- Northern New Mexico\u2019s growing zones range from 5a to 7b<\/strong>. The coldest areas are in the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The warmest area is along the Rio Grande.<\/li>
- Most of northern New Mexico\u2019s most populous towns and cities are between 6a and 7b<\/strong>, including Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, South Valley, Santa Fe, Farmington, and Gallop.<\/li> <\/ul>
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable of contents<\/div> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t- Overview of northern New Mexico planting zones<\/a>
- Zone 5: Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains and the Black range<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 6: Foothills of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains and the Black Range<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 7: Colorado Plateau and central New Mexico, along the Rio Grande Valley<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Planting zones in northern New Mexico<\/span><\/h2>
![\"usda](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NM300_HS-791x1024.jpg\")
USDA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Northern New Mexico\u2019s growing zones, also called planting zones or hardiness zones, range from 5a to 7b. 5a is in small pockets in the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, primarily by Ute Mountain. 7b is along the Rio Grande, largely in Sandoval, Bernalillo, and Valencia Counties.<\/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)<\/em>.\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>
To learn more, check out How to Use the Plant Hardiness Zone Map in Your Yard<\/a>.<\/p>
As the fifth largest state in land mass, it\u2019s not surprising that New Mexico covers a number of hardiness zones. Here are the most populated cities in Northern New Mexico and their hardiness zones.<\/p>
- Albuquerque\/Rio Rancho<\/strong>: 7b<\/li>
- Santa Fe<\/strong>: 6b<\/li>
- South Valley<\/strong>: 7b<\/li>
- Farmington<\/strong>: 7a<\/li>
- Gallop<\/strong>: 6a<\/li> <\/ul>
Other significant towns in northern New Mexico and their hardiness zones:<\/p>
- Taos<\/strong>: 5b<\/li>
- Clayton<\/strong>: 6b<\/li>
- Tucumcari<\/strong>: 7a<\/li>
- Raton<\/strong>: 6a<\/li>
- Grants<\/strong>: 6a<\/li>
- Las Lunas<\/strong>: 7a<\/li> <\/ul>
\u201cAll Plant Hardiness Zone Maps (PHZM) should serve as general guides for growing perennial plants<\/em>,\u201d according to the USDA. <\/p>
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 New Mexico Native Plants for Your Landscape.<\/p>
For more general information, check out New Mexico Planting Zones. <\/p>
Here\u2019s Southern New Mexico Planting Zones for information on southern New Mexico.<\/p>
Zone 5<\/span><\/h3>
In northern New Mexico, zone 5 is found in the northern areas of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains and the Black Range, west of the Rio Grande. Cities and towns in Zone 5 include Taos, Tiera Amarilla, and parts of Cibola and Catron Counties.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 5a is -20 to -15 degrees; 5b is -15 to -10 degrees<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: Oct. 13 to 21<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: April 7 to 30<\/p>
Average annual rainfall<\/strong>: Pockets of 35 to 40 inches in the mountains, tapering off to 10 to 15 inches in the foothills. The north central area, near Ute Mountain, receives about 5 to 10 inches.<\/p>
Zone 5 plant types<\/strong>: Choose cold-hardy, drought-tolerant plants that can handle cold winter temperatures, warm summers, and high altitudes.<\/p>
Zone 5 perennials<\/strong>: Common yarrow, western red columbine, Colorado blue columbine, shooting star, purple geranium, and narrow goldenrod.<\/p>
Zone 6<\/span><\/h3>
This zone in northern New Mexico is in the foothills of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Black Range. It covers the majority of the northeastern and north-central regions as well as the central western part of the state. Cities and towns in Zone 6 include Santa Fe, Clayton, and Grants.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 6a is -10 to -5 degrees; 6b is -5 to 0 degrees<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: Oct. 17 to 31<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: April 1 to 21<\/p>
Average annual rainfall<\/strong>: The northeastern part of Zone 6 receives about 15 to 20 inches of rain. The central and central western area receives about 10 to 15 inches, about 5 inches more closer to the mountains and 5 inches less near the Chaco Canyon.<\/p>
Best plants<\/strong>: Choose plants that tolerate chilly winters, warm summers, and low rainfall.<\/p>
Best perennials<\/strong>: Hairy golden aster, antelope sage, chocolate daisy, blackfoot daisy, and bee blossom.<\/p>
Zone 7<\/span><\/h3>
This zone in northern New Mexico is in the northwest, near the Colorado Plateau and central New Mexico, along the Rio Grande Valley. Cities and towns in Zone 7 include Farmington and Albuquerque.<\/p>
Average low temperature<\/strong>: 7a is 0 to 5 degrees; 7b is 5 to 10 degrees<\/p>
Average first frost<\/strong>: Oct. 29 to Nov. 15<\/p>
Average last frost<\/strong>: March 22 to April 3<\/p>
Average annual rainfall<\/strong>: The areas close to the Rio Grande, Chaco, and San Juan Rivers only receive 5 to 10 inches, but further away from these rivers, zone 7 receives about 10 to 15 inches.<\/p>
Zone 7 plant types<\/strong>: Select plants that tolerate cool winters, hot summers, and low to moderate rainfall.<\/p>
Zone 7 perennials<\/strong>: Desert willow, cardinal flower, flax, azure blue sage, and African marigold.<\/p>
Related links<\/strong>:<\/p>
- When to Plant Grass in New Mexico<\/li>
- The Best Grass for New Mexico Lawns<\/a><\/li>
- The Best Grass for Northern New Mexico<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
Should I hire a professional?<\/span><\/h2>
Landscaping and lawn care are relatively easy but also time-consuming and laborious, which is why many in Albuquerque<\/a> and throughout the Land of Enchantment are looking to professionals for help. Lawn Love can help. We\u2019ll connect you with a vetted, experienced, affordable, local pro<\/a> who will have your yard looking spectacular 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>
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: New Mexico<\/a><\/li>
- New Mexico Precipitation Map<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
Main Image Credit: Wallace Schultz<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Northern New Mexico\u2019s planting zones range from 5a to 7b. The coldest area is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The warmest area is along the Rio Grande.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":27226,"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":[195],"tags":[595],"class_list":["post-27224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-mexico","tag-lawn-care-nm"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-in-nothern-new-mexico-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\/27224","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=27224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: New Mexico<\/a><\/li>
- The Best Grass for Northern New Mexico<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
- Clayton<\/strong>: 6b<\/li>
- Santa Fe<\/strong>: 6b<\/li>
- Zone 6: Foothills of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains and the Black Range<\/a><\/li>
- Zone 5: Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains and the Black range<\/a><\/li>
- Most of northern New Mexico\u2019s most populous towns and cities are between 6a and 7b<\/strong>, including Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, South Valley, Santa Fe, Farmington, and Gallop.<\/li> <\/ul>