- Tennessee has three different USDA hardiness zones. The majority of the state is in zone 6b, where plants need to be cold hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The southern part of the state is mostly zone 7a, where plants tolerate temperatures that dip to zero degrees Fahrenheit. A slim section of the state in the north central region is in zone 6a where plants need to be cold hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The inkberry (Ilex glabra) is a tough landscape shrub because it's not fussy about the type of soil where it's planted. It can adjust to moist sites or poorly-drained soil. It makes an excellent hedge shrub because it spreads by rhizomes, with suckers underneath the ground. Expect the shrub to grow up to 8 feet tall and as wide. It thrives in full sun to partial shade in zones 4 to 9. This low-maintenance evergreen produces black, berry-like fruit from fall through spring. Early settlers in the southeast liked the shrub because it attracts bees. The settlers made honey and also dried and roasted the inkberry leaves for tea.
- The Canyon Creek abelias works as a great hedge plant because of its ornamental beauty. New growth leaves emerge a coppery-pink color, then transform to pale yellow, then green, then bronze in the winter. It is hardy in zones 6 to 9, where it thrives in partial shade to full sun with minimum water after it's established. The drought-tolerant shrub grows from 4 to 6 feet tall and as wide. Fragrant pink flowers bloom from May until frost and attract bees and butterflies.
- The Foster holly (Ilex x attenuata) is an ornamental selection that brings an abundance of red berries to the landscape. This evergreen grows from 10 to 15 feet tall and as wide. It is hardy in all Tennessee zones. It thrives in full sun but will grow in partial shade; it loves moist, well-drained soil, but will grow in dry soil once established. The holly leaves and berries are used for making decorations in many regions.
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