The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map’s origins stretch back to the 1960s, when Henry Skinner of the United States National Arboretum first devised a working map of plant hardiness zones. Our mission is simple: to help transform the face of gardening and food sustainability across the world. Custom programming and server maintenance by, Click here to see both Canadian planting zone maps, http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=15&lang=en. Submitted by anna23@natureday.com on February 10, 2020 - 3:19pm, I live in Zone 8a or 8b. BONUS: You’ll also receive our Almanac Companion newsletter! Click on the map or go to www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=1 to see a larger PDF of this map and the different colors around Niagara Falls. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate planting zones; each growing zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. Those colors are so close. Submitted by Edna Mae on February 6, 2012 - 10:04pm, If I look at the hardiness Zone map it looks like I'am in zone 7 (light green)on the farmers almanac map. Lots of plants that do well in zone 7b will do well in zone 9b too, especially if the type is noted as being heat/drought tolerant. The two most commonly referenced hardiness zone maps are those produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRC). Submitted by Meg on January 14, 2019 - 11:59am. Use CODE BFCM20 for 10% OFF ORDERS $100 OR MORE! Here is their contact information: USDA - Contact Us, As for plants that would work for your garden, look into gardening with alpine plants—plants that naturally grow in high elevations and in environments with high winds and cold temps. Remember, too, that you don’t want the pot to be too big, and so too heavy, to pick up! The lowest temp my area hit this past winter was 14 degrees (there were 2-3 nights where this was the case). It can drop as low as -50 to -40 degrees F here. It’s possible that your area has been mis-zoned; contact the USDA to inquire about their mapping process. Perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees grow best when planted in the appropriate zone. Considered the standard measure of plant hardiness, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is based on average annual minimum winter temperatures. When shopping for new plants for your garden landscape, the terms “plant hardiness zones,” “growing zones” and “planting zones” may at first seem a bit confusing. --TOFA. October 25, 2020; by Zones Determine Planting Dates Median Date of Last Freeze in Spring Planting Zones – To use the map, find your county and determinewhich zone it is located in. Submitted by Kat79 on March 12, 2015 - 2:50pm. Planting zones are most useful to gardeners growing perennial plants, since perennials are meant to live beyond just one growing season. Planting zones define, generally, which plants can survive winter in your area, and the zones are typically listed in plant growing guides for reference. Because annuals are only meant to last the length of one growing season, planting zones don’t necessarily factor into the equation. Having traveled up to various places in Nunavut, it is hard for me to believe there has not been a mistake made in developing the zone for our area. For more information on what plants are suitable for zone 2 and when they should be started, check out our zone 2 graph below. State-by-state maps, along with an electronic system that allows finding the zone for a particular zip code, can be found at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) website.. When to Start Planting According to Your Hardiness ZoneThe United States is broken into 13 hardiness zones. Zone 2 is known for its harsh conditions and cold temperatures. Planting zones are areas you can find on a growing zone map that show exactly which plants are best suited to thrive in your given area, or zone. You have an endless list of possibilities in your hardiness zone, but just to name a few– Bird of Paradise, Black-eyed Susan, African daisies, Hibiscus, Snapdragon, and Gardenia. Statistical cooling outliers garner no media attention. Hardiness Zones, Gardening Zones, Growing Zones and Plant Zones refer to defined geographic regions that can support specific plants, flowers and trees. The name is Chandler. Thanks for sharing and explaining the change. Hi I'm a beginner gardner and I live in yuma az my zone is 10a what flowers are the best for pots and raised garden beds? Native plants are which occur naturally where you live! The Garden Tower Project is committed to socially-responsible practices at every level of gardening. Low-growing sedums and other cold-hardy succulents (like hen and chicks) are good choices, as are ornamental grasses and coniferous plants like juniper. Join us as we dive into those topics and more! See our article on natural landscaping. It’s likely that the nearest climate station (which is where the frost date is calculated from) is at a lower elevation than your garden, which is why the date is off so much. If you're growing vegetables, you can often look up the maximum and minimum temperatures that the plant needs at different life stages and compare it to the temperatures on your plot. More than snow, however, a regular feature of where I live is wind — moderate to high winds that can add to the wind chill factor in winter and potentially damage a garden year-around. For many crops, the quantity of starts to plant should be divided into several plantings, 1 or 2 weeks apart. The zonal designations are solely based on the lowest average temperatures typically seen in that area. Here’s some more information about how they calculated the zones for the map: http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=15&lang=en, Submitted by LYNND on May 14, 2018 - 8:18pm. For annual plants, like most vegetables and some flowers, it’s far more important to pay attention to things like the length of your growing season and the typical dates of your first and last frosts. If you’ve ever put in the effort to start your plants from seeds, or you’ve shelled out the money to plant a garden from seedlings someone else has started, you understand why planting zones matter.. I am concerned that my area, to which I am a relatively new resident, is not zoned accurately. The map is divided into thirteen distinct 10ºF zones, which are further divided into sub-zones of 5°F. Submitted by gerald hirsch on August 26, 2014 - 4:54pm. Friends and Pesks? I am wondering if I am in zone 9b can I pick plants from 9b and lower like 7b? Planting plants, vegetables and flowers that are appropriate for your US growing zone will make sure that your garden is happy and healthy year after year. The two most commonly referenced hardiness zone maps are those produced by the U.S. Department of … Submitted by howcool on March 6, 2016 - 3:56pm. The world's most advanced container garden. Are they accurate? Elevation is also a factor, as is wind. If you plant something at the wrong time for your zone, you’ve wasted time, money, and effort. Or Wiki your latitude and look for climate analogues there. When to Start Planting According to Your Hardiness ZoneThe United States is broken into 13 hardiness zones. In the US there is also a heat zone map developed by the American Horticultural Society.