Reference
Growing regions
Nine US growing regions grouped by climate, soil, and disease pressure. Use these as a starting point when a single zone or zip is too narrow to capture what your garden actually contends with.
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Pacific Northwest
2 statesCool, wet winters and dry summers. Long, mild growing seasons west of the Cascades; short, intense ones east. Famous for berries, hazelnuts, apples, and pears.
1,181 zips · zones 8b, 9a, 7a, 6b
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California
1 stateFrom cool foggy coast to hot Central Valley to mountain to desert. Mediterranean climate dominates: wet winters, dry summers. The most productive agricultural state in the country, with reach into citrus and olives that exceed the rest of the country.
2,554 zips · zones 9b, 10a, 10b, 9a
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Mountain West
6 statesHigh elevation, dry air, intense sun, big diurnal swings. Short cool growing season at altitude; longer hot one in valleys. Strong fruit production in irrigated river corridors.
2,115 zips · zones 6a, 5b, 5a, 6b
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Southwest
2 statesHot, arid, irrigated. Two growing seasons in the low desert: cool October to April, hot May to September. Date palms and citrus thrive at low elevation; apples and stone fruit at higher elevations. The chile-pepper belt of the country.
941 zips · zones 9b, 7a, 7b, 6b
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Great Plains
6 statesContinental, windy, with severe heat and cold extremes. Cold-hardy fruit and small grains north; long warm season for melons, peppers, and pecans south.
5,469 zips · zones 8b, 9a, 7b, 8a
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Midwest
8 statesContinental humid. Cold winters, hot humid summers. Heart of the country's vegetable, sweet corn, and cool-climate fruit production. Michigan and Wisconsin are major fruit states.
9,021 zips · zones 6a, 6b, 5b, 5a
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Southeast
10 statesHot, humid, long growing season. Disease-resistant variety selection is the difference between a productive and a failed planting. Strong region for muscadines, blueberries, peaches, persimmons, figs, and warm-season vegetables.
8,427 zips · zones 8a, 8b, 9a, 7b
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Mid-Atlantic
6 statesTransition zone between North and South. Apples, peaches, grapes, and blueberries do well; long enough warm season for tomatoes and peppers, cool enough winter for stone-fruit chill.
5,555 zips · zones 7a, 7b, 6b, 6a
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Northeast
7 statesCold winters, short to medium growing seasons. Apples, pears, blueberries, raspberries, and cool-climate vegetables dominate. Strong cider-apple and maple-syrup tradition.
4,370 zips · zones 6a, 6b, 5b, 5a