Where to Plant

Growing Guides

93 research-backed guides covering zone-specific varieties, planting calendars, and the mistakes that actually matter.

Every guide here answers the same three questions: which varieties actually grow in your USDA hardiness zone, when to plant them, and which mistakes will quietly kill the plant before you figure out what went wrong. No filler, no generic advice — just the information you need to pick the right plant for your yard and keep it alive.

Written by four specialists — one for vegetables and herbs, one for fruits and berries, one for flowers and perennials, one for trees, shrubs, and vines — working from university extension research at Clemson, Cornell, UF/IFAS, Michigan State, Penn State, and the University of Minnesota. Every variety recommendation is backed by published cultivar trial data.

If you know your zone, hover any card to see a green-bar compatibility rating. If you don't, the homepage zip lookup takes five seconds. New here? Start with the most-searched guides: tomatoes, hydrangeas, lavender, blueberries, and roses.

Vegetables

Cold-hardy crops, heat-tolerant varieties, and the planting-calendar timing that separates a real harvest from bolted lettuce and cracked tomatoes.

How to grow asparagus — complete growing guide
AsparagusHow to grow beans — complete growing guide
BeansHow to grow beets — complete growing guide
BeetsHow to grow broccoli — complete growing guide
BroccoliHow to grow cantaloupe — complete growing guide
CantaloupeHow to grow carrots — complete growing guide
CarrotsHow to grow celery — complete growing guide
CeleryHow to grow sweet corn — complete growing guide
Sweet CornHow to grow cucumbers — complete growing guide
CucumbersHow to grow eggplant — complete growing guide
EggplantHow to grow garlic — complete growing guide
GarlicHow to grow lettuce & greens — complete growing guide
Lettuce & GreensHow to grow okra — complete growing guide
OkraHow to grow onions — complete growing guide
OnionsHow to grow peas — complete growing guide
PeasHow to grow peppers — complete growing guide
PeppersHow to grow potatoes — complete growing guide
PotatoesHow to grow pumpkins — complete growing guide
PumpkinsHow to grow radishes — complete growing guide
RadishesHow to grow rhubarb — complete growing guide
RhubarbHow to grow spinach — complete growing guide
SpinachHow to grow sweet potatoes — complete growing guide
Sweet PotatoesHow to grow tomatoes — complete growing guide
TomatoesHow to grow watermelon — complete growing guide
WatermelonHow to grow zucchini & squash — complete growing guide
Zucchini & Squash

Fruits

Berry bushes, orchard trees, and backyard fruit staples — including the soil pH and chill-hour requirements most guides skip.

How to grow avocado trees — complete growing guide
Avocado TreesHow to grow banana trees — complete growing guide
Banana TreesHow to grow blackberry — complete growing guide
BlackberryHow to grow blueberries — complete growing guide
BlueberriesHow to grow cherry tree — complete growing guide
Cherry TreeHow to grow fig trees — complete growing guide
Fig TreesHow to grow grapes — complete growing guide
GrapesHow to grow lemon trees — complete growing guide
Lemon TreesHow to grow mango tree — complete growing guide
Mango TreeHow to grow olive tree — complete growing guide
Olive TreeHow to grow persimmon — complete growing guide
PersimmonHow to grow plum tree — complete growing guide
Plum TreeHow to grow pomegranate — complete growing guide
PomegranateHow to grow raspberries — complete growing guide
RaspberriesHow to grow strawberries — complete growing guide
Strawberries

Herbs

Annual and perennial herbs for kitchen gardens and containers, with propagation and harvesting notes most seed labels leave out.

How to grow basil — complete growing guide
BasilHow to grow cilantro — complete growing guide
CilantroHow to grow dill — complete growing guide
DillHow to grow herbs (mixed) — complete growing guide
Herbs (Mixed)How to grow lemongrass — complete growing guide
LemongrassHow to grow mint — complete growing guide
Mint

Flowers

Annuals, biennials, and bulbs chosen for zone hardiness and bloom sequencing — not catalog photos.

How to grow begonias — complete growing guide
BegoniasHow to grow black-eyed susan — complete growing guide
Black-Eyed SusanHow to grow bleeding heart — complete growing guide
Bleeding HeartHow to grow coneflower — complete growing guide
ConeflowerHow to grow cosmos — complete growing guide
CosmosHow to grow daffodils — complete growing guide
DaffodilsHow to grow dahlias — complete growing guide
DahliasHow to grow foxglove — complete growing guide
FoxgloveHow to grow hollyhocks — complete growing guide
HollyhocksHow to grow impatiens — complete growing guide
ImpatiensHow to grow irises — complete growing guide
IrisesHow to grow lantana — complete growing guide
LantanaHow to grow lilies — complete growing guide
LiliesHow to grow marigolds — complete growing guide
MarigoldsHow to grow mums — complete growing guide
MumsHow to grow pansies — complete growing guide
PansiesHow to grow peonies — complete growing guide
PeoniesHow to grow petunias — complete growing guide
PetuniasHow to grow snapdragons — complete growing guide
SnapdragonsHow to grow sunflowers — complete growing guide
SunflowersHow to grow tulips — complete growing guide
TulipsHow to grow zinnias — complete growing guide
Zinnias

Shrubs

Foundation plants and flowering shrubs, with pruning schedules keyed to old-wood versus new-wood bloomers.

How to grow azaleas — complete growing guide
AzaleasHow to grow butterfly bush — complete growing guide
Butterfly BushHow to grow forsythia — complete growing guide
ForsythiaHow to grow gardenias — complete growing guide
GardeniasHow to grow hibiscus — complete growing guide
HibiscusHow to grow hydrangeas — complete growing guide
HydrangeasHow to grow lilac — complete growing guide
LilacHow to grow rhododendron — complete growing guide
RhododendronHow to grow roses — complete growing guide
Roses

Perennials

Low-maintenance comeback plants — including the ones that only work in warm zones and the ones that need winter mulch in cold ones.

How to grow aloe vera — complete growing guide
Aloe VeraHow to grow bird of paradise — complete growing guide
Bird of ParadiseHow to grow bougainvillea — complete growing guide
BougainvilleaHow to grow ferns — complete growing guide
FernsHow to grow hostas — complete growing guide
HostasHow to grow lavender — complete growing guide
Lavender

Vines

Climbers with the trellis, support, and containment requirements most homeowners learn the hard way.

How to grow morning glory — complete growing guide
Morning GloryHow to grow clematis — complete growing guide
ClematisHow to grow hops — complete growing guide
HopsHow to grow jasmine — complete growing guide
JasmineHow to grow wisteria — complete growing guide
Wisteria

Trees

Small ornamental and fruiting trees sized for suburban yards, with root-flare and spacing requirements to match.

How to grow crepe myrtle — complete growing guide
Crepe MyrtleHow to grow dogwood — complete growing guide
DogwoodHow to grow japanese maple — complete growing guide
Japanese MapleHow to grow magnolia — complete growing guide
MagnoliaHow to grow redbud — complete growing guide
Redbud