It is exactly the same with plants. It may not be the best fit for them to be one zone outside of their recommended hardiness zone and they may not grow as well as they should, but sometimes you make exceptions and take special care of a plant you really want to have. Since the hardiness zone is so important, you may be wondering how to tell which zone is good for which plant.
Just like shoes are labeled by size, plants are too. The tag on plants contains zone information, saying which zone it grows best in, or you can do an Internet search to find the information.
If you ever have any questions on which plants grow best in your hardiness zone or need to know whether a specific plant will grow in a specific zone, a local garden center will be able to help you.
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For example, if a vegetable grows better in a warmer climate, you should cover it anytime your area has a frost warning. The USDA map can be a good guideline, but it isn't a set of strict rules to be followed. The National Gardening Association notes that while the map does a good job of addressing climates of the eastern half of North America, it has a few shortcomings, especially in the west, where climates are much more varied thanks to mountains and deserts.
For example, though Seattle and Tuscon are both in Zone 8 for temperature, there's a large difference between the coastal, rain-heavy climate of Seattle and drier, inland Tuscon. Hardiness zones can vary between towns and even within the same city. Denver is in a different zone than the suburban areas immediately surrounding it.
If you'd like to view the zone for your area, you can use the USDA's interactive map to find the plant hardiness zone in your exact location, down to the ZIP code. Remember, hardiness zones can differ across town. A heat island effect in downtown areas might warrant a warmer zone than a less-populated suburban area. Elevation change can affect average temperatures, too.
My neighborhood sits in Zone 6b, but the part of town just a little farther west is categorized as Zone 7a. While you might not notice big differences in which plants can survive in two zones so similar, it's still important to know where your garden falls on the map. In my area, vegetables like radishes, lettuce, peas and tomatoes are all likely to thrive when cared for correctly.
The greater variance in elevation and precipitation across the mountainous and geographically varied West confuse the hardiness zone algorithm. Lush, coastal Seattle, Washington, and the inland desert city of Barstow, California, for example, are both considered hardiness zone 8 even though their weather and plants are much different.
There are definitely some very, very windy sites that might cause tissue dieback. Wilber explained that your microclimate can also be influenced by how your property slopes and how much canopy cover your property has. She recalled a friend with a mountain property where the front yard is zone 9 and the back is 8b. Sunset Western Garden Book developed a climate zone map with 24 different climate zones for the Western United States. Damage to plants from heat is more subtle and slow-burning than damage from cold, so the map is especially useful if you are looking to plan perennial plants in warm climates.
Chill hours, which measure how long the cold temperatures last, are also important for growing things like fruit. The traditional definition of a chill hour is any hour under 45 degrees Fahrenheit, though there are competing theories and models.
Some apple tree varieties, for example, over 1, chill hours, while northern Florida only gets about hours. Wilber recommends contacting your local cooperative extension to find out the number of chill hours in your area.
Even with these alternate designations, most gardeners agree that you should observe the microclimates in your garden in order to grow most effectively. She recommended keeping a garden journal to record temperatures and monitor rainfall. Sam Schipani loves pollinators, fresh herbs, and learning how to live more sustainably in small spaces. How to make hummingbird food.
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