2023 USDA Zone Map for Florida

[SeanK]

Some of this should be interpreted cautiously. I pulled 40 years of data from 1970 to 2010 for Defuniak Springs, currently z8b. There are a few winters with z7a and z7b minimums in the mix.

[SeanK]

On 5/19/2024 at 10:22 PM, bubba said:

 

[kinzyjr]

Personally, I enjoyed @Jimbean and @RedRabbit metrics for Central Florida using two popular palms (Cocos nucifera, Roystonea regia) and two past freezes (Jan. 2010, Dec. 1989) as benchmarks for zones 9 and 10.  Combining their idea with the numerical scale, one could break down the record lows or the minimum temperature recorded over a selected time period by using palms known to  survive dips to that temperature:

• -5F to 5F: Needle Palm/ Dwarf Palmetto zone
• 5F to 8F: Windmill Palm/Sabal etonia zone
• 8F to 10F: Saw Palmetto/Sabal Palmetto zone
• 10F to 15F: Butia/Mule zone
• 15F to 20F: Phoenix/Livistona/Washy zone
• 20F to 23F: Everglades Palm/Queen Palm zone
• 23F to 26F: Roystonea zone
• 26F+: Coconut zone

This is only an example and could be adjusted and only takes one metric into account.  Different people are going to draw the lines in different spots using different lengths of time and use different palms or plants to represent each area.

The problem with attempting to provide a planting guide using only one metric when there are so many variables is similar to attempting to find a unique solution for multiple variables with one equation (link for math geeks):

https://math.mit.edu/~djk/18_022/chapter15/section06.html

Coldest night, how often it gets how cold, soil conditions, wind, humidity, pests, diseases, how hot how often, elevation, ...

Zone maps are a statistical analysis provided without warranty.  Buyer beware.

[SeanK]

10 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Personally, I enjoyed @Jimbean and @RedRabbit metrics for Central Florida using two popular palms (Cocos nucifera, Roystonea regia) and two past freezes (Jan. 2010, Dec. 1989) as benchmarks for zones 9 and 10.  Combining their idea with the numerical scale, one could break down the record lows or the minimum temperature recorded over a selected time period by using palms known to  survive dips to that temperature:

• -5F to 5F: Needle Palm/ Dwarf Palmetto zone
• 5F to 8F: Windmill Palm/Sabal etonia zone
• 8F to 10F: Saw Palmetto/Sabal Palmetto zone
• 10F to 15F: Butia/Mule zone
• 15F to 20F: Phoenix/Livistona/Washy zone
• 20F to 23F: Everglades Palm/Queen Palm zone
• 23F to 26F: Roystonea zone
• 26F+: Coconut zone

This is only an example and could be adjusted and only takes one metric into account.  Different people are going to draw the lines in different spots using different lengths of time and use different palms or plants to represent each area.

The problem with attempting to provide a planting guide using only one metric when there are so many variables is similar to attempting to find a unique solution for multiple variables with one equation (link for math geeks):

https://math.mit.edu/~djk/18_022/chapter15/section06.html

Coldest night, how often it gets how cold, soil conditions, wind, humidity, pests, diseases, how hot how often, elevation, ...

Zone maps are a statistical analysis provided without warranty.  Buyer beware.

Yup. Ideally the solution is a point in n-space. However if rows are NOT L.I., it may be a line, a plane etc. Meaning, that a combination of factors may yield a solution. In our case, either success/failure, life/death.