Planting in Nashville: Soil Tips, Plant List Suggestions, and Why Zone 7 is a Gardener’s Dream!

Planting in Nashville and Middle Tennessee: Soil Tips, Climate Info, and the Best Plants for Your Garden

Understanding Nashville’s Climate and USDA Zone 7a/7b

Nashville falls within USDA hardiness zones 7a and 7b. This means the average minimum winter temperatures range from 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The region experiences mild winters and long, hot, humid summers, giving you a long growing season that typically stretches from March through November.

That extended season means you can enjoy a wide range of plants, including cold-hardy evergreens, colorful perennials, native plants, and summer bloomers that thrive in the heat.

Benefits of Gardening in Zone 7a/7b

1. Long growing season from early spring to late fall

2. Mild winters that allow many evergreens and semi-tender plants to survive year-round

3. Wide range of plants suitable for sun, part shade, and full shade

4. Access to both native and ornamental plants that thrive in this region

5. Plenty of heat for tropical-style gardens and summer blooms

6. Favorable conditions for fruit and vegetable gardening

7. Easier winter protection and overwintering of perennials

8. Reliable seasonal transitions that support year-round interest

9. A balance between rainfall and humidity for healthy growth with proper soil prep

10. Established nursery support and availability of zone-appropriate plants

Nashville and Middle Tennessee Soil Overview

Much of the soil across Middle Tennessee is clay-based. Clay soil can be nutrient-rich, but it is dense, compacts easily, and drains poorly. Before planting, it’s important to amend the soil to improve drainage and aeration.

Best amendments for Middle Tennessee clay soils include:

• Compost or aged manure for organic matter

• Leaf mold or pine fines to loosen the structure

• Expanded shale to help with air pockets and drainage

• Mushroom compost or peat moss for improving moisture balance

Test your soil before planting. Most ornamental plants prefer slightly acidic soil between pH 6.0 and 7.0.

Best Planting Time

One of the most important considerations when planting in Nashville is the timing. The best time to plant is during the fall and early spring when the weather is cooler and rainfall is more consistent. This allows plants to establish their root systems before the hot, dry summer months. However, with proper care, planting can be done during any season as long as the ground is not frozen.

Perfect Plants for Nashville Planting

There are many types of plants that are well-suited to Nashville's USDA zone 7 (7a/7b) climate and soil conditions. To help you navigate the best plantings for your property, we created a list of our favorites so you don’t have to spend hours scrolling the internet searching for the perfect plants.

Best Evergreen Shrubs for Nashville Zone 7a/7b

These evergreen shrubs provide year-round structure and work well in privacy screens, foundation beds, and mixed borders

• Baby Gem Boxwood
  Sun to part shade
  Compact habit with rich green foliage year-round

• Soft Touch Holly
  Sun to part shade
  Soft, dense foliage with a mounded form

• Florida Anise (Illicium floridanum)
  Shade to part shade
  Evergreen native with star-shaped maroon-red spring blooms

• Otto Luyken Laurel
  Part shade
  Glossy foliage and small white spring flowers

• Dwarf Yaupon Holly
  Full sun
  Tidy mounded habit with small leaves and red berries

• Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)
  Sun to part shade
  Fragrant white blooms in late fall and early spring

• Emerald Colonnade Ligustrum
  Sun
  Upright and formal structure with glossy leaves

• Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
  Part shade
  Broadleaf evergreen with showy clusters of pink or white flowers

• Boxwood ‘Green Velvet’
  Sun to part shade
  Dense and formal, excellent for shaping

  For more information on plantings for privacy screening, read our article dedicated to creative privacy screen ideas here.

