EasyBloom Forum

I know this may seem like a minor detail but I am concerned about the website locating me in Zone 8B when I am actually in Zone 9A. I understand they are very close to each other and there may not seem to be a big difference, except that our winters here are a good solid 10 degrees warmer in the winter allowing for certain plants that would not survive without extra assistance in zone 8B. Is there a way for me to correct this as I want to ensure I am looking at plants that really will fit my zone and not be excluded from seeing the zone 9A plants? I am South of Houston, Texas for verification of zone. Thank you for your time.

HI Aimee- We use the same zones as the National Gardens Association. You can see them here http://www.garden.org/zipzone/ What zipcode are you in? ---Edith

I am in zip code 77477 and I did check that website and it is also incorrect so it makes sense. It shows Houston as an 8b as well, my work zip is 77063 which is in south Houston. However, http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html as well as most the rest of the web lists Houston as a 9a which matches out temperature ranges far more accurately.

Still hoping to see an answer to this. Thanks. - Aimee

HI Aimee- Sorry for the holiday delay in responding. We use the "official" USDA map, which was released in 1990 and can be seen at the National Gardens Association site. The link you cite was released by the National Arboretum, but never formally adopted by the USDA. Why wasn't the National Arboretum map adopted? Some felt that the 2003 version skewed too warm. Basically, the hardiness zones are used to show what plants will survive over a winter--ie, are "hardy". Sometimes we gamble on a warm winter, and a plant WILL make it. But a hardiness zone is meant to show what plants are guaranteed to make it.

In other words, I know people who try to keep lemon trees in Dublin, CA (zone 8b), even though they know lemon is a zone 9a plant. But if it's a cool night, they pull the lemon tree inside. The EasyBloom is calibrated to show plants that won't just survive (ie, barely make it through the winter), but thrive and do well.

You can read a much longer article about hardiness zones and why the National Arboretum map wasn't adopted here: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=climate-change-backyard The issue of zones is one our botanists closely monitor--for now, we shade on the side of caution, as we want to make sure we're not advising risky plants.