Warmer temperatures are changing where plants and crops thrive. The USDA has new maps to help gardeners, farmers.

Regional plant hardiness often decides where any plant species or crop can thrive. "The Department of Agriculture’s 'plant hardiness zone map' was updated for the first time in a decade, and it shows the impact that climate change will have on gardens and yards across the country," reports Christina Larson of The Associated Press. "The map will give new guidance to growers about which flowers, vegetables and shrubs are most likely to thrive in a particular region. . . . Southern staples like magnolia trees and camellias may now be able to grow without frost damage in once-frigid Boston."

To use the USDA's interactive hardiness zone map with an area zip code click here. (USDA map via AP)

USDA's 2012 hardiness zone map. When compared to 2023's, the 2010 hardiness zones have shifted in some areas. (USDA map)