The Dire Threat to Plants from a Warming Planet
How the USDA Hardiness Zones show a fatal flora problem.
In just another example of the current impacts of climate change on our planet, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their updated 2023 Hardiness Zone map, the first update since 2012.
If you compare the 2012 and 2023 maps, you’ll notice something that, in the context of actually knowing what’s going on with climate change, was completely expected and completely unnecessary: the zones are moving north.
This means that average temps are increasing, first frosts are occurring later, and last frosts are occurring earlier.
It also means that some “native” vegetation, which took centuries and millenia to adapt to the local climate, might actually find its historical habitat becoming hostile in a few short years.
Let’s break down what all this means.
Past and Present — It’s Not Looking Good
Let’s take a look at the maps, specifically my home state of Indiana.
Back in 2012, the northern half of Indiana was light blue, which was Zone 5b, which is an average extreme minimum temperature of -10 to -15 degrees Farenheit.
