{"id":24818,"date":"2024-06-17T20:16:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T20:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=24818"},"modified":"2025-07-09T16:59:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T16:59:06","slug":"kentucky-planting-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/kentucky-planting-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Planting Zones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kentucky falls within the USDA hardiness <strong>zones 6b to 7b<\/strong>, depending on which area you\u2019re in. Knowing your planting zone in the Bluegrass State is essential for choosing the best plants for your garden, so let\u2019s get more into that.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to know the planting zone of your region, below you can find links to our guides for each Kentucky region:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/northern-kentucky-planting-zones\/\">Northern Kentucky Planting Zones<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/eastern-kentucky-planting-zones\/\">Eastern Kentucky Planting Zones<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/western-kentucky-planting-zones\/\">Western Kentucky Planting Zones<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/central-kentucky-planting-zones\/\">Central Kentucky Planting Zones<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you want to know the planting zones for all of Kentucky, read on.<\/p>    <h2 id=\"what-planting-zone-is-kentucky\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What planting zone is Kentucky?<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kentucky-Plant-Hardiness-zone-USDA-1.jpg\" alt=\"Kentucky Plants Hardiness zone\" class=\"wp-image-24871\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kentucky-Plant-Hardiness-zone-USDA-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kentucky-Plant-Hardiness-zone-USDA-1-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kentucky-Plant-Hardiness-zone-USDA-1-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Kentucky-Plant-Hardiness-zone-USDA-1-610x471.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/planthardiness.ars.usda.gov\/system\/files\/KY300_HS.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oregon State University<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the previous USDA hardiness zone map of 2012, Kentucky fell within zones 6a, 6b, and 7a. Now, as of 2023, updated data puts Kentucky at <strong>zones 6b, 7a, and 7b<\/strong>, with <strong>most of the state falling within zone 7a<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Ecoregions-of-Kentucky-Map.jpg\" alt=\"Map showing Ecoregions of Kentucky \" class=\"wp-image-24880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Ecoregions-of-Kentucky-Map.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Ecoregions-of-Kentucky-Map-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Ecoregions-of-Kentucky-Map-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Ecoregions-of-Kentucky-Map-610x406.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: Ryan Amjad<\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This change means that the average minimum temperature has increased slightly. Here is the Kentucky planting zone map and the specifics about each zone:<\/p>    <h3 id=\"zone-6b\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zone 6b<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>North central and northeast Kentucky<\/strong> fall into <strong>zone 6b<\/strong>, which includes important cities like Frankfort and Covington. In this zone, the extreme minimum temperature ranges from <strong>-5 F to 0 F.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gardeners in this region need to carefully choose native plants that can withstand these colder winter temperatures. Read our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/kentucky-native-plants\/\">The Best Kentucky Native Plants for Home Landscapes<\/a> for more information.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"zone-7a\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zone 7a<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the Bluegrass State falls within zone 7a. This includes Western, Eastern, and south central Kentucky, encompassing major cities such as:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>Louisville<\/li>    <li>Lexington<\/li>    <li>Bowling Green<\/li>    <li>Owensboro<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In zone 7a, the extreme minimum temperatures in the winter range from 0 F to 5 F.&nbsp;<\/p>    <h3 id=\"zone-7b\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zone 7b<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of Western Kentucky, especially south in the Jackson Purchase area \u2014 where the elevation is at its lowest point in the state \u2014 falls into zone 7b. In this zone, the extreme minimum temperature ranges from 5 F to 10 F.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zone 7b encompasses the following counties, either partially or entirely:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>Fulton<\/li>    <li>Calloway<\/li>    <li>Graves<\/li>    <li>Hickman<\/li>    <li>Carlisle<\/li>    <li>Marshall<\/li>    <li>McCracken<\/li>    <li>Lyon<\/li>    <li>Trigg<\/li>    <li>Christian<\/li>    <li>Logan<\/li>    <li>Allen<\/li> <\/ul>    <h2 id=\"when-to-call-a-pro\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to call a pro<\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing your planting zone is crucial to create a beautiful landscape that can withstand Kentucky\u2019s climate, but it\u2019s only the beginning. If you\u2019re still unsure about what and how to plant, consider <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/kentucky\">calling a local professional<\/a> for assistance. They can provide expert guidance tailored to your specific region so you have a thriving garden all year round.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle wp-block-ub-content-toggle-block\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-block-c13be2b8-34db-40d7-961e-ae687910d68d\" data-mobilecollapse=\"false\" data-desktopcollapse=\"true\" data-preventcollapse=\"false\" data-showonlyone=\"true\"> <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion\" style=\"border-color: #f1f1f1; border-top-left-radius: 8px; border-top-right-radius: 8px; border-bottom-left-radius: 8px; border-bottom-right-radius: 8px; \" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-block-c1e0759c-0723-4ef3-87fc-58edfd85ee9d\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title-wrap\" style=\"background-color: #f1f1f1;\" aria-controls=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-c13be2b8-34db-40d7-961e-ae687910d68d\" tabindex=\"0\"> \t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title ub-content-toggle-title-c13be2b8-34db-40d7-961e-ae687910d68d\" style=\"color: #000000; \">Source:<\/p> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-toggle-wrap right\" style=\"color: #000000;\"><span class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-state-indicator wp-block-ub-chevron-down\"><\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-content-wrap ub-hide\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-c13be2b8-34db-40d7-961e-ae687910d68d\">  <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kynativeplants.com\/post\/ecological-regions-of-kentucky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky Native Plants Project<\/a><\/p>  <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>   <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main Image Credit: Shropshire House | <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.m.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Shropshire_House_%E2%80%94_Georgetown,_Kentucky.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christopher L. Riley<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kentucky falls within planting zones 6b to 7b, with most of the state in zone 7a, 6b in the northernmost parts, and 7b in the southernmost. Find out your zone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":25003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[132,569],"class_list":["post-24818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kentucky","tag-gardening","tag-lawn-care-ky"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/house-in-kentucky-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Maria Isabela Reis","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/maria-isabela-reis\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24818"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40060,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24818\/revisions\/40060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}