Based on the 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map, this interactive version covers the state of Virginia, spanning from USDA Zone 5b to USDA Zone 7b. In the Washington region, the District and other communities bordering the Potomac River or Chesapeake Bay are now in the warmer half of Zone 7, which previously reached only north of Tidewater Virginia. Most of Virginia and Maryland are on the colder side of Zone 7, with a low temperature range of zero to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Previously, the areas were in the coldest Zone 6, along with much of the Appalachian foothills.
Zone 6a is the coldest zone in the state. It falls west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is characterized by average annual minimum temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Virginia cities and towns in Zone 6a include Harrisonburg, Shenandoah, Lexington, Blacksburg, Marion, Merrimac and Christiansburg. Zone 8a includes coastal cities in southeastern Virginia, including Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach.
If you live in Virginia, you'll be in one of four Virginia USDA plant hardiness zones ranging from 5th in the Western Mountains to 8th on the East Coast. While there are still many other factors that affect plant success rates, such as soil type, sun, and winter humidity, among others, the Virginia plant map should serve as a guide to landscaping or gardening. The area also includes cities in southwest Virginia, such as Dryden, Gate City, Abingdon and Wytheville. Echinacea, ferns, coreopsis, perennial geranium, hardy hibiscus, catmint, and black-eyed Susans make great flowers in Virginia gardens.
Much of Virginia experiences a relatively mild winter with extremely low temperatures above freezing; however, those living in the Northwest could see cold winter lows down to -20 F. This includes Virginia towns and cities such as Richmond, Roanoke, Midlothian, Annandale, Arlington, Springfield, Woodbridge, Manassas, Winchester, Tuckahoe and Danville. This useful corner for farmers and gardeners on the Internet is updated daily to cover planting areas around the world in the first phase. The climate in Virginia differs greatly across the state, so much so that the state identified five different climate regions based on average winter and summer temperatures and annual rainfall.
The Pink Charm magnolia variety, for example, is rated for zones 5 to 8, which means it must survive winters in gardens from South Carolina to northern Pennsylvania.
