What growing zone is Los Angeles?
Knowing which plants can survive the winter in your area will lead to a more beautiful landscape.
It’s a key piece of the puzzle when figuring out what to grow in your yard.
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Here’s what you’re gonna wanna know.
Where Do Hardiness Zones Come From?
The concept of hardiness zones has a nearly 100-year history.
The 1948 version of the Arnold Arboretum hardiness map included 10 color-coded zones.
The Arnold Arboretum map defined zones by the lowest average temperature experienced in its coldest month.
If temperatures only dropped to 25 degrees, that area would be placed in a different zone.
Then, along came the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with its hardiness zone map in 1960.
In 1960, the USDA issued its first Plant Hardiness Zone Map, with 10 zones representing uniform, 10 degree increments.
In 2012, it revised its Plant Hardiness Zone Map to itscurrent version.
It includes zones 0 through 13, each with an “A” and “B.”
That’s in Zone 9a.
The most current plant hardiness map from the USDA has 13 zones, each divided into an “A” and a “B” subzone of 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brr, you’re a 4b.
But what does that tell you aboutwhich plants you might grow?
People assign these zones based on the lowest temperaturesspecific plantsare known to survive.
“It’s just one variable out of many,” he adds.
You also need to consider several other environmental factors.
Is yoursoil acidic or alkaline?
How much precipitation do you get?
What elevation are you at?
When does your ground first thaw andwhen is your first frost?
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Do you get a lot of snow?
For example, parts of Los Angeles and parts of Miami are in the same hardiness zone: 10b.
Snow is also a major factor.
Snow acts as an insulator, keeping the temperature of the ground under the snow warmer than the air.
They’ll have scientifically accurate guides, articles, and information designed for where you live.
A good place to start is asking whichvarieties of native plantsor fruits and veggies do well in your area.
Another place to go for help is yourlocal independent garden center or nursery.
These businesses are incredible resources because they specialize in growing plants adapted to your particular region.
So, start with your hardiness zone and grow from there.
It depends on the key in of plants that you’re growing in your garden.
