When shopping for new plants for your garden landscape, the terms “plant hardiness zones,” “growing zones” and “planting zones” may at first seem a bit confusing. Note that microclimates are about more than just ambient temperature and atmospheric conditions.
This map shows higher zones than the accepted USDA map allows for—the USDA hardiness map simply assigns Zone 11 for anywhere with an average annual minimum temperature above 40 F. If they are following the zone system, then each zone is 10 F higher than the last one, making Zone 12 at 50 F and Zone 13 at 60 F.

This Farmer's and Gardner's helpful corner on the internet is under daily updates to cover the whole world planting zones in the first phase. Gardeners in the Southeast are often challenged by soils with excessive clay. California alone has such a diverse climate that people refer to "Northern California" and "Southern California" as if they were separate states.

Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Check out the map below and discern which zone you're in. In terms of growing zones, this region extends east to Montana and Wyoming -- hardly known as prime territory for "singing in the rain.". The modules may be requested for … We have provided here an image of the USDA Zone Map to be used for reference when choosing a grass from the grass type table shown above. Note that the USDA map is a Cold tolerance or Hardiness map. This is a pretty accurate guide when deciding which zone you're in! Other structures commonly used to create microclimates include outbuildings (such as outdoor storage sheds), solid fences, and hedges. Planting Zones Based on the USDA Plant Hardiness Maps, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, 9 Species of Fig (Ficus) Trees for Indoor and Outdoor Gardening, 9 Best Shade-Loving Perennials for Michigan Gardens, Questions to Ask Before Starting a Garden Balcony, 15 Varieties of Roses to Consider for Your Garden, State Maps of USDA Zones for Plant Hardiness, 7 Types of Azaleas and Rhododendrons to Consider for Your Landscape. The Sierra Nevada mountains and the Mojave Desert are almost like different planets. For example, even if you live in zone 5, there may be areas on your property that stay warmer than the average zone-5 location, so that it might be possible to grow a zone-6 plant in these warmer areas. The new edition shows in detail the lowest temperatures that can be expected each year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Let's say you are gardening in zone 5, and the plant that you would like to grow is supposedly hardy only to zone 6. Stark contrasts in climate are the story line for the Southwest overall, ranging from the peaks of Colorado (zone 3) to the burning deserts of southern New Mexico, Arizona, and California (zones 10 and 11). The way the map works is like this: based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. The United States Depa rtment of Agriculture (USDA) has released the first new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map since 1990. Planting zones are areas you can find on a growing zone map that show exactly which plants are best suited to thrive in your given area, or zone. The Hardiness Zone map is a color-coded or shaded map, sometimes accompanied by a chart that expresses the same information. So if hearing the term conjures up images of the storied rainy weather of the Pacific-Coast segment (Seattle, say), you will have to adjust your thinking a bit. Both Canada and Mexico were included in the 1990 Plant Hardiness Zone Mapping. For example, if a plant is said to be "hardy to zone 5," it means it can likely survive in temperatures down to -20 degrees F, the minimum annual temperature in zone-5 climates.
For example, if a piece of land sits down in a low spot (at the foot of hills), cold air may settle there. USDA Hardiness Zones Map - For Reference. The climate of the general area is indicated by the USDA plant hardiness zone.