USDA changes growing zone charts to reflect global warming ( pics)

[dixiegrrrrl]

Study these closely.
The Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location.
I notice that here in Alabama, our "sub-tropical" zone has expanded to cover 3/4 of the state instead of hafl the state.
Same thing is true for most of the SE states. Southern Arkansas got a zone warmer.
Look at Texas.....

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[Speck Tater]

1. I'd be very curious to see the same maps but from the 1920's or 30's. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Bet you could find them on Google.

[FBaggins]

3. The 20s would be quite a task

They didn't exist until the 30s (late 30s really)

On edit - looks like there was an early "lite" version in 28

[Speck Tater]

4. And unless I'm mistaken they didn't even have Google in the 20's. nt

[TalkingDog]

5. Nice....

n/t

[XemaSab]

6. Color me skeptical

According to the new map, we've gone from 8b to 9b, which is supposed to be 25-30 degrees, but it was 17 degrees here last month. It's been in the teens at least once a year since I've been here.

I know they're looking at average annual low, but if you get ugly killing frosts that are way lower than that, what's the point of relabeling the zone if the delicate stuff they grow in the Bay Area's going to be killed?

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. The map shows Hardiness zones, not frost zones.

which plants are most likely to thrive at a location.

theoretically, I can grow lemons here.
But we have a few days on average of killing frosts.

Except last winter we had several weeks in a row of consistent killing frosts.

So the map is not a predictor of the weather or a claim that lemon trees will now grow in Arkansas...it is just saying the "average" temps have move further north.

[Kolesar]

8. The map claiming Ohio routinely reached -15F was "off base"

Ohio reached temperatures that low twice in the last 30 years. Zone 6 makes more sense.