Zone Confusion

What zone am I? It seems like depending on what book I pick up, I could be considered a couple different ones. I'm in Phelan; to me I'm out in the desert, yet just recently lived 7 miles from here in Wrightwood.... so I know things can change, but I'm not sure if I'm zone 11 or 8b or ????

Does it really depend on what book or author what zone you are in?

Here's the link you can put your zip code:

http://www.santarosagardens.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=6

You will know what your zone is.

Not meaning to be contrary, but that is my confusion. That website by my zip code says I'm in zone 8; when I go to the Sunset page it says I'm in zone 11, (the high desert) which is where I am.... so does it just depend on who's gardening info you are looking at your zone can be different?

USDA zones are 1-11... the hotter it is during winter the higher your zone is. Sunset zones are like 1-24, more specific than usda but the general same idea. i'm a 9b in USDA but a 23 in sunset.

naien is correct. Sunset created their own set of zones that are more specific than the USDA zones and that take summer heat into consideration (rather than just low winter temps). When you're looking up plants in the Sunset Western Garden book, you should use your Sunset zone. However, almost ever other publication will use your USDA zone, which is based on your lowest average temperature.

Even within the Sunset zones, there are many microclimates. Exposure, hillside vs valley floor, distance from the ocean, exposure to winds makes a huge difference. Cold air flows downhill making the valley floors much colder than the hillsides. Fog and cold air masses can trap warmer air below them, creating banana belts. Even within a single yard the exposure--north, south east or west--can make a difference where plants will grow best. Zones are just a guide. Be observant of your actual conditions. We live right on the edge of the fog belt, on a hillside and close to the ocean. It makes it possible to grow plants that would not normally grow in this zone but in zones 22-24 (Sunset). Remember that the soil and drainage are as important as temperature in making a good environment for plants. Try to pick plants that do well in your microclimate, your yard conditions and actual soil. Keep the touchy ones in pots near the house.

I know what you mean, Chuck. I live at the bottom of a hill, so we get colder winter temps than other areas just down the street. (Thus, I'm able to convince myself that I can grow dogwoods and other plants that like some chill.)

Here are the Sunset zone descriptions. I'm zone 15 but it doesn't make any sense.
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/web/Sponsors/Garden/sunsetmonrovia_r1/htmlfiles/zone_map3.html#
The problem I have with USDA zones is that some plants just wither here in the summer heat and that isn't taken into account.
And microclimates is right.
I also have a friend who lives at the bottom of a hill. And she gets the cold temps too. We have some wind in some places. I think that my garden has about 3 microclimates all by itself. And then of course plantings can create microclimates all of their own.

And then we have the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat Zones http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_finder.htm to find yours by zip code, or http://www.monrovia.com/MonroviaWeb.nsf/0/f99d2ba9eb2a9ab58825692000737444?OpenDocument for a pretty map and links to the Sunset & USDA zones.
Any more questions?

Another question, I'm in heat map region 4 - now what does that mean? Am I dense and couldn't find it as usual?

It means you are COOL! ;-}


I have not seen the heat zone used much. Monrovia posts things like this:

You are right on. Bummer!!! I can only grow Rose of Sharon which seem to do better. Red Passionflower bit the dust though. I'm managing with a new evergreen hydrangea. Some sage said that all plants were, what was it you said about all plants being subject to perishing?

You need the celebrate the ones that survive and prosper and not worry about the ones that croak. I have lost a lot of plants over the years, but a lot more have survived and are doing well. Sometimes it has taken a number of tries to get something to grow. That is the nice thing about seeds, you get more than one chance and they are generally smaller when you start so you do not have to dig a very big hole or use a large gopher basket. And then there are the volunteers and underground runners, an added bonus. I was out weeding this afternoon and there were little milkweeds everywhere. The monarchs will love them when they come through this winter. One pelargonium has moved itself about six feet through runners and death of the original plant. It is much lusher now than when I first planted it.

I have a madrone that has survived two years, so perhaps it will make it. That is the sixth one I have planted in various places around the yard. It looks very good. Several of the wooly blue curls and fremontodendrons are doing well too, four or five attempts on these. We shall see how they do with late summer watering, a definite no-no, but at least the drippers are not on the plants, but several feet away.

Thanks, I always appreciate it when people share their experiences. And it makes the replacement shopping seem so normal. :-)

Native penstemons and Salvia apiana are two others than have not performed for me. The hybrids do fine. Sour Grapes, the penstemon, does great as do the regular old garden ones, but not the native species. All kinds of salvias do well but some do not including S. apiana. S. africana-lutea does extremely well. The rust colored flowers of an unusual shape cause some comments.

Skittles and Chuck, what zone are you in? You can enter it in the personal information in 'My Info' and it will appear under your name on the posting to the thread. It would be great if we knew. Speaking of zones. :-)

That heat zone map was interesting, according to the zip code, I am in Zone 5. Not sure yet what to do with that info, it's a bit much right now, getting too tired to read on. Why they have to go complicate things? LOL! This is the link for USING THE HEAT MAP http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_map.htm#1

It is probably 9 or 10, but it could be 11. It is probably not warm enough for much above 10 and gets a little too cool, high 30s in December and January. Red Hibiscus has croaked twice, but that could have been dampness issues.

Looking at a blown up version, it sure looks like 10b. Average annual low 35-40. But several of the weather places are saying average lows in the winter months are above 40. Huge variations in temps in just a few miles. I guess I need a recording thermometer and can answer the question in 10 years. Of course, with global warming, the aligators will probably eat the thermometer on their way by.

No need to get out your microscope. Use the zipcode finder here:

http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php

Don't know how accurate this one is, Doss. I tested it by entering the Sebastopol zip code and it came back with Freestone, zone 8b.

Ah well, there you go. Can't trust anybody. :-)