When I first started gardening, I had absolutely no idea what zones referred to.  I was often asking the question, “Why can’t I have that plant?  I mean, I like the flower, I have the right amount of shade or sun, the right amount of everything to have that plant, so why can’t I?”

The reason was that the plant couldn’t survive or thrive in my zone.  Winters are a bit too cold and I would have to bring a lot of plants inside in early fall just to accommodate them.  It took me a while to understand what the zones were and why I couldn’t ignore them.  Today, I understand zones, although I don’t always like them, and on Savvy Gardening, we frequently mention zones.  For that reason, I am going to take a quick look at zones.

What is a zone?

A zone, also known as a hardiness zone, is a geographical area that is classed together for the purpose of growing plants.  Some plants thrive in one type of temperature and die in others.  It is the way plants, and for that matter, the  world is made.  Zones can be large, or small but the main quality that the zone has in common is the minimum temperature that is reached each year.  Zones are numbered from 1 to 11 with the coldest starting at one and the hottest starting at 11.   Below are links to maps for various countries and hardiness.

• United States
• Canada
• Europe
• South America
• Australia

Now it is important to add that although zones help in deciding on plants, it is not the definitive.  Plants that may grow in your climate, may not grow in your garden.  There are many different things to look at including amount of annual precipitation, soil composition, acidity in the soil and the natural light that your garden has.  The zones are merely a starting point to finding the best plants for your home.

Below is a listing of the minimum temperatures for each zone:

• Zone 1: below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 46 degrees Celsius
• Zone 2: minus 50  to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 46 to minus 40 degrees Celsius
• Zone 3: minus 40  to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 40 to minus 34 degrees Celsius
• Zone 4: minus 30  to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 34 to minus 29 degrees Celsius
• Zone 5: minus 20  to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 29 to minus 23 degrees Celsius
• Zone 6: minus 10  to 0 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 23 to minus 18 degrees Celsius
• Zone 7: 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 18 to minus 12 degrees Celsius
• Zone 8: 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 12 to minus 7 degrees Celsius
• Zone 9: 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 7 to minus 1 degrees Celsius
• Zone 10: 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 1 to 4 degrees Celsius
• Zone 11: anything above 40 degrees Fahrenheit or  4 degrees Celsius

Related posts:

1. How to Decipher Zone Rules when Planting Roses
2. The Best Roses to Grow in your Climate
3. Gardening Climate Zones Are A Selection Guide
4. Pretty in Pink: Top Ten Varieties of Pink Roses for a Gorgeous Garden
5. The Best Rose Varieties for those Wild Winter Months

Tags: climate zones, Gardens, growing plants, hardiness zones, minimum temperatures, temperature zones, understanding zones, zone maps, Zones

Give us your rating of this article below!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS