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HydrangeasUkrainian winters are unpredictable: thaws alternate with frosts of −20 °C and lower, and the north and east can get even colder. The best way to save effort on winter protection is to choose plants with a margin of hardiness from the start. Here is how to use hardiness zones, which shrubs and perennials reliably overwinter in Ukraine without elaborate protection, and how to help your garden through the cold.
What hardiness zones are
Gardeners most often use the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone scale. It divides areas by average minimum winter temperature: the lower the zone number, the colder it is. Most of Ukraine falls into zones 5–6; the north and east are closer to zone 5, while the south and Black Sea coast are in zones 6–7.
The practical rule is simple: for a garden without winter protection, choose plants rated one or two zones colder than yours. A "zone 4" plant will easily survive winter in both Kyiv and Kharkiv, while a "zone 7" plant may freeze in a hard frost without protection.
Hardy shrubs
Star magnolia
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One of the hardiest magnolias, tolerating frosts down to about −25…−29 °C. Its white, star-shaped flowers open in April before the leaves. The only risk is late spring frost, which can damage open flowers, so plant it in a spot sheltered from the north wind.
Mock orange
Mock orange, often called garden jasmine, is an easy shrub with fragrant white flowers in June. Most varieties withstand −30 °C, and any frost-damaged shoot tips are simply pruned in spring.
Shrub and rugosa roses
Not all roses are equally tough. Hybrid teas and floribundas are usually protected in Ukraine, but shrub roses and Rosa rugosa overwinter unprotected even in cold areas. They flower generously and decorate the garden with large hips in autumn.
Shrubby cinquefoil
One of the hardiest ornamental plants, surviving −40 °C. Its compact bushes bloom in yellow, white, pink or orange from June to autumn and suit edging and low hedges.
Snowberry
Snowberry is valued for its white berries, which stay on the branches for most of the winter. It withstands −35 °C and grows in almost any soil. Note: the berries are inedible and can cause poisoning, especially in children.
Common heather
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Heather is hardy (to about −30 °C) but particular about soil: it needs acidic, light, well-drained ground, like rhododendrons. It blooms from late summer into autumn and stays attractive in winter.
More reliable plants for cold winters
- Shrubs: lilac, spiraea, panicle hydrangea, red-stemmed dogwood, barberry, guelder rose.
- Perennials: peony, daylily, hosta, echinacea, sedum, bearded iris and hellebore, which flowers in late winter.
- For autumn and winter interest: ornamental grasses, ornamental cabbage and late chrysanthemums.
How to help your garden through winter
- Plant on time. Shrubs are best planted in spring or early autumn so they can root before the frosts.
- No nitrogen after midsummer — young shoots will not have time to harden.
- Deep autumn watering, especially after a dry summer, helps evergreens.
- Mulch of bark or compost 5–10 cm thick protects the roots.
- Snow is the best insulation: leave it around the base of plants, but shake it off conifer branches so they do not break.
Frequently asked questions
Which shrubs do not need winter protection?
Shrubby cinquefoil, snowberry, mock orange, lilac, spiraea, panicle hydrangea and shrub roses overwinter reliably without cover in almost all of Ukraine.
Which hardiness zone is Ukraine in?
Mostly zones 5–6 on the USDA scale; the south and coast are in zones 6–7.
When should tender plants be covered?
After the first steady frosts, usually in November, when the soil starts to freeze.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
