Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Plants and Gardens #116, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
I really think those zone maps are outrageous generalizations based on "average" temperatures alone. As you say, Alice, microclimates created by proximity to water, pavement, houses, altitude, even city high-rise buildings and other weather patterns make a huge difference.

Plus you have cases like the difference between California and Florida - both have zones 8, 9 and 10 but what you can grow there is very different to here. Soil, altitude, humidity, and air pollution make it a whole different world there. Plants that can grow in full sun in California don't tolerate it in Florida where we have clear air, thus much stronger sun than there. They also have sea fog along the coasts there that keeps their coastal zones much cooler than ours in summer.

A zone map will tell you that plant x will grow in your zone, only because it will survive temperatures down to x degrees. Lots of plants grow beautifully here in winter, but won't survive through the summer heat and humidity. So what use is the zone map then?

Plumbago hasn't stopped blooming this winter, it's usually kind of ratty looking in December and January.