other limequats, t...
Echinocereus viridiflorus, commonly called the green-flowered hedgehog cactus, is a small cactus native to parts of the central and western United States and northern Mexico. It usually forms short, ribbed stems covered with spines and produces relatively small flowers in shades ranging from yellow-...
The trifoliate orange, scientifically classified as Poncirus trifoliata, is a deciduous, spiny shrub closely related to the genus Citrus. Native to northern China and Korea, it is distinguished as the most cold-hardy species within its botanical group, capable of surviving severe freezing temperatur...
The sunquat is a citrus hybrid resulting from a genetic cross between a lemon and a kumquat. Initially developed in Australia, the small, perennial tree produces distinctively oval, yellow fruit that closely resembles a miniature lemon. Unlike standard lemons, however, the sunquat possesses a wholly...
Known as the spinystar, Coryphantha vivipara is a cold-hardy cactus native to North America, recognized by its dense spines and bright magenta blooms.
Citrus ichangensis, a cold-hardy papeda from the Yichang region of central China, used extensively in breeding programs to introduce frost tolerance into cultivated citrus hybrids.
A sweet orange × trifoliate orange rootstock hybrid released in 1958 by the University of California, widely planted for its cold tolerance and Phytophthora resistance.
The most cold-hardy cactus in the United States, native from Massachusetts to Florida, surviving temperatures to -30°F and producing yellow flowers atop sprawling green pads.
Potentilla fruticosa is a tough, deciduous shrub with a circumboreal distribution, widely planted in cold climates for its exceptionally long summer blooming period.
A trifoliate orange hybrid selected as a cold-hardy citrus rootstock, bred for improved resistance to Phytophthora root rot and soil-borne nematode pests.
A widespread prickly pear across the western Great Plains from Canada to Mexico, tolerating extreme cold and noted for its variable flower colors ranging from yellow to magenta.
A mandarin species (Citrus reshni) used primarily as a rootstock in world citrus production, valued for its tolerance of tristeza virus, soil salinity, and a broad range of soil conditions.
Maihuenia poeppigii is a low-growing, cushion-forming cactus native to Argentina and Chile, noted for being one of the few cold-hardy, leaf-bearing cacti.
A cold-hardy nitrogen-fixing shrub native to Siberia and northern China, planted extensively as windbreak and wildlife cover on the North American Great Plains from the 1930s onward.
