USDA Plant Hardiness Zones
Plant hardiness zones describe how cold a place gets in an average winter — the single most important factor for whether a perennial plant will survive year-to-year. Click any zone to see US cities in it.
Approximate. Official USDA zones use the average annual extreme minimum temperature. We approximate this from each station's average January-low (subtracting an offset). For garden planning use the official zone map at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov; our derivation is accurate within one half-zone for most stations. Methodology →
South Florida, southern California coast. Tropical plants reliable year-round.
Coastal extreme south. Bananas, hibiscus, bougainvillea thrive.
Far southern Florida. Tropical climate; frost essentially absent.
Florida Keys. True tropical climate.
Bitter cold — short growing seasons. Hardy native shrubs and perennials only.
Far-north climates. Limited to extremely cold-hardy plants.
Cold winter climates. Apples, hardy roses, peonies thrive; tender ornamentals struggle.
Upper Midwest and northern New England. Heating-degree-day intensive.
Northern tier — Minnesota, Vermont, Maine. Many garden classics work with winter protection.
Cold continental winters. Lilacs, peonies, apples; no warm-climate plants.
Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, mountain west. Long growing season for veggies.
Most of the lower Midwest. Roses, fruit trees, common ornamentals all work.
Upper South and lower Midwest. Hardy figs, crepe myrtles, magnolias come into play.
Mid-Atlantic to upland South. Most fruit trees, broadleaf evergreens.
Deep South, Pacific NW lowlands. Camellias, gardenias, palms in protected spots.
Coastal South, Pacific NW. Many subtropical plants survive most winters.
Coastal CA, lower South. Citrus possible with frost protection.
Florida central, coastal SoCal. Subtropicals thrive; tropicals occasionally damaged.