New USDA plant hardiness zone map could mean news plants thrive in TN

Shelby Mac
·1 min read
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WRKN) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has come out with the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This is the first time the map has been updated since 2012 and now gets data from over 13,000 weather stations in comparison to just over 7,000 in the past.

This map is used by gardeners, the USDA risk management agency for crop insurance, big box gardening brands to find out when to ship plants, and local nurseries, according to Todd Rounsaville, a horticulturist with the U.S. National Arboretum.

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With the new update, Tennessee is now in the 7B Zone when it used to be in the 7A Zone. This is a slight change, but it means low temperatures now only drop down to 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 0-5 degrees. This doesn’t mean much change for gardeners and homeowners alike.

However, Austin Lohin, a horticulturalist at Bates Nursery in Nashville, said this could mean gardenias could survive the Volunteer State winters now. Usually, these plants thrive in states like South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, but with the slight warm-up, gardenias could have a chance at living or at least staying evergreen through the winter.

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