When shopping for greenery, it is imperative to select species that will thrive in Manitoba’s temperate climate. Every nursery in the province carries a variety of plants that have been tried and tested to survive our extreme temperature swings. Hardiness refers to a plant’s ability to survive in adverse growing conditions. Hardiness Zones are geographic regions around the world that are able to support certain vegetation types. These zones are defined by temperature ranges in increments of 5°F. There are a total of 10 Hardiness Zones worldwide, ranging from Zone 0 through Zone 9, with further Sub Zones designated alphabetically (e.g. Zone 1a, Zone 1b). Zone 0 has the coldest temperatures, and Zone 9 the warmest.
Manitoba ranges from Zone 1b in the North, to a small area of Zone 4a in the South. Winnipeg falls into Zone 3a, with a cold temperature extreme of -40°F. This means that plants rated for Hardiness Zones 3a or lower can survive in Winnipeg. Some plants rated for Zone 4a may survive as well, depending on certain variables.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-manitoba-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php
Image source:
Veseys. “Manitoba.” Online Image. 2000. https://www.veseys.com/ca/en/learn/reference/hardinesszones/manitoba.