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There are a number of factors you’ll want to consider when choosing plants or trees for a residential or commercial property. This includes everything from the space you have available to the soil characteristics and the amount of rainfall your area receives.
But it’s also important to consider the temperatures of your area — particularly the lowest average temperatures your region experiences. This may seem like the kind of thing you’d have to spend hours researching, but it’s actually pretty easy to determine; you simply have to find out your local planting zone.
We’ll explain more about planting zones below, and we’ll also identify which ones apply to Southeast Michigan.
What Are Planting Zones?
Planting zone is a general, informal term that essentially refers to the growing conditions in a given area. Technically speaking, the term “planting zone” may include things ranging from temperature to daylight hours to rainfall amounts.
However, when most people say, “planting zone,” they really mean the USDA hardiness zones.
USDA hardiness zones refer to the average lowest temperature an area experiences. For example, the lowest temperatures in one region may rarely fall below 0° Fahrenheit, yet they may plummet down to -20° in another. But again, these are based on averages, and that doesn’t mean temperatures may not occasionally drop even lower (or stay warmer in a given calendar year).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes maps that display the hardiness zones of different areas. These zones typically consist of a number and a letter, such as 6a or 8b.
What Are Southeast Michigan’s Planting Zones?
Statewide, Michigan spans six different USDA hardiness zones. The interior portions of the Upper Peninsula are in zone 4a, which corresponds with an average winter low temperature of -30° to -25°. Northern interior portions of the Lower Peninsula are in zones 5a and 5b and experience average winter lows between about -20° and -10°.
The rest of Michigan — including Detroit and the rest of Southeast Michigan — is mostly located in zones 6a and 6b. These zones correspond with average winter lows of -10° to -5° and -5° to 0°, respectively.
Why Are Planting Zones Important?
There are a number of environmental conditions that can stress or kill plants, ranging from salt exposure to drought to high soil pH. But one of the most important threats plants face is low temperatures. When exposed to temperatures below the range they’ve adapted to, most plants will die.
However, different plants and trees tolerate different winter temperatures. Some palm trees may die when exposed to temperatures below freezing (32°). Meanwhile, some larches will take temperatures as low as -85° in stride.
To help homeowners and property managers pick the right species for their region, plants and trees are generally rated for a given hardiness zone. For example, the white oak (Quercus alba) can usually survive in temperatures down to -30° or -40°, which corresponds with USDA hardiness zone 3.
However, because plants and trees may also suffer when exposed to temperatures above the range they tolerate, they’re often characterized as having a hardiness zone range. Now, hardiness zones don’t technically measure the highest average temperatures, but they can still be broadly useful when applied in this way.
So, instead of being rated for hardiness zone 3, white oaks are generally said to be rated for zones 3 through 9.
Planting Zones Are Changing
It’s important to note that the USDA periodically reviews climate data and makes adjustments to the hardiness zone map. For example, in 2023, many of the hardiness zones in Michigan changed by a half zone (the letter portion of the hardiness zone). In other words, areas that were formerly rated as 5b became 6a.
By and large, this means that homeowners in Southeast Michigan could plant species that would’ve formerly been at risk during extremely cold winters. It also theoretically means some species may no longer be able to survive the higher summer temperatures in our area, but this isn’t an issue for very many species.
It is worth noting that USDA hardiness zones are likely to continue trending in this manner, so it would be wise to avoid selecting trees that may already struggle during hot summers in favor of alternatives that can handle higher temperatures.
Trees That Thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 6a and 6b
If you’re interested in installing new trees in your Southeast Michigan yard, you’ll want to look for species that are rated for zones 6a and 6b. We’ll provide a few good options below:
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
- Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
- Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
- White Oak (Quercus alba)
- Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
- Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
- Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
- Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
- Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- River Birch (Betula nigra)
- American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
- Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea or A. canadensis)
- Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
- Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
- White Pine (Pinus strobus)
- Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)
- Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Just remember that winter temperatures are only one factor to consider when picking trees for your property. You’ll also want to think about the soil characteristics, sun exposure, and other important factors to end up with a good choice for your yard.
Longtree Tree Service: Southeast Michigan’s Leading Tree Service Provider
As we mentioned at the outset, planting zones are only one factor that you’ll need to consider when installing new plants or trees. You also have to consider your soil type, soil pH, soil moisture, space available, sun exposure, and a variety of other factors when picking the species and cultivars you want for your property.
We’d be happy to help with that and provide any other tree-care help you need. From pruning to removals to stump grinding, Longtree Tree Service provides a full line of tree-care services. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how our arborists can help care for your trees!
Sources & References
- YouTube – “(video) Tree Planting & Care / [Video Title]”
Provides a visual walkthrough on selecting, planting, and caring for trees — great for understanding best practices in landscaping contexts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I2FyTLJcwU&t=31s - US Department of Agriculture – “USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Downloads”
Offers downloadable hardiness zone maps which help determine the viability of plant species based on minimum winter temperatures.
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/map-downloads - Gardening Know How – “Michigan Planting Zones”
Explains how Michigan’s planting zones are defined, how to use them, and what they mean for tree and shrub selection in the region.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/planting-zones/michigan-planting-zones.htm - Michigan State University Extension – “Winter tests limits of plant cold hardiness”
Discusses how extreme winter cold in Michigan challenged typical hardiness zone assumptions and the implications for plant survival. Ag & Natural Resources College
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/winter_tests_limits_of_plant_cold_hardiness
