USDA Hardiness Zones
The USDA divides North America into zones based on average winter minimum temperatures. Your zone determines which perennial plants survive outdoors and helps calculate your planting dates.
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Extreme cold. Interior Alaska, northern Minnesota. Growing season around 100 days. Cold frames and season extension essential for most...
Very cold winters. Northern Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota. Short but intense growing season with long summer daylight.
Cold winters. Upper Midwest, northern New England, high-elevation mountain areas. Reliable snow cover protects perennials.
Cold but manageable winters. Much of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont, northern Michigan. Good range of cold-hardy fruit trees and perennials.
Moderate cold. Parts of Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado. Wide variety of vegetables and many perennials thrive.
The sweet spot for temperate gardening. Much of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Connecticut. Nearly all common vegetables succeed with proper...
Mild-to-moderate winters. Central Missouri, southern Ohio, parts of New Jersey, Kentucky. Long growing season supports warm-season crops...
Mild winters with occasional hard freezes. Southern Pennsylvania, Virginia Piedmont, Tennessee. Excellent range of both warm and...
Mild winters, occasional freezes. North Carolina Piedmont, Virginia, parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico. Long growing season with two planting...
Warm-temperate. Much of the Southeast, north Texas, coastal Mid-Atlantic. Very long growing season with spring and fall planting windows.
Mild. Coastal Southeast, central Texas, Pacific Northwest lowlands. Near year-round gardening with winter cool-season crops.
Warm. Puget Sound, Gulf Coast, much of the Deep South. Cool-season crops grow through winter. Some tropicals survive.
Subtropical. South Florida, south Texas, southern California coast. Year-round gardening. Tropical fruits begin to be viable.
Near-tropical. South Florida, Rio Grande Valley, coastal Southern California. Frost is rare and brief. Many tropical plants survive...
Tropical margins. Southern tip of Florida, Hawaiian lowlands, San Diego area. Frost is extremely rare. Tropical fruit trees thrive.
Truly tropical. South Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico. Frost essentially never occurs. Year-round tropical gardening.
Learn more about what hardiness zones mean and how they affect your garden →