Check Your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Look up your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov and select plants rated for your zone or colder. The zone indicates average annual minimum winter temperatures, which determines which perennials can survive outdoors year-round and helps gauge your growing season length for annuals.

Why It Works

Planting outside your zone is the most common cause of perennial failure. A plant rated for Zone 6 will not survive winters in Zone 4. For annual vegetables, knowing your zone helps you estimate frost-free days so you can pick varieties that mature in time.

Tips

• Choose perennials rated one zone colder than yours for extra winter resilience
• Note that urban areas often run one half-zone warmer than surrounding rural land
• Pair your zone with your last/first frost dates for the most useful planting window
• Raised beds and south-facing walls can effectively shift your microclimate warmer