- An overview<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 3<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 4<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 5<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 6<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
An overview<\/span><\/h2>
![\"USDA](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MT300_HS.jpg\")
USDA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Montana\u2019s growing zones, also called planting zones or hardiness zones, range from 3a to 6b<\/strong>. 3a is in small pockets near Coment Mountain and the south central Rockies, and 6b is in the northeast, primarily in Sanders County and parts of Lincoln County.<\/p>
The USDA explains, \u201cThe Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) is based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature, displayed as 10-degree F zones ranging from zone 1 (coldest) to zone 13 (warmest).\u201d Each zone is divided into half zones designated as \u2018a\u2019 (colder) and \u2018b\u2019 (warmer) and there is a 5-degree difference between the two.<\/p>
With a state as big as Montana, it\u2019s not a surprise that there are so many hardiness zones. Here are several prominent cities in The Treasure State and their hardiness zones.<\/p>
- Helena<\/strong>: 4b<\/li>
- Kalispell<\/strong>: 5b<\/li>
- Billings<\/strong>: 5a<\/li>
- Bozeman<\/strong>: 5a<\/li>
- Great Falls<\/strong>: 4b<\/li>
- Missoula<\/strong>: 5b<\/li> <\/ul>
\u201cAll Plant Hardiness Zone Maps (PHZM) should serve as general guides for growing perennial plants,\u201d according to the USDA. Below, we\u2019ve included some perennials suited for each hardiness zone, but many of these plants are suitable for multiple regions. For more information, check out Montana Native Plants for Your Landscape.<\/p>
Zone 3<\/span><\/h2>
Zone 3 in Montana is along the north-central and northeastern Canadian border and in small pockets in the southwest near the southern Idaho border. The majority of Montana\u2019s zone 3 is 3b, but a few of the pockets also contain 3a<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 3a is -40 to -35; 3b is -35 to -30<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: September 8 to 15<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: May 1 to 16<\/p>
Zone 3 plant types<\/strong>: Choose plants that are cold-hardy and can handle harsh winter temperatures and a shorter growing season. Try starting seeds and bulbs indoors.<\/p>
Zone 3 perennials<\/strong>: Asters, crocus, hydrangeas, phlox, sedum<\/p>
Zone 4<\/span><\/h2>
In Montana, Zone 4 covers much of the state. Zone 4a borders northern zone 3 and goes as far west as Glacier County. It covers much of the northeastern part of the state, too. Zone 4b includes southeast and central Montana and goes as far west as Pondera and Tetor counties. It also includes pockets in southwestern Montana.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 4a is -30 to -25; 4b is -25 to -20<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: September 21 to October 7<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: April 24 to May 12<\/p>
Zone 4 plant types<\/strong>: Select plants that are cold-hardy and can handle frigid winter temperatures and a shorter growing season. Starting seeds and bulbs indoors can increase bloom time.<\/p>
Zone 4 perennials<\/strong>: Bee balm, cannas, coneflower, delphiniums, hibiscus<\/p>
Zone 5<\/span><\/h2>
Zone 5 in Montana covers the central border and most of the southwest. Zone 5 also includes a strip in the northwest between zone 4 and zone 6 as well as a few pockets in central and southeastern parts of the state. Zone 5a is primarily in the southern and southwestern area and zone 5b is mostly in the northwest.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 5a is -20 to -15. 5b is -15 to -10<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: October 13 to 21<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: April 7 to 30<\/p>
Zone 5 plant types<\/strong>: Choose cold-hardy plants that can handle the cold winter temperatures and a shorter growing season. For a more fruitful growing season, plant seeds and bulbs indoors.<\/p>
Zone 5 perennials<\/strong>: Begonias, dahlias, gladiolus, lilies, roses<\/p>
Zone 6<\/span><\/h2>
In Montana, zone 6 is in the northwest, on the western side of the continental divide. It includes most of Sanders and Mineral counties, parts of Lake, Flathead, and Lincoln counties, and small sections of Missoula, Ravalli, and Granite counties.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 6a is -10 to -5; 6b is -5 to 0<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: October 17 to 31<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: April 1 to 21<\/p>
Zone 6 plant types<\/strong>: Select cold-hardy plants that can survive chilly winter temperatures and a shorter growing season. Start seeds and bulbs indoors, so you can sow already thriving plants after the last frost.<\/p>
Zone 6 perennials<\/strong>: Hyacinths, yarrow, daffodils, hostas, peonies<\/p>
Related Articles<\/strong>:<\/p>
The Best Grass Seed for Montana Lawns<\/p>
When to Plant Grass Seed in Montana.<\/p>
Should I hire a professional?<\/span><\/h2>
Landscaping and lawn care are relatively easy DIY tasks, but they\u2019re also time-consuming and laborious. That\u2019s why many in Big Sky Country are looking to professionals for help. But finding someone reliable seems impossible. Lawn Love can help. We\u2019ll connect you with a vetted, affordable, local pro<\/a> that will have your yard looking exceptional while you enjoy your weekend.<\/p>
\t\t\t\t\t\tSources<\/strong><\/p> \t\t\t
<\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map<\/a><\/li>
- 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: Montana<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
Main Image Credit: Drmccreedy<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Montana\u2019s growing zones range from 3a to 6b. Montana\u2019s prominent cities are in 4b to 5b, including Helena, Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, and Missoula.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":26602,"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":[199],"tags":[584],"class_list":["post-26599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-montana","tag-lawn-care-mt"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-in-montana-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Nicki DeStasi","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/nicki-destasi\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26599","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\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: Montana<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
- Kalispell<\/strong>: 5b<\/li>
- Zone 3<\/a><\/li>