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Zone 9 Plants

USDA hardiness zone 9 covers places where an average winter bottoms out at 20 to 30°F. 1,803 species in our library survive it. Below is a sample of them, with mature size, spacing and a nursery price estimate.

Not sure which zone you are in? Look it up by ZIP code

Zone 9a and zone 9b

Both halves grow the same plants — hardiness ranges in our library are whole numbers — but they are not the same winter. Zone 9a bottoms out around 20 to 25°F and 9b around 25 to 30°F. The colder half freezes earlier in autumn and thaws later in spring, so the same plant goes in the ground a week or two later there.

What is actually hard about zone 9

Zone 9's constraint is a shortage of cold rather than an excess of it. Many woody plants need a certain number of hours below roughly 45°F to set flower buds, and a mild winter does not supply them. The plant grows perfectly well and simply declines to bloom or fruit — which looks like a plant problem and is actually a climate one.

Showing 36 of 1,803, sorted to span the back, middle and front of a bed.

Zone 9

Typical annual minimum temperature: 20 to 30°F

1,803 species in our library match this zone and light

  • Feijoa

    Acca sellowiana

    tree
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    5–6 ft
    Mature height
    10–15 ft
    Est. price
    $60–150

  • Hibiscus Manihot

    Abelmoschus manihot

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    2–3 ft
    Mature height
    4–6 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Peter Pan Lily of the Nile

    Agapanthus africanus 'Peter Pan'

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–2 ft
    Mature height
    1–2 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20
  • Northwind Switchgrass

    Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'

    grass
    Zones
    5–9
    Spacing
    2–3 ft
    Mature height
    4–5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Blue False Indigo

    Baptisia australis

    perennial
    Zones
    3–9
    Spacing
    3–4 ft
    Mature height
    3–4 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Creeping Phlox

    Phlox subulata

    groundcover
    Zones
    3–9
    Spacing
    1–3 ft
    Mature height
    0.25–0.5 ft
    Est. price
    $5–12

  • Century Plant

    Agave salmiana

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    8–13 ft
    Mature height
    8–13 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Amole

    Agave amica

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–3.5 ft
    Mature height
    2–3 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Cast Iron Plant

    Aspidistra elatior

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–2 ft
    Mature height
    2–3 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Flying Saucers

    Ipomoea tricolor

    vine
    Zones
    2–12
    Spacing
    3–6 ft
    Mature height
    8–10 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Bleeding Heart

    Lamprocapnos spectabilis

    perennial
    Zones
    3–9
    Spacing
    1–3 ft
    Mature height
    2–3 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Cimbru

    Satureja hortensis

    perennial
    Zones
    2–11
    Spacing
    1–3 ft
    Mature height
    1.5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Lemon Beebrush

    Aloysia citriodora

    shrub
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    6–8 ft
    Mature height
    6–8 ft
    Est. price
    $40–85

  • Yellow Colicroot

    Aletris lutea

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    0.5–1 ft
    Mature height
    1–4 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Dusty Miller

    Centaurea cineraria

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–1.17 ft
    Mature height
    0.5–2 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Everlasting Pea

    Lathyrus

    vine
    Zones
    2–11
    Spacing
    1–3 ft
    Mature height
    1–9 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Deutschland Astilbe

    Astilbe japonica 'Deutschland'

    perennial
    Zones
    4–9
    Spacing
    1.5–2 ft
    Mature height
    1.5–2 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Blunt-lobed Cliff Fern

    Woodsia obtusa

    perennial
    Zones
    1–10
    Spacing
    2–2.5 ft
    Mature height
    1–1.5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Lance Leaf Azara

    Azara lanceolata

    tree
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    8–12 ft
    Mature height
    12–18 ft
    Est. price
    $60–150

  • Carolina Wiregrass

    Aristida stricta

    grass
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–3 ft
    Mature height
    1–3 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Bog Sundew

    Drosera capillaris

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    0.08–0.25 ft
    Mature height
    0.08 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Virginia Creeper

    Parthenocissus quinquefolia

    vine
    Zones
    3–10
    Spacing
    5–10 ft
    Mature height
    30–50 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline'

    Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'

    perennial
    Zones
    4–9
    Spacing
    2–3 ft
    Mature height
    3–4 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Cranesbill

    Geranium maculatum

    groundcover
    Zones
    3–11
    Spacing
    1–1.5 ft
    Mature height
    1.17–1.5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Bismark Palm

    Bismarckia nobilis

    tree
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–2 ft
    Mature height
    10–40 ft
    Est. price
    $150–260

  • Beautyberry

    Callicarpa acuminata

    shrub
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    5–6 ft
    Mature height
    4–5 ft
    Est. price
    $40–85

  • Lance Leaf Blanket Flower

    Gaillardia aestivalis

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    0.67–1 ft
    Mature height
    1–1.5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Baltimore Belle rose

    Rosa 'Belle de Baltimore'

    perennial
    Zones
    4–11
    Spacing
    6–10 ft
    Mature height
    8–13 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Whirling Butterflies Gaura

    Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'

    perennial
    Zones
    5–9
    Spacing
    2–3 ft
    Mature height
    2–3 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Ajuga

    Ajuga reptans

    groundcover
    Zones
    3–10
    Spacing
    0.5–1 ft
    Mature height
    0.5–1 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Angel's Trumpet

    Brugmansia x candida

    shrub
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    3–5 ft
    Mature height
    5–10 ft
    Est. price
    $60–150

  • Pale Grass Pink

    Calopogon pallidus

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    0–1 ft
    Mature height
    1–3 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • African Daisy

    Gerbera jamesonii

    perennial
    Zones
    8–10
    Spacing
    1–1.25 ft
    Mature height
    1–1.5 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Rosa The Generous Gardener 'AUSdrawn'

    Rosa The Generous Gardener 'AUSdrawn'

    vine
    Zones
    4–11
    Spacing
    3–4 ft
    Mature height
    5–10 ft
    Est. price
    $24–55

  • Giant Leopard Plant

    Farfugium japonicum 'Giganteum'

    perennial
    Zones
    7–10
    Spacing
    1–2 ft
    Mature height
    1–2 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

  • Alpine Violet

    Cyclamen

    perennial
    Zones
    4–11
    Spacing
    0.67–1 ft
    Mature height
    0.33–1 ft
    Est. price
    $8–20

Put these in your own yard

Upload a photo of the space and get a design back using plants that survive your winter.

Design a garden for zone 9

Neighbouring zones

Zone 8 — one step colder

Where these numbers come from

Zone boundaries come from PRISM Climate Group's 2023 plant-hardiness dataset at Oregon State University, covering 40,502 US ZIP codes. Hardiness range, light requirement and mature size are checked against the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and the NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

Price is an estimate sampled from published 2026 nursery price lists by container size, and varies by region, season and supplier. This is not the official USDA map and it cannot account for soil, drainage, wind, local microclimates or planting restrictions. Confirm a final purchase with a local nursery.