Choose Location

Choose Location displays the Lower 48 States as the default location. You can change the location by clicking the Choose Location drop down menu to switch between Lower 48 States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Zip Code Search

Enter five-digit ZIP Code into the ZIP Code search field and click the Locate button. The location will be displayed on the map, and the map will zoom to that location.

Obtain Plant Hardiness Zone Information

Click on the map to display a pop-up window with the plant hardiness zone, average temperature, and temperature range.

Navigate the map

To pan and zoom, use your mouse and scroll wheel, the arrow keys on your keyboard, or the zoom slider on the left side of your map. To zoom in, you can also hold down the SHIFT key and drag a box on the map.

Legend

Click the Turn on Map Legend box to display the map legend.

Choose Basemap

Choose Basemap displays Terrain as the default basemap. You can change basemaps by clicking the Choose Basemap drop down menu to switch between Terrain, Road Map, and Satellite Image.

Turn on Basemap Roads and Labels

Click the Turn on Basemap Roads and Labels box to display roads and labels on the displayed basemap. This option is available only for Terrain and Satellite Image basemap choices.

Zone Color Transparency

The interactive map is a multi-layered map with zone colors overlaying the selected base map option (Terrain, Road Map, and Satellite Image). This feature adjusts the transparency of the zone colors which allow the underlying attributes of the selected base map to be more or less visible. Sliding the scale to the left makes the zone colors more transparent, allowing the base map features to show through more clearly. Sliding the scale to the right makes the zone colors less transparent. Since the colors of the underlying base map have the potential to interfere with the zone colors, the transparency should be set to zero to obtain the true zone colors that correspond with the map legend.

Why are there PHZM values over water?

In the interactive map, PHZM coverage extends a few miles offshore of the oceanic and Great Lakes coastlines because of GIS considerations. Different GIS packages render coastlines in different ways, and by extending PHZM coverage farther offshore than is typically necessary, we ensure that all land areas will be covered in all GIS packages. However, the PHZM values you see are valid over land only, and do not reflect conditions over the water.