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edits
Changes
adding USDA hardiness zone temprature breakouts chart in F and C
[[Image:Zonescale.png|right|120px|thumb|Temperature scale of hardiness zones, showing the average annual minimum temperature boundaries for the zones]]
[[Image:Zonescale.png|right|120px|thumb|Temperature scale of hardiness zones, showing the average annual minimum temperature boundaries for the zones]]
A '''hardiness zone''' is a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of [[plant]] life is capable of growing, as defined by [[temperature]] hardiness, or ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone. The zones were first developed by the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA), and have subsequently been adopted elsewhere. They are categorized according to the mean of the lowest temperature recorded each winter, termed the "average annual minimum temperature". Thus if five successive winters reach respective minima of −14 °C, −12 °C, −8 °C, −16 °C, and −13 °C, the mean coldest temperature is −12.6 °C, placing the site in zone 7.
A '''hardiness zone''' is a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of [[plant]] life is capable of growing, as defined by [[temperature]] hardiness, or ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone. The zones were first developed by the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA), and have subsequently been adopted elsewhere. They are categorized according to the mean of the lowest temperature recorded each winter, termed the "average annual minimum temperature". Thus if five successive winters reach respective minima of −14 °C, −12 °C, −8 °C, −16 °C, and −13 °C, the mean coldest temperature is −12.6 °C, placing the site in zone 7.
==USDA Zones==
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="700"
| style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#663300;" align="center" height="17" | '''Zone'''
| style=" color:#800000" align="center" | '''Fahrenheit [°F]'''
| style=" color:#800000" align="center" | '''Celsius [°C]'''
| style=" color:#800000" align="center" | '''Example Cities'''
|-----
| style="background: #FA965A" align="center"| 1
| align="center" | Below -50 F
| align="center" | Below -45.6 C
| Fairbanks, Alaska; Resolute, Northwest Territories (Canada)
|-----
| style="background: #8CA0D2" align="center"| 2a
| align="center" | -50 to -45 F
| align="center" | -42.8 to -45.5 C
| Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Flon, Manitoba (Canada)
|-----
| style="background: #4678C8" align="center"| 2b
| align="center" | -45 to -40 F
| align="center" | -40.0 to -42.7 C
| Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek, Minnesota
|-----
| style="background: #F5962D" align="center"| 3a
| align="center" | -40 to -35 F
| align="center" | -37.3 to -39.9 C
| International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska
|-----
| style="background: #E65A0A" align="center"| 3b
| align="center" | -35 to -30 F
| align="center" | -34.5 to -37.2 C
| Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana
|-----
| style="background: #A09BC3" align="center"| 4a
| align="center" | -30 to -25 F
| align="center" | -31.7 to -34.4 C
| Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 4b
| align="center" | -25 to -20 F
| align="center" | -28.9 to -31.6 C
| Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 5a
| align="center" | -20 to -15 F
| align="center" | -26.2 to -28.8 C
| Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 5b
| align="center" | -15 to -10 F
| align="center" | -23.4 to -26.1 C
| Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 6a
| align="center" | -10 to -5 F
| align="center" | -20.6 to -23.3 C
| St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 6b
| align="center" | -5 to 0 F
| align="center" | -17.8 to -20.5 C
| McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 7a
| align="center" | 0 to 5 F
| align="center" | -15.0 to -17.7 C
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 7b
| align="center" | 5 to 10 F
| align="center" | -12.3 to -14.9 C
| Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 8a
| align="center" | 10 to 15 F
| align="center" | -9.5 to -12.2 C
| Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 8b
| align="center" | 15 to 20 F
| align="center" | -6.7 to -9.4 C
| Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 9a
| align="center" | 20 to 25 F
| align="center" | -3.9 to -6.6 C
| Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 9b
| align="center" | 25 to 30 F
| align="center" | -1.2 to -3.8 C
| Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 10a
| align="center" | 30 to 35 F
| align="center" | 1.6 to -1.1 C
| Naples, Florida; Victorville, California
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 10b
| align="center" | 35 to 40 F
| align="center" | 4.4 to 1.7 C
| Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida
|-----
| style="background: #XXXXXX" align="center"| 11
| align="center" | above 40 F
| align="center" | above 4.5 C
| Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico
|}
==Benefits and criticisms==
==Benefits and criticisms==