Does your Gardening expert Madison Moulton breaks down what USDA hardiness zones can and can’t tell you about your garden, and explains why the number on the map is only the beginning of understanding what will thrive where you live.
If you’ve spent any time shopping for perennials or browsing seed catalogs, you’ve probably been told to check your zone.It’s one of the first pieces of advice new gardeners get. If you’re new to growing, this sounds like a final answer to whether a plant will survive in your yard.
But your hardiness zone largely tells you one piece of information relating to minimum temperatures. And while it’s a useful metric, it leaves out so much about your actual growing conditions. You might skip a plant that would do well in your garden, or confidently plant something that has no chance. And that’s not because of winter cold, but because of summer heat, rainfall, or the specific patch of ground you put it in.
So does your zone matter? Yes. But it’s not the only thing to consider.
Hardiness Zones
