Hardiness Zones in France

Be aware of the hardiness zone in your area before you decide to buy plants. Some plants might not survive over winter!

Based on the minimum ten-year average winter temperatures, plant hardiness zone maps have been progressively developed, first by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the United States and then more or less applied to the rest of the planet. The purpose of these hardiness zones is to identify how well plants will withstand the cold winter temperatures of these zones. But keep in mind that these maps are mostly guidelines as they do not factor in any potential micro-climates, precipitation, humidity, summer heat tolerance, etc.

Selecting plants suited to the diverse French climate will be a key step to success. If you know your hardiness zone, find the best plants or exciting garden ideas for your geographic area.

If you are not sure which hardiness zone you belong to, please check the map below.

Hardiness Zones in France

• France lies in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 through 10 with some variations across regions and seasons. However, generally speaking, France enjoys 4 distinct seasons characterized by cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean with occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as ‘Mistral’.
• The frost-free growing season is fairly long with the last frost dates ranging from March to April and the first frost dates starting as early as October until the end of November.