The mood in Virginia differs mostly across the state – so much so that the state identified five different mood regions based upon middling winter and summer temperatures and one-year downfall . No matter which mood region you garden in , maximal gardening achiever commence by identifying your United States Department of Agriculture hardiness geographical zone , which is determined bythe average annual minimal temperaturesin the expanse . Select recurrent plants that can withstand the winter temperatures in your area .

Zone 6a

Zone 6a is the cool orbit of the state . It falls to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is characterized by average yearly minimum temperature of -10 to -5 degree Fahrenheit . Virginia cities and town in zone 6a include Harrisonburg , Shenandoah , Lexington , Blacksburg , Marion , Merrimac and Christiansburg .

Zone 6b

Slightly warmer temperatures are affiliate with regions that fall in USDA zone 6b , which is E of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has average yearly minimum temperatures of -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit . This includes many Northern Virginia town such as Hillsboro , Leesburg , Great Falls , Reston , Centreville , Fairfax , Chantilly and Front Royal . The zone also includes southwestern Virginia towns such as Dryden , Gate City , Abingdon and Wytheville .

Zone 7a

Many cities around near the Washington D.C. Beltway come down into zone 7a . geographical zone 7a has intermediate minimal temperatures that range from 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit . This includes Virginia towns and city such as Richmond , Roanoke , Midlothian , Annandale , Arlington , Springfield , Woodbridge , Manassas , Winchester , Tuckahoe and Danville .

Zone 7b

The largest belt of zone 7b falls in the country ’s southeastern part and includes the towns of Williamsburg , Suffolk , Smithfield , Newport News , Alexandria , Hampton , Kilmarnock and Irvington . The zone is far enough from the ocean to be untouched by the H2O ’s warming tendency . It is qualify by ordinary minimum temperature of 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit .

Zone 8a

The warm areas of Virginia let in the state ’s southeastern coastal Town . The Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay influence the region and warm it importantly . Zone 8a include Virginia ’s southeast coastal townspeople including Norfolk , Chesapeake , Portsmouth and Virginia Beach . The zone is characterized by fair minimum temperatures order from 10 to 15 degree Fahrenheit .

Significance

You may notice that the zones are come apart by a difference of 5 degrees Fahrenheit . This may seem like a minor detail , but can mean life or death for plants that may not outlive in moth-eaten temperature . flora that can not withstand the wintertime temperatures in your zone will choke and will not grow as a perennial . For example , Belladonna lilies and Watsonia are hardy in zones 7 through 10 and will maturate as perennials . In zona 6 , the plant will likely not endure winter temperatures . gardener pine to try out their hand at warmer - realm flora can choose to grow them as annuals or in container that can be bring indoors during the winter .

References

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