All About Climate Zones: Gardening in Different Climates

Most farmers and gardeners are familiar with temperature-based hardiness zones. These are specified in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness map that divides the country into zones based on the average lowest winter temperatures. However, cold temperatures are not the only factor relevant to how well plants grow.

It’s also highly recommended and very helpful to learn more about different climate zones and climate types.

What is a Climate?

Generally-speaking, the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area is referred to as climate. The weather may vary from hour to hour, day to day, month to month, or even year to year. Weather patterns are typically monitored for a minimum of 30 years to determine a region’s climate.

The global weather patterns are influenced by the Earth’s tilt, rotation, and land/sea distribution, which leads to variations in various locations.

Climate Features

The average temperature and precipitation of a region are likely the most widely recognized features of its climate. Specific climates are also influenced by variations in day-to-day, day-to-night, and seasonal patterns.

Windiness, humidity, cloud cover, atmospheric pressure, and fogginess are also included in the climate. The climate is significantly influenced by latitude. Regional climate can also be influenced by the landscape. The climate of a region can be influenced by its elevation, proximity to the ocean or freshwater, and land-use patterns.

What are Climate Zones?

Plant hardiness zone maps were created to assist gardeners and farmers in determining which plants are capable of surviving in their respective regions. Numerous plants that are sold in nurseries are designated with a hardiness range to enable people to identify suitable hardy options for their garden.

Hardiness to cold weather is one factor that influences the health of a plant in your garden; however, it is not the sole factor. Additionally, you must think about the length of the growing season, summer temperatures, rainfall, and humidity.

All of these factors have been incorporated into the development of climate zones. People who garden in climate zones consider these gardening climates when selecting plants for their garden. It is generally the case that plants thrive in regions with climates that are similar to those of their native regions.

Understanding Climate Zones

Understanding what climate zones are and the different climate types can definitely help you succeed in gardening. Your climate zone will impact the plants you can grow.

There are five main types of climates, with climate zones ranging from tropical to polar.

A. Tropical climates – These are hot and humid, with high average temperatures and lots of precipitation. Moist tropical climates extend north and south from the equator to about 15° to 25° latitude. In these climates, all months have average temperatures greater than 64°F (18°C) and annual rainfall greater than 59″
B. Dry climate zones – These zones are hot but dry, with very low precipitation. These climates extend from 20°-35° North and South of the equator and in large continental regions of the mid-latitudes, often surrounded by mountains. C. Subtropics – This climate has warm and humid summers with mild winters. It extends from 30°-50° latitude mainly on the eastern and western borders of most continents
D. Continental zones – Continental zones have summers that are warm or cool and cold winters with snowstorms
E. Polar zones – These climate zones are extremely cold in winter and quite cool in summer. Polar climates are mostly found on the northern coastal areas of North America, Europe, Asia, and on the land masses of Greenland and Antarctica
H. Highlands – Unique climates that are a result of elevation. Highland climates occur in mountainous terrain where rapid elevation changes cause rapid climatic changes over short distances

Climate Zones Map

The map shows where these major climates occur in the mainland United States. — The map shows where the major climates occur in the mainland United States.

Click here to download the image of the climate zones in the US, also known as the major Köppen zones in the U.S.

The map above shows the different climate zones of the US. As soon as you begin to understand climate zones, you can apply them to your gardening tasks. Gardening with climate zones in mind entails the introduction of plants that are compatible with the specific gardening climates of the gardener.

First, it is important to determine your own climate and climate zone in the US. There are numerous climate zone maps that can assist you in this regard.

For instance, Sunset Magazine’s 24-zone climate system is applicable to gardeners in the western United States. The Sunset zone maps consider the typical lows of winter and the average highs of summer. Additionally, they consider the patterns of rainfall, humidity, and growing seasons.

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