The Hudson Valley Has New Plant Hardiness Zones

For the first time in over a decade, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated its plant hardiness map, and several counties in the Hudson Valley are seeing some changes.

Plant hardiness zones are an easy reference for gardeners to check which plants will grow well in their local climates. The system ranges in the United States from 1a (coldest) to 13b (tropical), and New York used to fall between 3b and 7b. This year, however, things have changed.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones in New York State

The first major difference in the USDA's 2023 plant hardiness zone map is the disappearance of zone 3b in upstate New York. Counties like Herkimer and Saint Lawrence, which used to be rated as the coldest parts of New York state, have now "warmed" to a zone rating of 4a (below). There are changes in the Hudson Valley, too.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones in the Hudson Valley, NY

Nearly every county in the Hudson Valley has had their plant hardiness ratings revised as well, with the similar theme of the climate getting warmer. Dutchess County and Ulster County, NY, which used to have an even split of 3 and 4 hardiness ratings, have both warmed considerably (below). It's even more dramatic a bit further north.

Columbia County, NY is Getting Warmer

Columbia county, NY used to be nearly entirely rated as 5a or 5b, meaning the "extreme minimum temperature" ranged between -10 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit. The 2023 hardiness ratings, however, now list Columbia county as nearly completely 6a, meaning the extreme low temperature has risen roughly 10 degrees (above).

Broadly, this map update means that New York is getting warmer. While it may be exciting to have freedom to cultivate plants that used to be impossible to grow in the state, it can also mean that native plants that had thrived in previous climates may no longer do as well. The toxic plants in New York (below) could last a little longer as well.