Beginner’s guide to Hardiness Zones
Can’t grow a certain plant in your backyard? Submitted to the idea that you just don’t have a green thumb? Stop. Hardiness zones may be to blame.
If you are thinking of planting shrubs, vines, or perennials that live for many years to come, you must find out 1) what are the coldest temperatures those plant species can survive? and, 2) how cold it gets on average where you live?
To make it easy to answer these questions, the United States Department of Agriculture developed the Hardiness Zone system. The system divides the US map into areas or zones. There are 11 hardiness zones on USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Each zone is defined by the average minimum temperature annually and is typically 10°F colder (or warmer) than the adjacent zone.
What’s my hardiness zone, you ask? Check out this interactive map on the USDA website and simply enter your zip code to find out which zone you’re in!
So next time you’re at your local nursery, remember to check out the hardiness zone printed on the plant tag or the seed packet and make sure it matches the zone you’re in.
Happy Gardening!
