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Plant Guide

Best Plants for St. Louis, Missouri

📍 St. Louis, MO 🌡️ USDA Zone 6a 🌱 331+ 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 331+ 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

New Jersey Tea
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Delicate clusters of creamy white flowers bloom in early summer, adding soft beauty and fragrance to any garden. This drought-tolerant, deer-resistant shrub thrives in USDA zones 3-8 and attracts beneficial pollinators.
Zone 4–8🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
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Carefree Wonder Rose
Carefree Wonder Rose
Rosa Carefree Wonder
Vibrant pink blooms burst from late spring to fall, bringing long-lasting color to your garden. This hardy rose thrives in USDA zones 4-9 and is exceptionally disease resistant.
Zone 4–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator
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Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Spiky white blooms with a unique spherical shape dazzle from midsummer to fall, adding striking texture to any garden. This drought-tolerant native thrives in USDA zones 3-9 and attracts pollinators while resisting deer.
Zone 3–8🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
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Foxglove
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Tall spikes of tubular purple-pink blooms light up spring and early summer with striking elegance. Deer resistant and a magnet for bees, thriving in USDA zones 4-10.
Zone 4–8🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator
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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
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Daffodil
Daffodil
Narcissus spp.
Bright yellow blooms herald early spring with cheerful, trumpet-shaped flowers that brighten any garden. Deer resistant and hardy in USDA zones 3-9, they require minimal care while attracting early pollinators.
Zone 3–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator
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Yew
Yew
Taxus x media Hicksii
Glossy, dark green needles provide year-round beauty and structure, with subtle red berries adding seasonal interest in fall and winter. This low-maintenance, deer-resistant shrub thrives in USDA zones 4-7 and tolerates shade well.
Zone 4–7
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Yucca
Yucca
Yucca filamentosa
Striking white, bell-shaped blooms appear in summer, creating a dramatic focal point with spiky, architectural foliage. Extremely drought-tolerant and deer resistant, this tough beauty thrives in USDA zones 4-10.
Zone 4–11🦌 Deer-Resistant🐝 Pollinator
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Miscanthus Maiden Grass
Miscanthus Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus
Graceful, arching silver-green blades create stunning movement and texture from summer through fall. This low-maintenance ornamental grass thrives in USDA zones 5-9 and is highly deer resistant.
Zone 5–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†
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Barberry
Barberry
Berberis thunbergii
Vibrant red and orange foliage dazzles from spring through fall, adding year-round color to your garden. This low-maintenance, deer-resistant shrub thrives in USDA zones 4-8.
Zone 4–8🐝 Pollinator
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Creeping Red Fescue
Creeping Red Fescue
Festuca rubra
The shadiest lawn grass available, Creeping Red Fescue is the standard solution for lawns under trees and in north-facing areas. Forms a fine-textured, low-maintenance turf in part shade to full shade.
Zone 3–7🐾 Pet-Friendly†
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Crape Myrtle
Crape Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica
Vibrant pink and white blooms light up summer from June to September, creating stunning color in any garden. This low-maintenance tree attracts pollinators, thrives in full sun, and grows well in USDA zones 4-9.
Zone 6–9🦌 Deer-Resistant🐾 Pet-Friendly†🐝 Pollinator
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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.

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Other Cities in Zone 6a

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Browse All 331+ 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.