FIND OUT WHAT PLANTS WILL THRIVE IN YOUR MARYLAND YARD
Maryland’s hardiness zone ranges from 5b – 8a, or -15 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Hardiness zones are geographical areas broken down by what plants can survive the lowest temperatures that happen there. It doesn’t consider the highest temperatures so be aware of the heat your plants can handle.
KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE CAN SAVE YOUR PLANTS
“It’s not going to happen again this year,” Kelly says firmly.
It was her first time trying her hand at gardening without a professional planting service, so she knows she still has a lot to learn.
Her plants didn’t make it through the winter because, as her friends ended up telling her, they weren’t the best suited for her hardiness zone in Maryland.
She’d never heard of hardiness zones before, so she thanked her friends and let it drop. Now that she’s home she is going to research hardiness zones and find her answer to “what hardiness zone is Maryland?”
WHAT ARE PLANT HARDINESS ZONES?
Plant hardiness zones are areas divided into the lowest temperature they are supposed to reach. This means you can find plants that will survive the winter. The downside is hardiness zones don’t show the highest temperatures, which means you’ll want to find out how well the plants you want can handle hot weather.
Kelly wonders if her friends know about this. They knew about the lowest temperature hardiness, but what about this heat hardiness?
“Anyways, now to find out my own Maryland hardiness zone,” Kelly says firmly.
WHAT HARDINESS ZONE IS MARYLAND?
Maryland’s hardiness zones are 5b to 8a, which is -15 to 15°F depending on where you live. To be more specific:
- 5b: -15 to -10°F
- 6a: -10 to -5°F
- 6b: -5 to 0°F
- 7a: 0 to 5°F
- 7b: 5 to 10°F
- 8a: 10 to 15°F
You might want to see what region you are in using this interactive map or this by-city list.
Kelly sees that Potomac, Maryland’s hardiness zone is 7a. Now she just needs a few plants that will survive the winters.
BEST PLANTS FOR MARYLAND WINTERS
Zone 5 plants include violets, daylilies, lavender, and more.
Zone 6 plants include coneflowers, daisies, hostas, and more.
Kelly sees zone 7 plants and finds out she can plant marigolds, black-eyed Susans, cosmos, and others.
Zone 8 plants include strawberries, rosemary, hibiscus, and others.
TIME TO GET PLANTING!
“Now I’ve got what I need to start planting a successful garden! I just have to narrow down my list of possible plants,” Kelly laughs to herself.
Now you can too! Don’t forget to prepare your yard for those hot summers with these 3 drought-resistant plants or 5 beautiful summer flowers.
