Calling all gardeners! Vancouver is Zone 6b and Chilliwack 8a!?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by MaBelleJardin, May 31, 2009.

  1. MaBelleJardin

    MaBelleJardin Member

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    Is there an error with the new Canadian Hardiness Zones map? The east Fraser Valley (8a) is substantially milder than Vancouver (6b & 7a)?! Vancouver is only slightly milder than Kelowna (5b & 6a)? Not from my own experience of the regions. What about yours?

    I queried Agriculture Canada to see if there is an error. The zone numbers were confirmed and a list of plants was given, plants which grow in each locale. Is this how they check to verify the zone of particular areas?

    I call on gardeners to submit to their site a list of marginally hardy plants which survived last winter. http://planthardiness.gc.ca/ph_main.pl?lang=en
    Maybe they need more information.

    Maybe I'm wrong. Then I'll be planting Hebe and Eucalyptus in Chilliwack.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2009
  2. flowercents

    flowercents Active Member 10 Years

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    That doesn't sound right to me either. I've always heard the Eastern Fraser Valley is a colder zone than Vancouver.
     
  3. valleygardener

    valleygardener Active Member

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    I think they have things turned around - just a little bit!!! I'm presently replacing a Hebe that was damaged the winter before last and finished off this past winter. However, it did survive for 10 years or so. Lucky you--parts of California are 8a!!

    Have fun planting lots of tropicals.
     
  4. cindys

    cindys Active Member

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    The map certainly does seem odd...look at Victoria BC. It, too, appears to be 6A!!! Also, look at the North Shore area...it is purple, ie zone 8. The indicator plants (trees and shrubs) would seem to indicate that Vancouver is pretty safely in the zone 8 territory. Sign up for an account and add your plants to the database...they may fix the map one of these years!!!
     
  5. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    You've mis-read the map ;-)

    Admittedly, it is rather a silly design - but if you look at the top of the scale at the right-hand side, there's an orange marker "Built up areas". Very unfortunate that this just happens to be virtually the same colour as zone 6b, and over-rides whatever colour the area should be. So it looks like every urban area in the whole of Canada is zone 6b, even when it isn't.

    Edit . . .
    Looking a bit wider than BC, it seems the built up area colour mixes a bit with the relevant zone colour behind it.

    One strange result is that Yellowknife appears to be in zone 8a.

    Just for once, I'm missing not being able to put a big laughing smilie after that!
     
  6. MaBelleJardin

    MaBelleJardin Member

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    Thanks for pointing that out.
    Wow. They've made a map which excludes the areas where most people in the country live!? Farmers aren't the only ones interested, wouldn't you say? I don't think they've got a product that others will readily take up and use...

    p.s. The person I spoke to Agriculture Canada misread the map too.
     
  7. cindys

    cindys Active Member

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    You know, I noticed that on one of the maps, but on the big one (go to this page and click on the photo link to the 2000 plant hardiness map. It takes you to a different map than the other link. Type in Vancouver in the search box and you zoom in on your city. Vancouver is still 6b by colour. There is absolutely no mention on that map of the overlay for populated areas.

    Still, I think you are correct in your interpretation...but how incredibly silly!!!
     
  8. elgordo

    elgordo Active Member

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    I know this is an older thread, but I just noticed it. Yes, indeed, Metro Vancouver is listed as 6b; they have an arrow pointed to it with 6b under it, while the Valley from about Aldergrove east to Hope is listed as 8a (again with the arrows). Zone 6b is -18 to -20c, which I think is a little cold for Vancouver area. In fact, the coldest recorded temp at the Vancouver Airport is -18c in 1968, with many areas of Metro Van never having record temps below -14c. And this is info I got from the Environment Canada website! Someone must be in need of better spectacles.
     
  9. bugsid

    bugsid New Member

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    I realize this is a very old thread but I live in Maple Ridge and I know people from Chilliwack who worked at the same place I did who would come into work with a foot of snow on the roof of their cars while MR got only a light dusting or no snow at all so I decided to post the info below which I copied from the Maple Ridge city website: "Summer temperatures range from 22 to 28°C (72 to 83°F). Winters are mild, and if snow falls it doesn't stay long. Average low temperature for December and January is 2 to 4°C (36 to 39°F). The City receives approximately 1,788 mm of precipitation annually, with most rainfall occurring between October and March. " So, from personal experience as well as the official city website it sure doesn't sound like MR is a 6b zone. Guess I will just have to make my own estimate of what zone it is, unless anyone else knows.
     
  10. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    There used to be a website that you could use to determine your zone by postal code and I found this very reliable; it actually showed some areas of Vancouver as zone 8b, and I can keep some zone 9 plants outside year round with minimal protection. Unfortunately this site seems to no longer exist........ :(
     
  11. bugsid

    bugsid New Member

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    Thank you very much. I'm sorry the website no longer exists but, I will extrapolate from what you have said and estimate that if Vancouver is 8b and I am that much further inland at Maple Ridge then I am probably at least zone 8. I do know that a friend who lives fairly close by has a hardy banana so that should be a safe assumption
     
  12. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    I'd recommend checking with Triple Tree Nursery out in your neck of the woods. They're a large reputable nursery and would have a better idea of zones in Maple Ridge.
    Depending upon where exactly you are (what altitude, how close to the river and/or mountains etc.) you're probably closer to zone 7.

    FYI, musa basjoo (hardy fiber banana) is zone 6 (give or take; lower with winter protection) so please don't rely on the survival of just that one plant when making any purchasing decisions.
     
  13. bugsid

    bugsid New Member

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    Ah, I never thought of asking the nursery people about the zone. Thanks, that is a great suggestion. Yes, and TT is very close to the lady who does have the banana. Ok, thanks for the ideas.
     
  14. Dr green thumb

    Dr green thumb Member

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  15. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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