Have you ever looked at a plant tag and wondered what “Zone 3” or “Zone 9” actually means? Here's the short version - your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone tells you how cold it typically gets where you live and helps you figure out which perennial plants have a reasonable shot at surviving your winter.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map runs from Zone 1 through Zone 13, covering growing conditions from the coldest parts of the country to tropical climates. The plants available through Lavender Frog Farm & Garden range from Zones 2–12, so there's something for just about every part of the country.
Zone 1 | Below −50°F
This is serious cold. Found in some of the coldest parts of Alaska, Zone 1 calls for exceptionally cold-hardy plants that can handle long, brutal winters.
Zone 2 | −50°F to −40°F
Still really damn cold. The growing season is limited and plants need to be built for extreme winter temperatures—but yes, there are plants that can handle it.
Zone 3 | −40°F to −30°F
Cold winters are still the name of the game, but gardeners have more perennial, shrub and tree options than in Zones 1 and 2. Choosing plants specifically rated for this kind of cold matters.
Zone 4 | −30°F to −20°F
A cold-winter climate with plenty of familiar garden possibilities. Hardy perennials, flowering shrubs, trees and edibles can all do well here when they're suited to the zone.
Zone 5 | −20°F to −10°F
Cold winters, but lots of gardening options. Many common perennials, shrubs, fruit plants and ornamental trees are hardy here.
Zone 6 | −10°F to 0°F
A comfortable middle ground for a huge variety of plants. There's a lot to choose from, although winter hardiness still matters when you're picking perennials, shrubs and trees.
Zone 7 | 0°F to 10°F
Winters are milder, which opens the door to plants that can't handle the colder northern zones. The growing season is generally longer, too—but remember, your zone is about winter cold, not your entire climate.
Zone 8 | 10°F to 20°F
Mild winters mean a long list of planting possibilities. Gardeners can grow many plants that wouldn't reliably survive farther north, and in some areas gardening continues through much of the year.
Zone 9 | 20°F to 30°F
Winter cold becomes much less limiting here. Many subtropical plants enter the picture, although summer heat, water and humidity can become just as important as winter hardiness.
Zone 10 | 30°F to 40°F
Freezing temperatures are relatively uncommon compared with most of the country. Tropical and subtropical plants become much more practical, and the growing season can extend through most or all of the year.
Zone 11 | 40°F to 50°F
Now we're definitely into warm-climate gardening. Frost is limited, and tropical plants that many northern gardeners drag into the house every fall can often stay outside.
Zone 12 | 50°F to 60°F
We're talking tropical conditions. Winter cold isn't much of a concern here, but heat, moisture and other local growing conditions become especially important when choosing plants.
Zone 13 | 60°F to 70°F
The warmest USDA hardiness zone. Winter cold is barely part of the conversation here, and tropical plants that could never survive a northern winter can grow outdoors year-round.
So, What's Your Zone?
We've made that part easy.
Head over to our Find Your Zone page to check out the map. If you're still not sure, there's also a direct link there to the USDA's official ZIP-code lookup.
Find Your Zone
And remember: your zone is a starting point, not the whole rulebook. Sun, soil, moisture, heat, wind and even the little microclimates around your own property matter too.
Want a few ideas? Keep reading — we've pulled together some plant suggestions for Zones 2–10 -
Zone 2
Burgundy Lowbush Blueberry — Vaccinium angustifolium ‘Burgundy’
Scentara® Double Blue Lilac — Syringa × hyacinthiflora ‘SMNSHBBL’
Rugosa Rose — Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’
Dwarf Alberta Spruce — Picea glauca ‘Conica’
Zone 3
Sugar Maple — Acer saccharum
Blue False Indigo — Baptisia australis
Standing Ovation Little Bluestem — Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’
Zone 4
Taste of Heaven™ Ponca Thornless Blackberry — Rubus ‘Ponca’
Blue Hill Meadow Sage — Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Hill’
PW® Leading Lady Plum Bee Balm — Monarda ‘Leading Lady Plum’ PP26,447
Japanese Painted Fern — Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
Zone 5
Shortcake® Raspberry — Rubus idaeus ‘NR7’
Phenomenal® Lavender — Lavandula × intermedia ‘Niko’
Green Twister Echinacea — Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Twister’
Knock Out® Orange Glow™ Rose — Rosa ‘Radslam’
Beyond Midnight® Bluebeard — Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘CT-9-12’
Zone 6
Kousa Dogwood — Cornus kousa
Bushel and Berry® Perpetua® Blueberry — Vaccinium ‘ORUS-61-1’
Hidcote English Lavender — Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’
Firefinch™ Coneflower — Echinacea ‘Firefinch’
Hummingbird Summersweet — Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’
Zone 7
Betty Magnolia — Magnolia ‘Betty’
Little Miss Figgy Fig — Ficus carica ‘Majoam’
Provence Lavender — Lavandula × intermedia ‘Provence’
Butterfly Candy™ Li'l Grape™ Butterfly Bush — Buddleia davidii ‘BotEx 001’ PP34,515
Guacamole Hosta — Hosta ‘Guacamole’
Zone 8
Prime-Ark® Freedom Thornless Blackberry — Rubus ‘APF-153T’
Sensational!® Lavender — Lavandula × intermedia ‘Tesseract’
Shirley Temple Peony — Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'
Butterfly Candy™ Lil' Lavender™ Butterfly Bush — Buddleia davidii ‘BotEx 004’
Spirea Goldmound — Spiraea Japonica ‘Goldmound’
Zone 9
Autumn Moon Japanese Maple — Acer shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’
Wild Bergamot — Monarda Fistulosa
Caborn Wine & Roses Thyme — Thymus vulgaris ‘Caborn Wine & Roses’
Kudos™ Mandarin Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop — Agastache 'Kudos Mandarin’
Arizona Sun Blanket Flower — Gaillardia × aristata ‘Arizona Sun’
Zone 10
Tuscan Blue Rosemary — Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’
Lemongrass — Cymbopogon citratus
Lobelia Speciosa — 'PAS1302714' Starship™ Rose Cardinal Flower