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Essay On Weather Plants

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Those of us with gardens in Connecticut, especially along the sound, have always been on the edge of things warmer. We dreamed of warmer weather plants such as camellias, sweet box, gold dust plant and crape myrtle in our coastal gardens. A few brave gardeners have planted these southern beauties in protected corners and gone to great lengths to protect their prized garden gems from winter's cold fingers. Now with warmer temperatures and winters moderating these garden beauties can be included in our plant palette.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) just issued the latest Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the United States. The revised map now shows some regions of Connecticut which used to be a Zone 6b are now a Zone 7a. This …show more content…

Another staple of southern gardens is Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). There are many Crape myrtles hybrid that are mostly hardy to USDA Zone 7, but can be killed to the ground in severe winters. There are a few varieties that are root hardy to Zone 6 and can be treated as perennials. Lagerstroemia fauriei is known to be reliably hardy to USDA Zone 6, but avoid planting them on a south-facing wall where the winter sun might break their dormancy too early. Zone 6 hardy or root hardy Crapemyrtles include: Lagerstroemia indica 'Burgundy Cotton', L. indica 'Red Rocket', L. indica 'Tightwad', L. indica 'Becky's Watermelon Red', L. 'Sarahs Favorite' and L. fauriei cultivars - 'Bashams Party Pink', 'Biloxi', 'Choctaw', 'Hopi'. The Fleming Filigrees cultivars are hardy to USDA Zone 4.

Local microclimates can affect plant health and survivability in your area so be aware if your area tends to be colder or warmer than the norm indicated on the USDA Zone Map. Often properties near to lakes or ponds will have a more moderate air temperature and possibly a zone warmer, whereas if you are in a valley the cold air tends to settle so you may be a bit colder. Urban areas, because of the heat island effect of the mass of asphalt and buildings tend to make them a zone warmer than surrounding non-urban areas. Some areas with more consistent snow cover can consider planting species that are from a zone warmer, since the root zone is insulated during the winter months.

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