Best Flowering Shrubs for Nashville Landscapes

These shrubs offer long seasons of color and support pollinators

• Hydrangea ‘Limelight’
  Sun to part shade
  Large cone-shaped lime green to white blooms, late summer

• Azalea ‘Autumn Royalty’ (Encore Series)
  Part shade
  Purple blooms in spring and again in fall

• Spirea ‘Double Play Big Bang’
  Sun
  Golden foliage with bright pink summer flowers

• Viburnum ‘Brandywine’
  Sun to part shade
  White spring blooms, followed by bright red and blue berries

• Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’
  Full sun
  Deep burgundy foliage with pink trumpet-shaped flowers

• Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
  Full sun
  Large tropical-looking blooms in white, pink, or purple

• Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’
  Sun
  Orange-gold foliage and white spring flowers

• Forsythia
  Full sun
  Brilliant yellow blooms in early spring

• Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
  Sun to part shade
  Small pale blooms and vivid purple fall berries

• Oakleaf Hydrangea
  Part shade
  Native shrub with white cone flowers that turn pink and oak-shaped leaves

Top Perennials for Full Sun in Zone 7a/7b

These perennials handle the summer heat and come back year after year

• Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’
  Full sun
  White daisy blooms with yellow centers from summer to fall

• Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’
  Full sun
  Soft yellow blooms on airy foliage from early summer to fall

• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
  Full sun
  Large pink-purple blooms loved by pollinators

• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’)
  Full sun
  Golden yellow petals with dark brown centers

• Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
  Full sun
  Clouds of lavender-blue flowers and silvery foliage

• Daylily ‘Stella de Oro’
  Full sun
  Golden yellow blooms in early summer and repeat blooming

• Yarrow ‘Moonshine’
  Full sun
  Silvery foliage with soft lemon yellow flower clusters

• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
  Full sun
  Red and yellow daisy-like blooms

• Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
  Full sun
  Classic large pink blooms in late spring
  
  For a more in-depth guide on Middle Tennessee and Nashville native garden and landscape plantings, check out our native pollinator planting article here.

Top Perennials for Shade and Part Shade

Perfect for woodland gardens, north sides of homes, or under large trees

• Hosta ‘Frances Williams’
  Shade to part shade
  Large blue-green leaves with creamy edges and lavender flowers

• Heuchera ‘Caramel’
  Part shade
  Copper-orange foliage with airy white flower spikes

• Japanese Painted Fern
  Shade
  Silvery green and burgundy fronds

• Tiarella (Foamflower)
  Shade
  Native groundcover with pale pink bottlebrush blooms

• Solomon’s Seal
  Part shade
  Graceful arching stems with small white bell-like flowers

• Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’
  Part shade
  Feathery white blooms and fernlike foliage

• Ferns (Lady Fern, Christmas Fern, Autumn Fern)
  Shade
  Reliable native ferns with texture and movement

• Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
  Shade
  Silver-speckled leaves with pink and blue early spring flowers

• Toad Lily (Tricyrtis)
  Part shade
  Exotic-looking purple spotted blooms in late summer

Top Small Trees for Nashville Gardens

These trees are perfect for front yards, courtyards, or anchoring garden beds

• Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
  Sun to part shade
  White spring blooms, edible berries, and orange-red fall color

• Redbud ‘Forest Pansy’
  Full sun to part shade
  Rosy pink spring blooms with deep burgundy foliage

• Dogwood (Cornus florida)
  Part shade
  White or pink spring flowers and red fall berries

• Crape Myrtle ‘Sioux’
  Full sun
  Bright pink summer flowers with attractive bark

• Japanese Maple ‘Bloodgood’
  Part shade
  Deep red foliage and delicate form

• Little Gem Magnolia
  Full sun
  Compact tree with large white fragrant blooms

• Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
  Sun to part shade
  Native with fringe-like white spring flowers

• Sweetbay Magnolia
  Sun to part shade
  Creamy white flowers and citrus-scented leaves

• Hornbeam ‘Frans Fontaine’
  Full sun
  Narrow upright shape with bright green foliage that turns yellow in fall

Gardening in Nashville and Middle Tennessee is incredibly rewarding when you know how to work with the land. If you start with healthy soil, choose plants that match your light and moisture conditions, and mix structure with softness, you’ll create a garden that brings you joy in every season.

If you’re ready to turn your landscape into something special, we’d love to help.

Whether you’re dreaming of a peaceful backyard, a lush front entry, or a pollinator haven, we create custom design and installation options tailored to the soil, climate, and personality of your home. Please feel welcome to reach out to us here.