Breaking News in Landscape Design: Southern Plants Are Moving North!
Walk through Brooklyn today and you'll see Crape Myrtles blooming on sidewalks—trees your grandparents never would have expected to survive a New York winter!
Some Plants That Have Moved In:
Drive through suburban neighborhoods from New Jersey to Massachusetts and you'll spot something remarkable: Southern magnolias with their enormous white blossoms, Crape Myrtles with their distinctive papery bark, and even cold-hardy Gardenias in garden centers that never carried them before.
This isn't just gardening fashion—it's climate migration happening in real time. Plants that were once exclusive to Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia are now successfully growing as far north as Brooklyn, Connecticut, and beyond.
The numbers tell the story: The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map reveals that 67% of analyzed U.S. locations have shifted to warmer planting zones. Average coldest temperatures are now 3.7°F warmer than they were from 1951-1980. Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff note that plants at the northern edge of their hardiness zone, like crepe-myrtle, are thriving, while traditionally Northern plants like mountain laurel are showing stress.
Take a “detective” walk this weekend to see what is thriving in your area:
Crape myrtles in front yards - Ten years ago, there probably weren't any!!
Southern magnolias - Look for the large, glossy evergreen leaves (not just traditional Northern varieties)
Garden centers carrying new plants - Ask what they're selling now that they didn't carry before
Traditional plants struggling - Notice which old standbys seem stressed or aren't thriving like they used to
At big box stores: Home Depot and Lowe's now regularly stock "Frostproof" Gardenias (hardy to zone 6) and cold-hardy Crape myrtle varieties in northern markets where they weren't available 10-15 years ago. You'll also find an explosion of drought-tolerant perennials like Agastache (hummingbird mint), Penstemon (beardtongue), and Gaillardia (blanket flower)—plants that were once considered "Western" specialties now showing up in Northeastern garden centers.
Garden Design Strategies moving forward:
1. The "Zone Plus One" Strategy: When selecting new plants, choose varieties that can handle both your current zone and one zone warmer. If you're in Zone 6, look at plants rated for Zones 6-7 or 6-8.
2. Try these climate-adaptive swaps:
Instead of traditional roses → heat-tolerant knockout roses or rugosa roses
Instead of only cool-season vegetables → heat-tolerant lettuce or try okra
For new trees → bur oak or Kentucky coffee tree instead of sugar maples
For perennials → Agastache, yarrow, or coral bells instead of hostas in sunny spots
For reliable bloomers → blanket flower and penstemon for non-stop summer color
3. Start Small and Smart
Replace, don't remove: When existing plants die, replace with more climate-resilient options
Experiment in containers: Try "Southern" plants in pots first—move them for protection if needed
Learn from designers you admire: What are professionals planting in new installations?
4. Get Ready:
This season:
Mulch lots - 2-3 inches around plants moderates soil temperature
Collect rainwater - Install rain barrels for increasingly variable precipitation
Improve soil health - healthy soil helps plants handle climate stress
The Bigger Picture:
Climate projections suggest that by mid-century, 90% of U.S. locations may shift to warmer planting zones. But here's the empowering part: every plant choice you make is a small vote for how we collectively adapt.
You might think your garden or larger landscape design might be small, but collectively our impact on creating a climate-adapted community is significant.Climate migration might be happening whether we're ready or not, but we can choose to grow through it together—one garden, one plant, one season at a time!
