GARDENER BUZZ
Planting Zones
Garden Zones
Planting zones help gardeners to know what plants will grow in their area depending upon the climate. Different organizations in various countries have created hardiness maps that show the planting zones for particular areas. These planting zones (or hardiness zones) are defined by a number (1-10 in the United States). When selecting plants look to see if the zone where that plant will thrive includes your planting zone. If not, extra care will be required such as bringing a plant indoors for the winter or giving it shade during the hot summer. Even with extra care, there may be some plants that just will not thrive in your zone.
One thing to keep in mind when understanding planting zones is that there are micro climates within even a single yard. This may be an area that will raise the temperature the 10 degrees needed to raise the zone by one number – maybe going from a 7 to an 8. Other factors that can influence planting zones include living in the shadow of a mountain, elevation gain, etc. It’s good to know your planting zone, but again, observation is the key to knowing the idiosyncrasies of your yard.
We have included some planting zone maps below, as well as links to a couple of websites that have planting zone information.
To use your ZIP code in the United States go to the USDA map and type in your ZIP code. It will tell you what your zone is. (USDA MAP LINK)
USDA HARDINESS ZONE MAP (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
