USDA Unveils New Plant Hardiness Zone Map

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an updated version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

This tool, jointly developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Servicesand Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group, provides greater accuracy and detail than the 1990 version. It is now available online at  www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. The new Internet-friendly map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format.

To read the full press release on the new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, click here.

Don Rakow, the E.N. Wilds director of Cornell Plantations, stated:

"Cornell Plantations appreciates that this new USDA Hardiness Zone Map is based on a more detailed and in-depth body of data than was available in the past.  While some locations in our area have been reclassified from Zone 5B (minimum temps. of -15 -  -10F°) to 6A (minimum temps. of -10 - -5°F), these changes are not necessarily due to global climate change.  Any gardeners interested in experimenting with Zone 6A-rated plants should use the interactive portion of this map to determine the hardiness ratings for their area, and should take advantage of microclimates, such as are found in protected courtyards or alongside south facing walls,”