What planting zone are you in? These detailed maps can help your garden flourish

With spring on the horizon, many gardeners are preparing for prolonged, hearty growing seasons in their region.

The United States has a diverse ecological footprint, so growing seasons differ slightly from region to region. Knowing when to plant in specific hardiness zones is important to maximize the spring season's potential.

A hardiness zone is a geographic area with a similar average minimum temperature. The map is based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature, so people in those areas know which plants can withstand the weather.

It wouldn't be good to plant a tropical plant in the northern part of the country, where the minimum average temperature can drop as low as -20 degrees when that kind of plant needs at least 40 degrees yearly.

The USDA divides the United States into seven planting regions, known as hardiness zones, which were most recently updated in 2023. The maps below show these planting regions.

North Central US Planting Zone

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to view the planting zones for the North Central U.S.

Northeast US Planting Zone

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to view the planting zones for the Northeast U.S.

Northwest US Planting Zone

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to view the planting zones for the Northwest U.S.

South Central US Planting Zone Map

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to view the planting zones for the South Central U.S.

Southeast US Planting Zone Map

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to see the planting zones for the Southeast U.S.

Southwest US Planting Zone Map

Trouble seeing the map? Click here to view the planting zones for the Southwest U.S.