{"id":24832,"date":"2024-06-17T20:25:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T20:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=24832"},"modified":"2025-07-09T17:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T17:03:14","slug":"eastern-kentucky-planting-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/eastern-kentucky-planting-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Kentucky Planting Zones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of Eastern Kentucky is in the planting <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>, with a few county exceptions. This guide will help you understand the specific zones in this region so you can plant species best suited for your area.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you want to know what are the planting zones for other Kentucky regions, check out our guides below:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/kentucky-planting-zones\/\">Kentucky Planting Zones<\/a> <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\/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> <\/li> <\/ul>    <h2 id=\"what-planting-zone-is-eastern-kentucky\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What planting zone is Eastern 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\">For educational purposes, we\u2019re considering Eastern Kentucky the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield area. This region stretches from the Appalachian Mountains westward across the Cumberland Plateau to the Pottsville Escarpment. It is mostly in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>, where extreme minimum temperatures range from <strong>0 F to 5 F<\/strong>.<\/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\">In terms of ecoregions, Eastern Kentucky falls within the Appalachian Plateaus, which are known for their rugged cliffs, steep ravines, and narrow valleys.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a closer look at each Appalachian Plateau sub-region and its planting zones:<\/p>    <h3 id=\"outer-appalachians\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outer Appalachians<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some counties in northeast Kentucky, located in the Outer Appalachians, fall into<strong> zone 6b<\/strong>. This zone experiences slightly colder temperatures, ranging from <strong>-5 F to 0 F<\/strong>. The counties that are in this zone are:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>Greenup (partially)<\/li>    <li>Carter<\/li>    <li>Boyd (partially)<\/li>    <li>Lawrence (partially)<\/li>    <li>Elliott<\/li>    <li>Morgan<\/li>    <li>Owsley (partially)<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interestingly,<strong> Ashland<\/strong>, located in Boyd County, falls into <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>, so it experiences milder temperatures than the western part of the county. <strong>London<\/strong>, in Laurel County, is also in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"central-appalachians\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Central Appalachians<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Central Appalachians in Eastern Kentucky, characterized by rugged terrain and lush forests, are mostly in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>. A few exceptions are <strong>Jackson and Clay Counties<\/strong>, which have a few spots in <strong>zone 6b<\/strong>.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city of <strong>Pikeville<\/strong>, located in Pike County, is also in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"cumberland-mountains\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cumberland Mountains<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cumberland Mountains have a high elevation, resulting in colder temperatures. In Kentucky, this region comprises mostly the counties of Harlan and Bell, but the planting zones are varied:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Harlan County<\/strong> has parts in <strong>zone 6b<\/strong> and parts in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>.<\/li>    <li><strong>Bell County<\/strong> has parts in <strong>zone 7a<\/strong> and parts in<strong> zone 7b<\/strong>.<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, <strong>Middlesboro<\/strong>, located in Bell County, falls into <strong>zone 7a<\/strong>. If you\u2019re not sure in which planting zone your city falls, enter your ZIP code in the <a href=\"https:\/\/planthardiness.ars.usda.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map<\/a>.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then use your planting zone to choose <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/kentucky-native-plants\/\">The Best Kentucky Native Plants for Your Home<\/a> in our guide.<\/p>    <h2 id=\"when-to-call-a-pro\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to call a pro<\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, even though most of Kentucky falls in zone 7a, it\u2019s not always straightforward. The best plants for one city might not be ideal for another, even if they&#8217;re in the same county.&nbsp;<br><br>That\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to give a <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/kentucky\">call to a local professional<\/a>. We have pros in <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/kentucky\/huntington-lawn-care\/ashland-lawn-care\">Ashland<\/a> and other Kentucky cities, and they can help choose the best plants for your specific area, ensuring your garden looks its best.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main Image Credit: Joseph D. Harkins House | <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.m.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Joseph_D._Harkins_House.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nyttend<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/en:public_domain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Domain<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of Eastern Kentucky is in zone 7a, but some counties fall into zones 6b and 7b. Learn more about the planting zones in this region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":24887,"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-24832","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-eastern-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\/24832","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=24832"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40062,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24832\/revisions\/40062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}