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| USDA Zone 8
Average minimum temperature: 10 F to 20 F USDA Zone 8 forms a wide ribbon across the lower half of southern states, tapering to a narrow band that encompasses the Sierra foothills in California and the Pacific Northwest coast. A temperate climate with relatively mild winters and a long growing season, Zone 8 is home to some of the world's most beautiful gardens. Unlike the British Isles, which is also in the same zone, the chief limiting factor in some parts of Zone 8 in the U.S. is the degree of summer heat. In the Southeast, summers are hot and humid; in hot, dry areas of Texas and the Southwest, plants undergo dormancy in summer. In the Pacific Northwest, summer means warm days and cool nights. The zone represents the southernmost limit for astilbe, Kousa dogwood and smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria). This is the coldest zone for strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Himalayan pieris (Pieris formosana var. forrestii) and rock rose (Cistus). Dahlias and gladiolus can be left in the ground to overwinter. The USDA hardiness zone map is based on average minimum winter temperatures, each zone representing a 10-degree difference from the ones above and below it. Each zone is further divided into "a" and "b" areas. The difference between each of these sub-zones is a matter of five degrees. The average minimum temperature in winter in Zone 8a is 10 to 15F. In Zone 8b, it's 15 to 20F. Sample Cities in USDA Zone 8a Shreveport, Louisiana Sample Cities in USDA Zone 8b Austin, Texas Plants for USDA Zone 8 Deciduous Shrubs |
