Australia - The Best Plants to Grow in Your Garden
Selecting plants for a garden in Australia, a continent known for its diverse and unique climate zones, can be an exciting venture.
Australia doesn’t officially use a system of heat and hardiness zones analogous to the USDA hardiness zones or the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) heat zones. Instead, they typically use a climate zone system. However, understanding Australia’s general climatic conditions can help approximate these zones.
- Tropical Zone: This area experiences high rainfall and warm temperatures throughout the year. It corresponds roughly to USDA zones 11-13 and AHS zones 12-13.
- Subtropical Zone: This zone has warm, humid summers and mild, dry winters, similar to USDA zones 9-10 and AHS zones 8-11.
- Desert/Outback Zone: The interior of the continent is arid with extreme temperature variations. This area may be considered to align with USDA zones 8-10 for its cold hardiness, but it can also experience extreme heat, possibly aligning with AHS zones 10-12.
- Grassland Zone: Areas like the Murray-Darling basin, have hot summers and cool to cold winters. This could correspond to USDA zones 7-9 and AHS zones 8-10.
- Temperate Zone: This region experiences moderate rainfall and temperature variations, similar to USDA zones 7-9 and AHS zones 4-7.
- Cool/Mountain Zone: Alpine and coastal areas have mild summers and cold winters. This corresponds to USDA zones 6-8 and AHS zones 1-3.
Remember, these are rough approximations. Local factors such as elevation, aspect, and proximity to the ocean can cause microclimates within these broader zones. Always consider local conditions when selecting plants for your garden.
