One of the most important factors in determining whether a plant will thrive or die in a specific environment is the temperature of the weather.
Most gardeners have the habit of plant’s cold hardiness zone range before putting it in the garden. However, many forget about checking the heat tolerance of the said plants.
It’s highly recommended to also check the heat zone map which can help you make sure your new plant will make it through summers in your area.
Read on for an explanation on what does heat zone mean, including advice, on how to use heat zones when choosing plants.
Heat Zone Map Info
For many years, gardeners used cold hardiness zone maps to determine whether a specific plant can tolerate the winter weather in their garden area. Based on the coldest recorded winter temperatures in a region, the USDA created a map that divides the country into twelve cold hardiness zones.
The average winter temperatures in Zone 1 are the coldest, while Zone 12 has the least cold average winter temperatures.
However, the USDA’s “hardiness zones” do not account for summer temperatures. That is to say, the hardiness range of a specific plant may indicate that it can tolerate the winter temperatures in your area, but it does not reflect its heat tolerance. That is the main reason for the creation of the heat zones map.
Heat Zones: What Do They Mean?
Heat zones are the high-temperature equivalent of cold hardiness zones. The American Horticultural Society (AHS) has created a “Plant Heat Zone Map” that also divides the country into twelve numbered zones.
So what are heat zones? The map’s twelve zones are determined by the average number of “heat days” per year, which are defined as days on which temperatures exceed 86 F. The region with the the least heat days (less than one) is located in zone 1, while the region with the most heat days (more than 210) is located in zone 12.
How to Use Heat Zones
Gardeners verify that an outdoor plant is grown within their hardiness zone prior to selecting it. In order to facilitate this, plants are frequently sold with information regarding the hardiness zones in which they can thrive.
For instance, a tropical plant may be characterized as thriving in USDA plant hardiness zones 10-12.
Suggested Reads:
- USDA Zone Explanation: What Do Hardiness Zones Mean
- USDA Planting Zones: What Is My Growing Zone?
- Tips & Advice about Gardening by Zone in the US
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