Discover, analyze and download data from Home. Download in CSV, KML, Zip, GeoJSON, GeoTIFF or PNG. Look for API links for GeoServices, WMS and WFS, ViewMap Downloads. Based on the 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map, this interactive version covers the state of Virginia, spanning from USDA Zone 5b to USDA Zone 7b.
To help develop the new map, the USDA and OSU requested that horticulture and climate experts review the areas of their geographical area, and the test versions of the new map were revised based on their expert feedback. Growth and resistance zones are also known as planting zones, and they help gardeners know which plants, vegetables, and flowers are best suited to thrive in an area. While there are still many other factors that affect plant success rates, such as soil type, sun, and winter humidity, among others, the Virginia plant map should serve as a guide to landscaping or gardening. For example, if you are planting in zone 9A, the plant must be able to survive a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit to be a perennial.
If you see a hardiness zone in a garden catalog or in a plant description, you're likely referring to this USDA map. Make sure you know which annuals can be planted as perennials in your area, as choosing to plant perennials will make your garden more productive. Now that you have used this page to find your hardiness zone, when you are buying plants, check the plant label and a zone range will almost always appear in the list. Understanding the USDA planting areas where you live can mean the difference between success and failure in your garden.
Once you've determined your area, you can use this information when you start or add something to your garden and landscape. Learn everything you need to know about drought-tolerant landscaping, including the best type of plants. Be careful, most authors of gardening tutorials don't realize if their advice can only be applied in some areas. If you've ever struggled to start your plants from seed, or you've shelled out the money to plant a garden from the seedlings someone else started, you understand why planting zones are important.
However, some of the changes in zones are the result of new and more sophisticated methods for mapping zones between weather stations. Once you know your area, you'll know what plant you can grow and how large the window of time you have to grow the plant.
