About the West Virginia Planting Map
The West Virginia USDA plant hardiness map, as featured above, is based on new data collected by the USDA over a thirty-year period. Weather stations throughout the country gathered essential data for the map, which was released at the start of 2012. The new 2012 map made some zone adjustments for the winter warming trend and took into consideration an area’s proximity to a large body of water, elevation, and the urban heat factor. West Virginia zones include 5a at the highest elevation in the east to 7a in the south. The majority of the state falls in zones 6a and 6b with extreme average winter low temperatures down to -10 degrees F. (-12 C.). New and experienced gardeners benefit greatly from the zone information provided by the map. To find your zone, you can enlarge the map above by clicking on it or visit the USDA site and input your zip code to find your zone. When you use the plant hardiness information as a guide for selecting plants, you will find that the majority, if not all, plant distributors provide this information on their plant tags. Although the map is not a 100% guarantee that a plant will survive, it is a good place to start. Be sure to follow planting and care directions carefully, and remember, you can always bring plants indoors for the winter if they are not suited for your area.
