Find Your Growing Zone – Search Tool, Map, Planting Calendars & More

Jan 30, 2025

Understanding your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is key to choosing the right plants at the right time for your garden. This article covers how to use hardiness zones for successful gardening, from frost protection to vegetable planning.

Here’s what you’ll find:

How Plant Hardiness Zones Work: Learn how zones affect plant survival.
Growing Zone Finder Tool: Find your zone by entering your zip code.
Using Zones for Vegetable Gardening: Plan your garden based on your zone.
Cold-Tolerant Vegetables: Discover frost-resistant options.
Florida Growing Zones: Gardening tips for Florida zones.
Planting Calendars by Zone: A quick reference for planting schedules.

Let’s dive in and make gardening easier!

Find Your Growing Zone – Search Tool, Map, Planting Calendars & More

How Planting Zones (Growing Zones) Work

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (below) is a color-coded map that divides the U.S. into zones based on average low temperatures. These growing zones help gardeners determine which plants are best suited for their climate and weather conditions.

Each zone is linked to the minimum temperatures a plant can survive, often labeled as "hardy to zone X". This makes it easy for gardeners to quickly figure out which plants will thrive in their planting zone. If a plant isn’t labeled, a quick search online can also provide this information.

Example:

A perennial plant labeled "hardy to zone 10" can survive temperatures as low as 30°F (Zone 10 experiences temperatures never below 30°F).
A plant labeled "hardy to zone 6" can tolerate temperatures as low as -10°F (Zone 6 experiences temperatures never below -10°F).

By understanding your growing zone and the plants that are suitable for it, you can ensure your garden thrives all year long.

Find Your Growing Zone Below!

Simply enter your zip code into the planting zone finder below or reference the color-coded growing zones map.

Using Growing Zones (Planting Zones) for Vegetable Gardening

In addition to perennials, growing zones (also known as planting zones and hardiness zones) are essential for planning a successful vegetable garden. Your growing zone not only tells you the lowest expected temperature in your area but also correlates with the average first and last frost dates. This information is crucial for selecting the right vegetables and knowing when to plant them to avoid frost damage.

Reference Chart:

Use this planting zone chart to find the average first and last frost dates for your specific growing zone. This will help you plan your planting schedule and ensure your vegetables have enough time to mature before the first frost. Continue to the bottom of this article for our planting calendars which show you when to plant various garden crops based on your growing zone.

Cold-Tolerant Vegetables

While frost and freezes can kill many vegetables, some are resilient enough to survive. Here are 13 cold-tolerant vegetable options, along with fast-growing varieties you can try.

For gardeners in zones with shorter growing seasons—like parts of Montana with only a 55-day growing season—starting seeds indoors is often the best option. Once the outdoor season begins, you can move seedlings outside.

Handling Early or Late Freezing Temps

Remember, a growing zone's low temperatures and frost dates are general guidelines. Frost or freezes can arrive earlier or later than expected.

If a cold front is on the way, you can protect your garden and minimize damage:

Let's Use This Info and Look at Florida's Growing Zones (Our home state!)

Florida Growing Zones

If you're gardening in Florida, you’ll find that the state is divided into growing zones 8–10, with some parts of the Florida Keys falling into zone 11. These Florida planting zones play a crucial role in determining which plants will thrive in different regions of the state.

Florida is further divided into three main regions based on climate and growing zone:

North Florida
Central Florida
South Florida

What Do Florida Growing Zones Mean for Gardening?

Central and South Florida: Winter is a great time to grow cold-hardy plants. Here are some cold-hardy plant options to try.
North Florida: While you can grow cold-tolerant vegetables like kale, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage during the winter, temperatures can dip into the teens, which can be tough for even frost-resistant plants.

In most parts of Florida, the highest frost risk occurs in December, January, and February, so be prepared for occasional cold fronts.

Growing Zone Planting Calendars

Use our planting calendars below to find planting calendars tailored to your specific growing zone:

Growing Zone 3 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 4 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 5 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 6 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 7 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 8 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 9 Planting Calendar

Growing Zone 10 & 11 Planting Calendar

Final Thoughts

Let us know if you have any questions below!

And don’t forget: proper seed spacing is essential for a thriving garden. Use our all-in-one Plant Spacing Guide for Raised Bed Gardening to help you get started.