Welcome to YouChoose, a blog about individual climate action.
At the end of 2023 the USDA released the updated 2023 plant hardiness zone map. The previous map had been released in 2012. The map can be found here:
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
The map provides a climatology of minimum temperatures across the US and is a valuable tool for gardeners to decide which plants have better chance of survival in a certain region. I am placing here the 2012 and 2023 maps next to each other.
The new map confirms the warming trend we all have been feeling to some degrees, especially here in the Midwest.
Temperature is one factor that affects your plants chances of survival, but other factors such as droughts and extreme events affect your garden as well. Using native plants in your garden helps mitigate the effects of climate change on your landscape. Native plants have uniquely evolved to withstand extreme conditions. In fact there are prairie plants such as the lead plant (Amorpha canescens, just to mention one) that can tolerate extreme droughts.
If you are interested in knowing more about hardiness and ecoregions check out this nice article from the National Wildlife Federation on how to plan a sustainable garden
https://blog.nwf.org/2024/02/hardiness-zones-and-ecoregions-for-climate-smart-gardening/
Don’t feel that your efforts are in vain. You can be sure that switching to native plants and pesticide-free gardening has a profound impact on the environment.
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