Skip to main content

HappySprout may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

What to know about climate zones before planting your garden

How to use the USDA hardiness zones when gardening

Tulips in the rain
Lancier / Pixabay

One of the most important aspects of gardening is learning what plants will grow successfully in your region. Climate zones – also referred to as plant hardiness zones or growing zones – provide general guidelines to let gardeners know what plants are hardy in their area. Wondering how these climate zones are divided, why they matter, and how to use that info in your own garden? Then this is the guide for you! We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about climate zones for plants, so that you can go into the next gardening season as confident as possible.

What you need to know about climate zones

A black walnut tree in the afternoon sun
Nancy Tripp Photography / Shutterstock

So, what is a climate zone? In the 1960s, the United States Department of Agriculture divided the country into different regions with the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The gist is relatively straightforward: Scientists used temperature data to split the country into multiple zones based on average annual minimum temperatures. Each area is separated by a difference of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. And in case you were wondering, yes, an individual state can consist of several zones!

Recommended Videos

Currently, the United States is split up into a total of 13 zones. Climate Zone 1 is the coldest, whereas Climate Zone 13 is the warmest. Check out the USDA’s website to determine your plant hardiness zone — all you have to do is click on where you live or input your ZIP code. 

Annuals vs. perennials 

flower garden at the edge of a lawn
Peter Turner Photography / Shutterstock

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map will give you a broad overview of which perennials are hardy in your region. Let’s break down what this means.

First, hardiness refers to a plant’s ability to withstand adverse conditions — in this case, cold temperatures. Perennials are plants that will survive more than one growing season, whereas annuals will die after a year. Your plant hardiness zone is solely determined by temperature, so also consider your region’s soil, humidity, wind, and rainfall as you choose plants.

Sunset Magazine uses a more sophisticated climate zone map developed for gardeners in the western part of the United States. The map accounts for factors such as growing season length, rainfall, winter lows, summer highs, wind, and humidity.

Select and grow plants for your climate zone 

White hydrangea flowers beginning to turn pink
ArmbrustAnna / Pixabay

Climate zones are based on temperature because that is a metric that always matters when growing plants. Over winter, perennials will go dormant (since they have different levels of cold hardiness), while annuals will die in freezing conditions. Knowing your specific hardiness zone will allow you to pick out a plant with a better chance of survival in your region. Especially if you are buying plants online, check where they’re hardy to make sure they will survive. 

To get a sense of how different the zones are, Zone 1’s average minimum temperature range is between -60° and – 50° F., and Zone 13’s average minimum temperature range is between 60° and 70° F. The former includes parts of Alaska, and the latter encompasses regions in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Both can pose difficulties for green life. 

Climate zones and growing season length

Peony flowers
Angela Groenendijk / Unsplash

Understanding your climate zone will also help you plan your gardening schedule with ease. In general, the higher the number of your zone, the longer the growing season will be. If you live in an area with a higher number, you’ll likely be able to have one or two extra grow cycles. Gardeners in warmer regions can start vegetable seeds earlier outside. Those who live in colder parts of the country will need to start seeds inside or wait until the final frost.

That said, the cold isn’t necessarily always bad for your foliage. Some fruit-bearing plants will actually require a dormancy period in the winter to grow fruits. In other words, they need a base level of coldness to thrive! The same idea applies to many flower bulbs, such as peonies

Do other countries have different climate zones?

A shrub with pink flowers covered in snow
rycky21 / Pixabay

Across the globe, many countries use a similar system to the US to help their gardeners determine which plants can grow in their region. Not every country or region has a map, and not every map is easily available online, but those that are available use a similar method of dividing zones based on the lowest winter temperatures in an area.

Since climates vary quite a bit from country to country, zones don’t always line up with the USDA zones. For example, Zone 1 in the US, Australia, and Japan all have different temperature ranges. If you plan on moving to a new country with your plants, it’s important to check the temperature range of the new zone you’ll be moving into, rather than just relying on the name! If you’re curious about climate zones for plants in other countries, here’s where you can read about the zones in Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Knowing the nuances of your microclimate will help you select the right plants and give them proper care. While the Plant Hardiness Zone Map only provides a broad framework, it is an excellent place to start when planning your garden and planting schedule. 

Stacey Nguyen
Stacey's work has appeared on sites such as POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles, Buzzfeed, The Balance, TripSavvy, and more. When she's…
Transform your garden with these beautiful landscape edging ideas
Try these ideas and up your garden game this spring
Various colorful flowers in a garden with a low wooden wall border

Garden beds are a classic way of organizing a garden, and they’re excellent for creating separate spaces that have different aesthetics or themes. However, there is a catch. If you want your garden beds to be unique areas, you need to keep them from blending into the rest of your yard or garden. If the edges aren’t neat, it can be difficult to tell where the bed begins and ends. Rough edges don’t just impact the aesthetics of your garden beds, though. They can also make certain parts of caring for your garden more difficult. To keep your garden beds orderly, here are a few landscape edging ideas for you to try.
What is landscape edging?

Landscape edging is a border between a garden bed and the rest of your garden or yard. They can look like almost anything, from a small wall to a decorative fence, and serve several functions. Aesthetically, they set the garden bed apart from the rest of the area, making it a contained unit. If you’re a fan of English country gardens, landscape edging can help you achieve the same effect in a smaller space.

Read more
How to prepare your garden for spring: Tips for a successful season
Make sure your garden is ready for spring with this checklist
Spring flowering bulbs

The seasons are changing once again, meaning it’s time to start getting your garden ready for spring. If you’ve planned your next garden and know what you want to plant, but aren’t sure when or how to prepare the garden for spring, then you’re in luck. We’ll walk you through everything you need to do to make sure your garden is in peak condition for the new season. From when to start to how to get your soil and plants ready, this guide will tell you everything you need to know.
Gathering your supplies

Before you can begin to prepare the garden for spring, make sure you have everything you’ll need. If you’re planning on ordering seeds or plants online, go ahead and place your order so you won’t have to wait for them to arrive after the garden has been prepared. This is also a great time to order supplies that you already know you’ll need for projects you want to tackle, or things you know you’re out of such as fresh potting soil or fertilizer.

Read more
Grow these 7 crops in your winter hydroponic garden for success
Add these vegetables to your winter hydroponic garden
Vegetables growing hydroponically

Hydroponic gardens are a fascinating way to grow plants indoors. There are many different plants that can grow hydroponically, and they can grow year-round with some preparation. In winter, there tends to be less light and more drafts. You may need to adjust by moving your hydroponic garden to a better location, supplementing with a grow light, or adding some extra protection to keep the drafts away.

Not everything has to become more difficult in winter, though. Some plants will grow just as well in winter, setting you up for success. This guide to winter hydroponic garden crops will help you choose what to plant.
Cilantro

Read more