Choosing the right plants for your climate may be overwhelming, especially since the climate is changing. This article will cover the common considerations when choosing plants for your garden.
USDA Zone Map
The United States Department of Agriculture maintains a hardiness zone map for the United States. The map focuses on winter minimum temperatures. The zone you are in tells you about how cold it gets in the winter. The zones are labeled 1a-14b. When you look at a plant label and it lists a zone, this is the zone the label refers to.
The USDA updated the zone map in 2023 due to global climate change. Most places in the US were placed at least half a zone warmer than the old map. You can find the map on the USDA website.
Summer Heat
Summer heat matters, too. Some plants that can survive the winters may die from excessive heat. There isn’t a heat zone map that you can look at to see how hot it gets where you are. When I was a teenager, the USDA told my father to grow kiwis because New Zealand was in the same zone as our hobby peach orchard. However, the big leaves on a kiwi plant evolved to absorb water in the temperate rain forest. West Texas summers burned the kiwi plants up until only dead sticks remained – expensive dead sticks.
There are plants that do well in hotter areas. For example, purple coneflowers evolved on the Great Plains and grow from Texas to Canada.
Wind Problems
Wind frequency and speed need to be considered when buying plants, too. Most people have seen pictures of trees where there is a strong prevailing wind. All the branches are on the leeward side of the tree trunk. Some plants do well despite the wind, but others will break or wilt. Those plants should be planted behind a wind break.
New plants that are planted when young may need a temporary wind break to keep them from breaking. Tomato plants need a temporary wind break until they get a couple of feet tall. As the plant matures, you may be able to remove the wind break without harming the plant.
Sunlight
Sunlight may be direct or reflected. The amount of sun and how hot it is are very important to consider. Do a sun diary for a few days in your garden. When does the sun first reach that spot? How long does the sunlight shine there? When does it lose the light?
Full sun is considered at least six hours of sunlight. Part shade is 4-6 hours of sunlight, while shade is less than 4 hours of sunlight.
The time-of-day sun reaches the plant matters, too. Afternoon sun is the strongest. Some plants that need full sun appreciate some afternoon shade in hot climates.
Rain Pattern
Most places in the United States have rainy seasons and dryer seasons. You will need to look at the average amount of rainfall for your area. Areas that receive heavy rainfall in a few months then nothing for long periods are more challenging for plants than places that get a more even distribution of rain. Succulents and cacti do well in hot, arid areas.
Soil Moisture
Soil moisture is related to rainfall and how high the water table is in your area. While you can generally add moisture to the soil, it is very difficult to remove excess moisture. Don’t plant in a low spot in the yard. Most plants get root rot after long periods of wet soil.
Some plants, such as cattails, are adapted to living in wet or boggy soil. Use them around a pond or stream as part of your water feature.
Microclimates
Climate is not all big picture. Your landscape will have different microclimates in it. A corner might be sheltered and may let you grow something that would not survive the winter in an area that is more open to the wind. Berms and swells can create places that warm earlier or stay cold longer. Keep these places in mind when choosing your plants.
Native Plants Are Ideal
One of the easiest ways to choose plants that will do well in your area is to use plants that are native to within a hundred miles or so of your location. Many people mistakenly think native plants are ugly or won’t grow in their garden. If you have ever seen a wildflower meadow, you will know this is a myth.
There are plants native to your area that have a range of bloom times and bloom colors. If you have a spot in your yard for a sunny plant, you can find a native plant that loves sun to put into it. By the same token, you can find plants native to your area that like shade or dappled sun.
Native plants have evolved to grow in the soil in the area. The plants won’t need supplemental water after they are established unless there is a bad drought. In addition, native plants are generally able to tolerate pests in your area and resist diseases found there.
As a bonus, you will not have to fertilize most native plants because they evolved to feed on the nutrients in the native soil. Because native plants tolerate the pests native to the area, you will not have to spray them. Spraying pesticides decimates insects and the small mammals and birds that feed on them. Not spraying pesticides means more wildlife in your garden. Native bees, flies, butterflies, and other insects can thrive on native plants. These in turn, bring in birds and animals who eat the insects and small mammals.
If you want a spring flowering native plant, consider planting Virginia bluebells in an area that gets dappled shade. The plants bloom for a couple of weeks, then the foliage is inconspicuous the rest of the year.
Behind them you might plant cardinal flower, which has tall red spikes during the summer. Both plants attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Redbud trees also bloom in the spring and attract pollinators to their purple flowers.
Where To Get Native Plants
At TN Nursery, we carry a wide variety of native plants. Our staff can help you find native plants to fill almost any niche in your landscape. Just give us a call at 931.692.7325 today to get started.