Kansas City changes plant hardiness zones!
According to a recent article from the county extension agency, Kansas City is now considered Zone 6! For gardeners and landscapers, this opens your plant selection to more varieties that were tpically considered "southern".
Here are the new maps available for download: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Downloads.aspx
Here is the entire article:
New Map to Help Gardeners in Planting Choices
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The new Plant Hardiness Zone Map released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers gardeners greater accuracy and detail about winter temperatures, in some cases changing zoning designations. The map is designed to guide gardeners in choosing plants that will survive the winter by dividing the U.S. into temperature zones ranging from 1a to 13b. The zones are based on average extreme minimum temperatures. Zone 1a represents average extreme minimum temperatures of -60 to -55 degrees Fahrenheit, while zone 13b represents average extreme minimum temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The new map shifts many areas up the zoning scale, categorizing them as warmer than the previous map did. The USDA said this apparent warming trend is due to using data from a longer time period. This map replaces the 1990 map, which was based on only 13 years of data. The 2012 zoning map reflects nearly 30 years of data from 1976 to 2005. Rebecca McMahon, K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent in Sedgwick County, said she is reminding gardeners this map does not offer advice on when to plant. Instead it tells gardeners what levels of hardiness they should look for in plants when designing their landscapes and gardens. “Many gardeners have already figured it out,” said K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent Dennis Patton from Johnson County. “This new map just kind of reconfirmed what they already knew to be true about which plants tend to do well in their areas.” Much of northeast Kansas shifted from zone 5a to 6a, meaning the average extreme minimum temperature is about 10 degrees warmer than the previous map indicated. Patton said he expects to see gardeners spreading their wings a little in terms of planting more zone 6 plants. However, if they want to plant something with longevity, such as a shade tree, he recommended selecting hardiness for zone 5 to ensure survival through extra cold winters.. McMahon said the new zoning designations will have little effect on plantings in southern Kansas. “Southern and south central Kansas have changed from 6a to 6b—not a real drastic change,” she said. “Based on the new map data, some of those plants that are considered marginally hardy for zone 6 will potentially be more successful to grow here.” McMahon and Patton emphasized the importance of remembering the map is a guide. “There is still the whole concept of the right plant in the right place,” Patton said. “Plants still need the right amount of sun, shade and water. The new map data suggests a few other plants are now potentially more durable in this climate.” Patton also said cold hardiness is just one aspect of plant growth. Gardeners should also consider the heat tolerance of plants. The American Horticultural Society has a plant heat zone map that creates zones based on the average number of days per year an area has temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit. To see the USDA’s new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, go to www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The new Plant Hardiness Zone Map released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers gardeners greater accuracy and detail about winter temperatures, in some cases changing zoning designations. The map is designed to guide gardeners in choosing plants that will survive the winter by dividing the U.S. into temperature zones ranging from 1a to 13b. The zones are based on average extreme minimum temperatures. Zone 1a represents average extreme minimum temperatures of -60 to -55 degrees Fahrenheit, while zone 13b represents average extreme minimum temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The new map shifts many areas up the zoning scale, categorizing them as warmer than the previous map did. The USDA said this apparent warming trend is due to using data from a longer time period. This map replaces the 1990 map, which was based on only 13 years of data. The 2012 zoning map reflects nearly 30 years of data from 1976 to 2005. Rebecca McMahon, K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent in Sedgwick County, said she is reminding gardeners this map does not offer advice on when to plant. Instead it tells gardeners what levels of hardiness they should look for in plants when designing their landscapes and gardens. “Many gardeners have already figured it out,” said K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent Dennis Patton from Johnson County. “This new map just kind of reconfirmed what they already knew to be true about which plants tend to do well in their areas.” Much of northeast Kansas shifted from zone 5a to 6a, meaning the average extreme minimum temperature is about 10 degrees warmer than the previous map indicated. Patton said he expects to see gardeners spreading their wings a little in terms of planting more zone 6 plants. However, if they want to plant something with longevity, such as a shade tree, he recommended selecting hardiness for zone 5 to ensure survival through extra cold winters.. McMahon said the new zoning designations will have little effect on plantings in southern Kansas. “Southern and south central Kansas have changed from 6a to 6b—not a real drastic change,” she said. “Based on the new map data, some of those plants that are considered marginally hardy for zone 6 will potentially be more successful to grow here.” McMahon and Patton emphasized the importance of remembering the map is a guide. “There is still the whole concept of the right plant in the right place,” Patton said. “Plants still need the right amount of sun, shade and water. The new map data suggests a few other plants are now potentially more durable in this climate.” Patton also said cold hardiness is just one aspect of plant growth. Gardeners should also consider the heat tolerance of plants. The American Horticultural Society has a plant heat zone map that creates zones based on the average number of days per year an area has temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit. To see the USDA’s new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, go to www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
