Plant Pairing Guide: Combinations For Zones 3-9

PLANT
PAIRING
GUIDE
COMBINATIONS
FOR ZONES 3-9
LEARN TO PAIR PLANTS
FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT AND
INTEREST IN YOUR GARDEN—
FOR ALL FOUR SEASONS!
Welcome to my plant pairing

guide, where you’ll find
amazing plant combinations
that you can try in your own
garden. Each combination is
marked with the high interest
season, hardiness zone and
amount of light needed. There
are combos suited for every
zone from 3-9. All pairings
will work in zones 5-7.
Not only are these pairings

beautiful & low maintenance, but all plants you’ll see in this guide
have multiple seasons of interest.
What does that mean, exactly? It means that every

plant has unique features that will keep your garden
interesting in at LEAST two of four seasons (most
of them more). So, if you have a small space or
just want the most bang for your buck... this is the
perfect guide for you. Enjoy!
-Amy
Light: Part Sun WINTER HEATH & WOOD
Zone: 5-7
ANEMONE
Try this sparkling spring border
Season of Interest: by pairing bright pink Winter Heath
Early Spring ‘Myretoun Ruby’ and the white poppy-
like flowers of the Wood Anemone. By the
way, Heaths (also known as Heathers) are
a great four season plant that have the
ability to change color year-round. This
particular variety blooms heavily from
mid winter to late spring (Jan-May).
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Light: Part Shade ORANGE TULIPS &
Zone: 3 to 8
BLUE FORGET-ME-NOTS
A great tulip variety to try is ‘Orange
Bloom Time: Spring Emperor’ Foster Tulip, which is a hardy
variety that’s likely to thrive for
several years. The bare ground beneath
tulips can be dressed up with Forget-Me-
Nots. The perennial forget-me-not flower
‘Water’ spreads easily, freely self-
seeding for more of the wildflower to
grow and bloom in shady spots where the
tiny seeds may fall. Scatter the seeds
thickly over the tulip bed in autumn for
a carpet of spring blooms.
Light: Part Shade RHODODENDRON &
Zone: 3-7
CINNAMON FERN
Blooming in late spring, the large-leaved
Season of Interest: rhododendron/azalea variety ‘Rosy Lights’
Late Spring has spectacular displays of huge flower
clusters. The dark green, leathery leaves
are effective for year-round interest
and contrasts nicely with the texture
and color of underplanted bright green
cinnamon ferns.
Light: Full Sun CONEFLOWER & BLACK-
Zone: 5-8
EYED SUSAN
If you want a colorful garden but don’t
Season of Interest: have a lot of time to fuss over it,
Summer try this combination of the easy-care
classics: purple coneflower and black-
eyed Susan. Both of these perennial
plants are heat- and drought-resistant
and bloom from summer to fall with
minimum care. Clip their blooms to make
beautiful bouquets you can enjoy all
summer.
Light: Full-Part Shade HOSTA,HEUCHERA &
Zone: 4-9
BISHOP’S WEED
Need some pop for your shade garden? The
Season of Interest: combination of ‘Forever Purple’ Heuchera
Summer (better known as Coral Bells), Hosta
‘Frances Williams’ (Plantain Lily) and
Bishop’s Weed ‘Snow on the Mountain’ just
look gorgeous together. Bishop’s Weed is
a groundcover can be difficult to contain
to smaller areas and loves to spread.
As an alternative, you can swap it with
Euonymous ‘Wintercreeper’, which only
spreads about 3-6 feet and tolerates part
shade to full sun.
Light: Shade HYDRANGEA & ASTIBLE
Make your shade garden glow with this
Zone: 4-8
stunning border of Hydrangea ‘Endless
Summer’ and deep purple Astible
Season of Interest:
‘Visions’. An added bonus of this combo
Summer
(as if it needs one) is that it attracts
butterflies!
Light: Full Sun MAIDEN GRASS &
Zone: 4-9
SMOKE BUSH
Maiden Grass ‘Gracillimus’ has fine-
Season of Interest: textured, silver-green blades that turn
Fall golden-bronze after first frost. When
arching in front of a ‘Royal Purple’
Smoke Bush it’s an electrifying contrast
of foliage, form and color. The Smoke
Bush is often called the Smoke Tree and
can reach up to 15 feet high and wide.
Light: Full Sun PURPLE CROCUS &
Zone: 6-9,with an PINK SEDUM
alternative option Saffron crocus blooms in autumn when
for zones 3-9 tree leaves are starting to color and
drop. Its lavender flowers look pretty
Season of Interest: with the smaller pink flowers from sedum
Fall “Sieboldii”.
Unfortunately this variety of crocus

is only hardy in zones 6-9. As an
alternative, planting sedum with
daylilies has always been a favorite
combination of mine. The sedum and
daylily combination is hardy in zones
3-9.
Light: Full - Part Sun WHITE BIRCH & RED
Zone: 5-7
TWIG DOGWOOD
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Season of Interest:
Fall/Winter The White Himalayan Birch Tree & Cardinal
Red Twig Dogwood create a contrast that
will enliven any winter landscape. The
birch planted between the dogwood and
the background evergreens brings out the
similar forms and branching patterns
that make the birch tree look like
white “smoke” rising from the red twig
dogwood’s “flames”.
Light: Full-Part Sun SILVER GRASS &
Zone: 4-8
SPRUCE
For a striking winter scene, combine tall
Season of Interest: grasses with blue evergreens like the
Winter Japanese Silver Grass* and ‘Fat Albert’
Colorado Spruce*. Bleached to a light-
reflecting, wheat-colored fountain of
dried foliage and flowers, Japanese
Silver Grass* stands tall and showy all
winter. I like the spruce variety ‘Fat
Albert* which is very dense, very blue
and very slow-growing (only 3-4 inches
per year until it reaches 15-20 feet).
*Note: These are substitutions for plants pictured

above - although they are very similar in style/feel.

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PLANT

Welcome to my plant pairing

Not only are these pairings

What does that mean, exactly? It means that every

Unfortunately this variety of crocus

*Note: These are substitutions for plants pictured

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