What Are Hardiness Zones and How Do They Affect Trees?

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You may be looking around at trees and plants at your local nursery and notice a tag that mentions hardiness zones. So what exactly is a hardiness zone?

There are 11 zones within the USA and Canada. Zones are decided based on the climate conditions and the hardiness of a plant species. A plant's hardiness is rated by its ability to live through the minimum temperatures in a certain area or zone. Zones do not take into account heat levels throughout the Summer, therefore quite a few plants can be grown in climates that vary greatly during the hotter months.

Here in Kansas City we are in a zone 6. This means that plants rated for our zone can survive down to ten degrees below zero (-10 F).

However, a zone rating will not guarantee that a plant will thrive in its environment. Factors such as rainfall, frosts, snow cover and winds all need to be taken into consideration. To get a firm grasp on which species will survive in your area, the best person to talk to is your local tree care expert.

For more information on Kansas City area tree care , contact the tree experts at Cartwright Tree Care.