Find Your Zone
Finding your zone is one of the most important things you can do when you are choosing plants for your garden. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the above map to illustrate where the various zones are. This map appears on their website in an interactive format that allows you to zoom in on your geographical area. It can be found by clicking the button below.
The zones are differentiated by the average minimum temperature and are widely used. There have been a few iterations of this map, updated every once in a while to compensate for climate change (the last update was done in 2023). In addition to the USDA hardiness zones, The company Sunset (which publishes gardening books and magazines) has also created a climate zone map. Their climate zones are more comprehensive for western regions, taking into account averages of maximum, minimum and mean temperatures, humidity, rainfall, and the length of the growing season (among other variables). Their extensive mapping system can be found here:
USDA and Sunset zones serve the same purpose: to allow horticulturalists to ensure that they are cultivating plants that have a chance of surviving in their area. Use the chart below to translate from USDA to Sunset Zone and vice versa. If you are located in a western area, it may be helpful to write down both sets of zone information so that conversion is not necessary when planning your landscape.
Sunset Zone / USDA Hardiness Map Conversion Chart
|
USDA Zone
1
2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11 |
Temperature (F)
below -50 F
-50 to -45 F -45 to -40 F -40 to -35 F -35 to -30 F -30 to -25 F -25 to -20 F -20 to -15 F -15 to -10 F -10 to -5 F -5 to 0 F 0 to 5 F 5 to 10 F 10 to 15 F 15 to 20 F 20 to 25 F 25 to 30 F 30 to 35 F 35 to 40 F above 40 F |
Sunset Zone
A1
A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 1A, 1B, A2 1-2 1-3 1-3 6 6-7 4, 6-9 4-5, 7-9 16 16-22 17-23, 26 23-24, 26 25, H1, H2 |
