NEW USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps

The How Do Gardener ^ | January 26, 2012 | Rick Bickling

[orsonwb]

On January 25, 2012, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), the first major update since 1990. See the new map, detailed state specific PHZMs, as well as PHZMs for Australia, Canada, China, Europe, and Japan...

[orsonwb]

First time I've seen the new Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Thought the International maps may be helpful to some also.

[momtothree]

For your consideration for the gardening ping. Thanks for posting, orsonwb!

[cripplecreek]

This year would really screw their map up. We’ve had an awesomely warm winter here in southern Michigan.

Next year I’m growing bananas. lol

[Sacajaweau]

Zones shouldn’t change one iota.

[HereInTheHeartland]

This is politically correct way to support the global warminy theory

[Yulee]

Oranges were grown successfully until 1895 in North Florida. Cold wiped most of the groves out about that time. There were orange groves in my area (North Central Florida)even until the 1950’s, but then severe freezes started occurring and orange groves again moved southward. Then in the 1970’s, even the orange groves around Orlando suffered.

Global warming really has played havoc, with temperatures rising and the seas flooding our coastal areas over the last hundred years or so (not!).

[JDW11235]

Cripple, you can grow bananas indoors! Your post made me look, and there’s a company that actually sells indoor banana trees for $10. You can get two for $22 or so after shipping and handling! I’m glad you said that, because I’m going to try it. I have family in CR that had a banana tree in the back yard. Zero maintainence, but then again, that is a tropical country!

[JDW11235]

I forgot to post a link. Here’s a link to the commercial fot the indoor banana trees:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBRn0ycy-6c

[Sacajaweau]

Ding...we have a winner...

Just like the change in the food pyramid...

[Red_Devil 232]

This new Zone map sure clears up my area. On the older map it was difficult to determine my exact zone because the zones meandered all over the place for my area. I am now clearly and without question in zone 8b.

[cripplecreek]

I’ve read that you can grow figs in southern Michigan but it sounds like way more work than its worth.

Apparently you have to bury the whole tree during the winter.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Thanks for the map. I like that.

On a side note, I’m only a fair to middling gardener, but I was an excellent botanist some decades ago. The maps are helpful in an approximate way for determining ranges of native plant species, but there are various mitigating factors. The most important factor is habitat. For example, a steep north-facing slope is much cooler and moister than a south-facing slope. A steep north-facing slope in Georgia might have a similar plant community in many ways to a south-facing slope in Pennsylvania. Length of daylight hours is also a factor. A plant species might grow and thrive when planted in an area in which it might tolerate the temperature but have too little or too few daylight hours in that latitude to initiate flowering and reproduction. Other things factor in as well. (/slightly off topic rambling now over)

[wendell]

Nothing but pure politics. This new bunch in the USDA, are falling all over themselves pushing the Green propaganda.

Maybe stimulus money, will now be spent trying to grow pineapples in Toledo.

Hopefully the next bunch, will spend less time smoking the crops they grow.

[mkboyce]

Puerto Rico is on the map. Did they already vote on statehood?

[Free Vulcan]

I noticed they extend zone 6a into SE Iowa just below me at the converging of the Des Moines and Mississippi. Makes sense, Keokuk is very often a couple of degrees or more warmer than we are 20 miles to the north.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Puerto Rico is on the map. Did they already vote on statehood?

No, but they are part of the United States, as are American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island.

I guess that someone for some reason decided it was worth including Puerto Rico on this map.

[rawhide]

Thanks for this post!