wow....what a diff.....I would now be a zone 6.....which actually seems more acurate these days....what is winter? We are just having a loonger fall with cooler nights....thanks for sharing that!

Marilyn,
VERY interesting, indeed. (After this balmy weather I could easily be convinced that our zone 5 is an 8).

I'm glad you brought this to our attention, because there are several zone 6 plants I wanted to try, but didn't dare.
Guess I'll take a chance now!
Thanks.
PattiOh

I'm now a zone 10.

What a major shift in the nothern and eastern states. A bit frightening if you ask me.

Edna

Marilyn, do you happen to know whether there is an equivalent study/map for Europe?

Eduarda

Eduarda,

I just called the toll free number on that website to ask on your behalf. Unfortunately, they do not have an equivalent map for Europe, although they were intriqued by the idea of a joint venture with a European forestry agency.

They suggested you contact an environmental or forestry agency within Portugal to see if they are producing an updated zone map similar to what they have done.

I would love to see updated zone maps from every continent. I bet that would be very interesting!

Edna,

I agree. I spent a few minutes looking at the map and was amazed at how much of the blue and green was disappearing from the map.

Marilyn

That's very interesting. Went to check the USDA map but it hasn't changed. I still buy for zone 4b and even then I still loose an occassional plant to the cold. It may have more to do with our spring freeze/thaw cycles than actual cold however.

Thanks for posting this map, Marilyn.

MeMo

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Map

That is very interesting. I've noticed around here some things surviving that are zone seven plants even though we were zone six. This new map puts us firmly in zone seven. I guess I can start to get a little more experimental with zone seven plants.

Yes, I used to be zone 6b but I am solidly in zone 7 now. I agree Edna- very frightening. I planted the sweet peas you gave me from the seed swap last weekend! I am so excited.

Marilyn, thank you for inquiring this for me. I have come across a map for Europe in another forum which I cannot recall at the moment (senior moment here!), I was just wondering whether an updated one existed. I don't think European gardeners think as much about zones as Americans do. When I look at UK gardening catalogues or websites, for example, they never list zones. I believe this zone thing was really started by Americans and is hardly known to Europeans at all. I do, however, recall seing a map for Europe in another forum, so it does exist - just not very known. I was in zone 10 beforehand, so where else can I be now? 11? Ouch!

Eduarda

This is the map I remember seeing for Europe. When clicking over Portugal, I'm just south of Lisboa, so a firm zone 10. I just don't know if it's updated.

Eduarda

Here is a link that might be useful: Europe Zone Maps

That's cool Marilyn,
We slipped into 6. Good to know

georgeanne

Hmm, according to this I'm definitely zone 9. Still, I hope this winter is mostly a fluke, not the new future of winter.

Thanks Marilyn for the link. I thought for sure I'd move up to be an official zone 6, but I'm still borderline 5/6. Must be because of the lake.

I have such mixed luck here with plants. Things that should overwinter don't for lack of snow-cover the past couple years.

Tracy

Marilyn, thanks for the link! I really enjoyed the interactive link where the map changes from the old to the new - very cool.

We're still a zone 8 but I have noticed the last couple of summer have been a bit warmer. And I think fall is longer, pushing winter for us into Jan. when it used to begin in Nov.

One thing to remember about these zones is that they're just a starting point for determining what to grow. Almost all homes have micro climates in which plants from a zone higher or lower will grow and flourish. For instance, the west side of a home will often be much warmer due to the hotter afternoon sun that hits it. I have a hard time growing crape myrtles - they generally sit and sulk and take forever to grow - but the ones on the west side of my cottage do fine. Not as well as they do in a warmer 9 or 10 but they don't take forever to flower like they do on the rest of my property.

Also, one person's zone is not the same as another's of the same number. My zone 8 is very dry so I don't experience the mildew, rust or insects that many do in the more humid zone 8 areas. I also don't get the triple digit temps that a zone 8 in Texas does but I do get snow and winters temps in the single digits. I'm also at a mile high elevation so while I don't get the heat my plants can scorch from the intense sunlight. Then there is the wind - don't get me started on what it can do to plants - ugh!

Diana

Diana,

That's so true about the various climates within a single zone.

Zone 8 encompasses such areas as North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington ( among other states). There's such a huge variance of summer temperatures, humidity and rain fall among these states!

But, what's kind of interesting around here is the increased use of palm trees in landscaping lately. Plus I've been seeing citrus trees appearing in nurseries. It might be a combination of an increasingly warmer climate, plus the development of more cold tolerant sub-tropicals/tropicals. I'm not sure, but it's interesting to watch.

Anyone else noticing some new offerings in your local nurseries?

Marilyn