Understanding the USDA planting zones is not complicated. Learn how to identify your growing zone on simple USDA maps and plan your garden accordingly.
Finding your plant hardiness zone is essential to your garden growing success. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone Map presents an in-depth overview of average temperature trends across the United States and Canada. Zone Hardiness maps are based on the average yearly extremes for minimum temperatures in a specific area.
US Growing Zone Map: Planting Zones in the United States
Click here for full resolution USDA planting zones map.
The growing zones indicate what you can plant in a given region. By understanding gardening zones map, the USDA zones, you’ll be better able to make the right plants selection for your garden.
In short, knowing your hardiness zone for plants is actually one of the most essential factors in gardening success and can mean the difference between a successful crop and a failing garden.
Plant Hardiness
Hardiness refers to a plant’s ability to survive winter temperatures. For instance, if you select plants that are only relatively cold hardy for your particular growing zone, an exceptionally cold winter with well below average temperatures could lead to the demise of the plants.
Your geographic location and climate will then determine and affect how successful your plants will grow in your gardening areas.
US Hardiness Zones
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes it easy for you to figure which plants are hardy in any given area.
The USDA outlined the hardiness zones for North America and created a map in 1960 that defines those zones. The map was updated in 1965, 1990, 2012, and most recently in 2023.
It is important to point out that the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones do not possess complete accuracy. Planting zones actually have micro-climates that occur within each geographical area.
Unprotected areas of open land may be more susceptible to frost and lower temperatures than higher elevations. On the other hand, there are occurrences where temperatures may exceed the projected levels indicated on the map.
What Is My Growing Zone?
Identify what your USDA Plant Hardiness Grow Zone is, and you will figure what plants are likely to thrive in your location of the United States and Canada.
You can use the USDA growing zone map to find which zone you garden in. You can use the map by simply looking at it and finding your location, or you can use the USDA’s zip code tool.
Certain areas feature a distinct and easily identifiable zone. In some areas, regional or local variations mean you might see two or more zones close to where you live. The zip code search is handy for these regions.
Gardening for Your Zone
The USDA Zone Hardiness Map is divided up into 13 planting zones. A division is determined according to the average annual minimum temperatures, which differs by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The larger the number is, the warmer the temperature is in the corresponding garden zone. For added clarity, zones are subdivided into subsets of a and b, which represents a 5-degree differential in which a is colder than b is.
Take into consideration your USDA growing zone when selecting plants. Make sure to check plants’ zones. Plants are usually labeled as being hardy in a range of zones, for instance 7 through 10. Compare the plants zones to your zone to decide if you can grow it as a perennial.
In addition to finding out your hardiness zone, seeking further guidance from your local garden center is highly recommended. They are experts in your community and your planting zone and can help you with any further questions or concerns that you may have.
Additionally, you can use the zones to determine plants that will not do well in your area because the climate is too warm. For example, if you live in zone 10 and find a plant hardy in zones 4 and 5, technically you can grow it, but it’s unlikely to thrive in the warm conditions.
Keep in mind that the USDA planting zones are defined for growing in the ground, not containers. Soil in the ground stays warmer than soil in containers in the winter, and colder than soil in containers in summer, so the zones do not apply to potted plants.
USDA Planting Zones by State
Suggested Reads:
- Heat Zone Map Info: What Do Heat Zones Mean Anyway
- USDA Zone Explanation: What Do Hardiness Zones Mean
- USDA Zones in Canada: Are Canada Growing Zones Similar to U.S.
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