The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is Updated Has Your Zone Changed?

The new USDA Hardiness Zone Map was released in late 2023, see if your zone has changed.

The zones are based on average annual extreme minimum temperatures. It uses data from weather stations and takes into account elevation and many other factors to determine hardiness zones.. It was designed to be used online allowing users to type in their zip code to easily find their hardiness zone.

The USDA says the new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the most accurate map it has created thus far. It discusses what the zones are and how they are used. The USDA added zones 12 and 13 for areas with very warm winters. Some areas have seen bigger shifts than others. The finer detail of the map allows gardeners to see variations within their region. Warmer areas may be due to cities or lakes. The new zones will give gardeners better knowledge about which plants they need to be prepared to bring indoors during winter.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Accessed from https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/