What does “hardiness zone” mean? What zone is Minnesota?

Hardiness is the capacity of a cultivated plant to withstand adverse conditions, usually its tolerance of low temperature. Plants are given a hardiness rating by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 11 zones based on the coldest or warmest temperature in that zone. The southern part of Minnesota is in zone 4 and the northern part is in zone 3. In 2012, the USDA created subzones using a and b to divide them further. For instance, the Twin Cities area is zone 4b. The exception is a heat island in Minneapolis south of downtown and extending to the airport that is in zone 5.

Find your hardiness zone by zipcode here!