Your Guide to Green Light, Yellow Light, and Red Light Perennials
Winter in Atlanta gets a bad reputation for planting, but the truth is this season can be one of the best times to establish strong, healthy landscapes. Cooler temperatures mean less stress on new plants, roots settle in beautifully, and spring growth arrives with extra confidence.
To make things easier for you and your yard, here is a simple guide to what you can plant now, what to plant with caution, and which plants you should wait to install until warmer weather returns.
Green Light
Safe to Plant Now
These perennials are fully hardy in our climate and settle in beautifully through winter. They are reliable, low risk, and perfect for both new installs and refreshes. If you are planning a project with our team, these are the plants we love recommending this time of year.
Full Sun and Part Sun Favorites
- Echinacea, also known as coneflower
- Rudbeckia, also known as black eyed Susan
- Coreopsis, also known as tickseed
- Gaillardia, also known as blanket flower
- Salvia nemorosa and other hardy perennial salvias
- Monarda, also known as bee balm
- Nepeta, also known as catmint
- Achillea, also known as yarrow
- Iris germanica, also known as bearded iris
- Iris sibirica, also known as Siberian iris
- Peonies, which thrive when planted in cold months
- Hardy hibiscus, especially moscheutos types
- Shasta daisy, also known as Leucanthemum
Shade and Part Shade Champions
- Hosta
- Astilbe
- Hardy deciduous ferns
- Tiarella, also known as foamflower
These are your easy wins. Plant them now and they reward you later.
Yellow Light
Plant With Caution
These plants can go in the ground during winter, but they need the right conditions. Think of this list as the plants that behave beautifully when the site is prepared well and the soil cooperates.
You can install these if:
- The soil drains well
- The area does not experience hard freezes or hold standing water
- You mulch immediately after planting
Plants With Marginal Cold Hardiness
- Agastache, with hardy varieties like Blue Fortune
- Gaura, also known as Oenothera lindheimeri, which dislikes wet winter soils
- Baptisia, extremely hardy but slow to establish
- Upright sedums, which may develop crown rot in saturated soils
- Dicentra, also known as bleeding heart, which prefers early spring installs
- Verbena canadensis hybrids, strong in Georgia but prone to winter crown issues
- Hardy geraniums, depending on variety
Plants That Require Very Well Drained Soil
- Lavandula, also known as lavender
- Echinops, also known as globe thistle
- Kniphofia, also known as red hot poker
With these plants, pay attention to soil texture and drainage. If your yard sits on tight clay or stays damp in winter, save these for spring.
Red Light
Avoid Planting November through March
These perennials struggle in cold or wet Georgia winters, are not reliably hardy, or have tubers and crowns that rot easily. Install these in spring for the best results.
Not Hardy Enough for Winter
- Lantana, even the so called perennial types
- Canna lilies, which often rot in winter
- Dahlias, unless tubers are lifted and stored
- Colocasia and Alocasia, also known as elephant ear
- Tropical salvias such as S leucantha and S guaranitica
- Banana plants, herbaceous but tender
- Caladium
- Heuchera, most varieties
High Risk of Winter Rot
- Gaura grown in heavy clay
- Herbaceous euphorbias
- Tender ornamental grasses such as Pennisetum rubrum
Better to Plant in Spring
- Helenium
- Phlox paniculata in sites prone to powdery mildew
- Japanese anemone, which is slow to establish and prefers warm soil
Want Help Choosing the Right Plants?
Winter is a perfect time to refresh tired garden beds, prepare for spring color, or complete a larger landscape project you have been dreaming about. If you are not sure what is best for your space, our designers and horticulture experts are here to help you pick the right plants for your yard, your light levels, and your long term goals.
Reach out anytime for a consultation. Let us help you plant confidently this season.
