• Forsythia thrives in Chicago.Sharon Dominick/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Chicago, Illinois, is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5b where plants must be hardy from minus 10 to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Tall plants and bushes need to survive the wind off Lake Michigan, the cold and snowy winters and the hot, humid summers. Spring and fall are mild and relatively short. Tall plants are considered to be over 8 feet and under 25 feet tall. They are often used for privacy screens, hedges or focal points in the garden. The Chicago Botanic Garden recommends several tall plants that thrive in the Windy City.
  
  

Forsythia

• The forsythia (Forsythia "Meadowlark") is one of the old-fashioned, tall plants of Chicago. It has been cultivated so more cold-hardy species are available to residents of Chicago. It will be a fast grower in your garden, reaching heights of 8 to 15 feet in an upright shape. It blooms from March to April with yellow flowers that will last about a month. It thrives in full sun with moderate water in well-drained soil. It's often used as a screen or hedge.
  
  

Hally Jolivette Cherry

• The "Hally Jolivette" cherry (Prunus "Hally Jolivette") is a small shrub that grows about 15 feet tall and fills the garden with pink buds in early spring. The buds open to show off large white flowers tinged with pink. The bloom season is from March through June. The cherry grows best in full sun with moderate water in well-drained soil.
  
  

Hybrid Witch Hazel

• The hybrid witch hazel (Hamamelis intermedia) is an upright, deciduous shrub that grows 15 to 25 feet tall. It is known for its fragrant flowers that bloom from February or March to April, some of the first in Illinois gardens. The blooms are in shades of orange, yellow and red. The flowers unfurl during the day and roll up at night. It thrives in partial to full sun and likes moderate water. It is used in Chicago as a border or bedding plant.
  
  

Seven Sun Flower

• The seven sun flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is fast growing to a height of 15 to 20 feet in an upright shape with white flowers. It is a relative of the honeysuckle, so the fragrant blooms fill the garden from July through August. After the flowers are gone, the sepals change to a pink-purple color. The flower thrives in full sun with well-drained, moist soil. It's good as a bedding or border plant and its bark is of interest in the winter. It is native to China, but was distributed to the Chicago Botanic Garden in 1980.