What Are Plant Hardiness Zones? Plus How to Use Them to Decide What to Grow

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Zone 1: -50°F to -60°F

Zone 1 covers some areas of Alaska, including Fairbanks, and experiences harsh conditions with winter temperatures that can drop as low as -60°F. Few gardeners encounter such frigid conditions, but Zone 1 plants are highly resilient.

When to Plant: Mid-June

Common Plants:

Netleaf willow (Salix reticulata)
Dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa)
Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Pennsylvania cinquefoil (Potentilla pensylvanica)
Lapland rhododendron (Rhododendron lapponicum)

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Zone 2: -50°F to -40°F

Zone 2 includes parts of Alaska, such as Prudhoe Bay and Unalakleet, and the northernmost tip of Minnesota near Pinecreek. These areas can experience winter temperatures as low as -50°F.

When to Plant: Mid-June

Common Plants:

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
Bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis)
Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)
Eastern larch (Larix laricina)
Bush cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)
American cranberry bush (Viburnum trilobum)

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Zone 3: -40°F to -30°F

Many U.S. native plants thrive in Zones 3 through 10, with Zone 3 enduring temperatures between -40°F and -30°F. This zone covers areas in the upper Midwest and some northeastern states, specifically northern parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, New York, and Maine.

When to Plant: Mid-May

Common Plants:

Foxglove (Digitalis selections)
Wood fern (Dryopteris selections)
Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Siberian crabapple (Malus baccata)
Goldenrod (Solidago selections)
American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

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Zone 4: -30°F to -20°F

Zone 4 includes areas where plants need to withstand temperatures from -30°F to -20°F. It covers regions in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern parts of Eastern states like New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

When to Plant: Mid-May

Common Plants:

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
Vanhoutte spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei)
Crabapple tree (Malus selections)

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Zone 5: -20°F to -10°F

Zone 5 is prevalent in the Midwest and Northeastern states, where humid summers and cold winters, down to -20°F to -10°F, are common. This zone includes areas in Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York.

When to Plant: Mid-April

Common Plants:

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
Delphinium (Delphinium selections)
Slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
Sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis)
Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata)

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Zone 6: -10°F to 0°F

Zone 6 covers much of the country, including the Pacific Northwest states, like Washington and Oregon, and stretches through Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, New Mexico, and Ohio. Plants here can endure temperatures ranging from -10°F to 0°F.

When to Plant: Mid-April

Common Plants:

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Coralbells (Heuchera)
American holly (Ilex opaca)
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)

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Zone 7: 0°F to 10°F

Zone 7 experiences mild winters where temperatures rarely drop below 0°F. This zone includes parts of Washington and Oregon, extending through north Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, and North Carolina. Plants here thrive in temperatures from 0°F to 10°F.

When to Plant: Mid-April

Common Plants:

Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica)
Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
English holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Magnolia tree (Magnolia selections)
Texas rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)
Kurume azalea (Rhododendron Kurume hybrids)
English yew (Taxus baccata)

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Zone 8: 10°F to 20°F

Zone 8 regions enjoy extended growing seasons due to a later first frost and earlier last frost. This zone encompasses parts of the West Coast, much of the South, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and along Virginia’s coast.

When to Plant: Mid-March

Common Plants:

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
Mexican orange (Choisya ternata)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus selections)
New Zealand daisy-bush (Olearia haastii)
Japanese pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira)
Cherry-laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora)
Yucca (Yucca selections)

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Zone 9: 20°F to 30°F

Zone 9 features mild temperatures ideal for a range of plants, with lows between 20°F and 30°F. While much of California is in this zone, it also includes southern parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.

When to Plant: Mid-February

Common Plants:

Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus)
Dahlia (Dahlia selections)
Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
Fuchsia (Fuchsia selections)
Silk-oak (Grevillea robusta)
Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum)
California pepper tree (Schinus molle)
Australian bush cherry (Syzygium paniculatum)

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Zone 10: 30°F to 40°F

Zone 10 hosts some of the warmest areas in the United States, found in Southern California, far-southern Texas, and southern Florida. Plants in this zone are not typically frost-tolerant but can survive in temperatures ranging from 30°F to 40°F.

When to Plant: Mid-January

Common Plants:

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis)
Golden shower (Cassia fistula)
Ensete (Ensete ventricosum)
Lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora)
Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
Violet churcu (Iochroma cyaneum)
Royal palm (Roystonea regia)
Palmetto palm (Sabal spp.)

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Zone 11: 40°F to 50°F

Zone 11 is ideal for tropical plants, covering areas such as Hawaii where temperatures remain warm year-round. Plants here do not endure temperatures below 40°F to 50°F and are free from frost.

When to Plant: Any time

Common Plants: