🌿 PlantWise
Plant Guide

Best Plants for St. Louis, Missouri

📍 St. Louis, MO 🌡️ USDA Zone 6a 🌱 329+ compatible plants

Gardening in St. Louis

St. Louis falls in USDA Hardiness Zone 6a, which means your plants need to survive winters with minimum temperatures in the −10°F to 0°F range. The 329+ plants below are proven performers for your zone — including deer-resistant varieties, pet-friendly options, and pollinator-attracting species.

Top Plant Picks for St. Louis

Coleus
Coleus
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Vibrant, multicolored foliage brightens summer gardens with shades of red, green, and purple that last through USDA zones 10-11. This low-maintenance, shade-tolerant plant adds striking color without attracting deer.
Zone 2–11🦌 Deer-Resistant
Foamflower
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Delicate white to pinkish blooms brighten spring gardens with a frothy, airy display. This shade-loving, deer-resistant perennial thrives in USDA zones 3-9 and attracts pollinators.
Zone 4–8🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Canna Lily
Canna Lily
Canna indica
Vibrant blooms in pink, red, orange, yellow, and white light up gardens from June to September with tropical flair. Thriving in USDA zones 4-9, this low-maintenance, pollinator-attracting beauty is both dog- and cat-friendly.
Zone 4–9🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Sweetgum
Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
Vibrant star-shaped leaves transform into fiery reds, oranges, and yellows each fall, showcasing stunning seasonal color. This hardy tree thrives in USDA zones 5-9 and is low maintenance with excellent shade tolerance.
Zone 5–9🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Chewings Fescue
Chewings Fescue
Festuca rubra subsp. commutata
Chewings Fescue is a fine-bladed, shade-tolerant cool-season grass commonly used in no-mow and low-maintenance lawn mixes. Forms a dense, attractive turf in part shade with minimal inputs.
Zone 3–7🐾 Pet-Friendly†
Salvia May Night
Salvia May Night
Salvia nemorosa May Night
Vibrant deep violet-blue blooms burst from late spring to summer, creating a stunning garden display. Deer resistant and drought tolerant, it thrives in USDA zones 4-8 while attracting pollinators.
Zone 4–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator
Veronica Speedwell
Veronica Speedwell
Veronica spicata
Vibrant spikes of blue to purple blooms light up summer gardens with long-lasting color. This low-maintenance perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-8, attracts pollinators and resists deer.
Zone 3–8🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Kniphofia Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia uvaria
Fiery red and orange blooms burst from tall spikes in summer, creating a dramatic garden focal point. This drought-tolerant beauty attracts hummingbirds and thrives in USDA zones 5-9.
Zone 5–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Pawpaw
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Fragrant, maroon-purple blooms appear in spring, followed by unique tropical-flavored fruit in late summer. This low-maintenance tree thrives in USDA zones 5-8 and attracts pollinators while being deer resistant.
Zone 5–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Hayscented Fern
Hayscented Fern
Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Delicate, bright green fronds of this native fern add a soft, airy texture to shaded gardens from spring through fall. Thriving in USDA zones 4-9, it’s low maintenance, deer resistant, and attracts pollinators.
Zone 4–9🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
June Hosta
June Hosta
Hosta 'June'
Lush, variegated leaves with creamy yellow centers brighten shady gardens from spring to summer. This low-maintenance perennial thrives in USDA zones 3-9 and is deer resistant.
Zone 3–9🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
Nandina
Nandina
Nandina domestica
Delicate clusters of white to pink blooms in spring add year-round interest with vibrant red foliage in fall. This deer-resistant shrub thrives in USDA zones 6-9 and requires minimal care.
Zone 6–10🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator

Get a Personalized Plant List for St. Louis

Answer 4 quick questions about your yard — sun, soil, deer pressure, and pet situation — and get a custom list of plants that will thrive in Zone 6a.

Start the Plant Advisor →

Other Cities in Zone 6a

Chicago, IL Columbus, OH Indianapolis, IN Denver, CO Louisville, KY Kansas City, MO Cleveland, OH Wichita, KS

Browse All 329+ Plants for Zone 6a

The 12 picks above are a sample. Use the full directory to filter by sun, water, deer resistance, and more.

View All Zone 6 Plants →

† "Pet-friendly" means not listed as toxic by ASPCA for dogs and/or cats. Always supervise pets around plants. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.