Regions / New England
New England Region - Inspiring Garden Ideas For All Gardeners
Selecting plants suited to the New England climate is a key step to success.
Various initiatives have taken place to determine how well plants would withstand the cold winter temperatures (Plant Hardiness Zones) or when plants would start suffering from the heat (Plant Heat Zones).
The New England region lies in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 7 and in AHS Heat Zones 1 through 3. Weather varies dramatically from state to state and season to season. However, generally speaking, this region enjoys 4 distinct seasons characterized by short springs, hot and humid summers, along the coasts but cool in the mountains, cool falls, and long and harsh winters with heavy snow and sometimes ice storms.
If you know your hardiness zone and heat zone, find the best plants or exciting garden ideas for your geographic area.
Abies balsamea (Hudsonia Group) 'Nana' (Balsam Fir)
Highly popular, Abies balsamea ‘Nana’ is a dwarf, aromatic, evergreen conifer of globose habit, forming a broad mound with numerous short branches, adorned with a lush foliage of dark green needles radially arranged around the stems. Slow-growing, 2-3 in. per year (5-7 cm), this Balsam Fir is a great choice for small gardens or rockeries. Perfect for adding year-round color to the garden.
Abies concolor 'Archer’s Dwarf' (White Fir)
Abies concolor 'Archer’s Dwarf' is a dwarf evergreen conifer of regular, conical habit adorned with slightly ascending branches clothed in soft, silvery-blue, slightly incurved needles. Slow-growing, 3-4 in. per year (7-10 cm), this White Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers or rockeries.
Abies concolor 'Candicans' (White Fir)
Regarded as the bluest of all conifers, Abies concolor 'Candicans' is a magnificent large evergreen conifer. Forming a dense pyramid when young, it matures to a columnar, highly symmetrical shape with handsome layered branches smothered by long, silvery-blue needles.
Abies concolor 'Compacta' (White Fir)
A deservedly popular White Fir, Abies concolor 'Compacta' is a slow-growing dwarf evergreen conifer of great beauty. It forms a dense, compact mound of irregular, spreading shape, unless it is sheared to a conical form. Its branches are beautifully clothed with long and slender, powder-blue needles
Abies concolor 'Hosta la Vista' (White Fir)
Abies concolor 'Hosta la Vista' is a dwarf evergreen conifer of globose habit, beautifully clothed with long, thick, slightly recurved, blue-green needles adorned with a glaucous, powdery coating. Slow-growing, 1-2 in. per year (2-5 cm), this small White Fir brightens up the garden and makes a lovely addition to small gardens, rockeries or containers.
Abies concolor 'Piggelmee' (White Fir)
A miniature White Firm cultivar, Abies concolor 'Piggelmee' is a slow-growing dwarf evergreen conifer with a lovely pale blue foliage.
Acer ginnala (Amur Maple)
Prized for its small size, fragrant flowers, and attractive fall foliage, Acer ginnala (Amur Maple) is a bushy deciduous shrub or small tree, often with a multi-stemmed trunk and rounded crown.
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Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple)
Noted for its exfoliating bark and showy fall color, award-winning Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is a small spreading deciduous tree that is highly desirable. The chestnut-brown bark of both its trunk and branches constantly peels into thin, tight curls, revealing brighter cinnamon-red wood beneath.
Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' (Full Moon Maple)
Incredibly popular, award-winning Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' (Full Moon Maple) is a large bushy deciduous shrub or small tree with attractive foliage and stunning fall color. Emerging bright green in spring, the palmate, almost fern-like leaves are deeply cut into 7-11 lobes. One of the most desirable features of this cultivar is its intense fall coloration when the leaves develop brilliant scarlet and carmine tones tinged with purple. Since they persist for a long time on the plant, they provide a long-lasting fall display.
Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade' (Full Moon Maple)
Noted for its unique habit, award-winning Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade' (Full Moon Maple) is a small mounded tree of graceful, weeping, or pendulous habit. Emerging rich emerald green in spring, the palmate, finely-dissected, lacylike leaves are deeply cut into 9-11 lobes. In the fall, the foliage turns brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and crimson. An exceptional landscape specimen tree.
Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium' (Full Moon Maple)
Noted for its leaves resembling those of grapes, award-winning Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium' (Full Moon Maple) is a large bushy deciduous shrub or small tree of upright habit, becoming broad and rounded with age. Emerging bronze in spring, the large, rounded, palmate leaves mature to deep green as the season progresses. In fall, they turn magnificent shades of gold, crimson and vivid scarlet before dropping, making this small, dense maple really stand out in the landscape.
Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple)
Popular on the Pacific Coast, Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple) is a large deciduous tree of upright habit with a broad, rounded crown of massive, spreading branches, steeply inclined at the tips. Emerging burgundy in spring, the deeply-lobed leaves, up to 12 in. across (30 cm), mature to dark green before turning brilliant shades of orange and yellow in the fall. These leaves are the biggest ever found on any species of maple, hence the common name.
Acer negundo 'Variegatum' (Variegated Box Elder)
Noted for its spectacular variegated foliage, Acer negundo 'Variegatum' (Variegated Box Elder) is a large deciduous tree of upright habit with a luminous rounded canopy. The pinnately compound leaves are composed of 3-7 leaflets in a lovely combination of green and creamy-white.
Acer negundo (Box Elder)
Hardy and fast-growing, Acer negundo (Box Elder) is a suckering, vigorous, deciduous tree of upright habit with an irregular rounded canopy of widely spreading branches. The opposite, pinnately compound, light green leaves are composed of 3-7 leaflets, 6-15 in. long (15-37 cm), which turn a dull yellow in the fall.
Acer palmatum 'Aka Kawa Hime' (Coral Bark Maple)
Similar but much smaller than the highly popular 'Sango kaku', Acer palmatum 'Aka Kawa Hime' is also a very desirable Japanese Maple. This deciduous shrub or small tree features delicate foliage of 5 lobed leaves which emerge fresh yellow-green in spring, mature to mid-green in summer, and turn attractive shades of gold, yellow and red in fall before they shed to the ground.
