What Do USDA ‘Hardiness Zone’ Map Changes Mean For Central Minnesota?

WHAT WILL YOU GROW?

Is there anything positive that comes out of climate change? Well...if we are going to look at the short term, there may be a few things we can enjoy. New plant species that we've never been able to have here in Minnesota before, may now be possible.

Master Gardener Dr. William (Bill) Cook, SCSU Biological Sciences Faculty, said that the USDA recently announced some changes to the hardiness zone maps, which may make growing plant species that have previously not been able to survive our hardy winters.

You can listen to the interview from "It Matters with Kelly Cordes" on WJON, by clicking on the player below.

PEACH TREES?

Peach Trees in Minnesota? With Minnesota's temperatures making a gradual change over time, it looks like there are some good things coming from it. We could be seeing new plants, flowers, fruits, and veggies here in central Minnesota that we've never seen in the past. Below is a picture map from the USDA.

USDA'S NEW HARDINESS ZONE MAP

The map is mostly for gardeners and growers, as it has a ton of great information. To learn more on how to use the map, and for other conditions that may make growing certain plant species possible, you can also CLICK HERE for details on everything from light, soil moisture, humidity, temperature, duration of exposure to cold temps and more.

What types of fruiting plants can grow in this zone? According to Gurneys.com:

• Peaches
• Plums
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Grapes
• Apples
• Cherries
• Mulberries
• Apricots