What's Your Zone?
The SGI Plant Heat Zones Map No, that's not the latest pick-up line. Do You Know What Your Heat Zone Is? If you've been gardening for any length of time, you probably know what hardiness zone you live in. But do you know what your heat zone is? While hardiness zones track the cold, heat zones track the summer highs. Hardiness Zone = average annual extreme minimum winter temperature at your location, measured over a 30-year period. Heat Zone = average number of days above 86°F at your location, measured over a 30-year period. Both zones are important for maintaining healthy outdoor plants and climate-resilient landscaping. Why Heat Zones Matter For Sustainable Gardening Hardiness zones are only half of a plant’s survival story. If you’ve ever wondered why a plant that’s supposed to grow well in your hardiness zone struggles to survive or even dies during the summer, it's likely due to summer heat stress -- trying to grow it in the wro...