California Garden Zone Map
Why planting zones matter.
California garden zone map. Usda plant hardiness zone map. Each zone is 10 f warmer or colder in an average winter than the adjacent zone. Based on the 1990 usda hardiness zone map this interactive version covers the state of california which ranges from usda zone 4b to usda zone 11a.
The 2012 usda plant hardiness zone map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. Northern and central california coast range thermal belts growing season. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature divided into 10 degree f zones.
Planting zones are areas you can find on a growing zone map that show exactly which plants are best suited to thrive in your given area or zone. Like zone 15 this region is dominated by maritime air but its winters are milder on average. If you plant something at the wrong time for your zone you ve wasted time money and effort.
Zone 11 is the warmest. This planting zone map is based on the 2012 usda plant hardiness map which was adjusted for the warmer temperatures that have occurred over the past few decades. The interactive map is a multi layered map with zone colors overlaying the selected base map option terrain road map and satellite image.
To find the planting zone for california that you live in simply find the area on the map above that you live in and match the color of that area to the map legend to the right. If you ve ever put in the effort to start your plants from seeds or you ve shelled out the money to plant a garden from seedlings someone else has started you understand why planting zones matter. This map divides north america into 11 separate zones.
The usda map is the one most gardeners in the eastern united states rely on and the one that most national garden magazines catalogs books websites and nurseries currently use. With cold air draining to lower elevations winter lows typically run from 32 degrees to 19 degrees f 0 degrees to 7 degrees c. When shopping for new plants for your garden landscape the terms plant hardiness zones growing zones and planting zones may at first seem a bit confusing.