The New USDA Map Says You Can Grow More—My Daughter’s Climate Data Says Otherwise

Hey,

Hope you had a great week and started prepping for a big spring. With that comes choices. What plants and where to plant them.

We’ve all read about the changing climate zones around the world. So much so that in 2023, the USDA actually released a brand new Plant Hardiness Zone Map—shifting the warmer zones farther north. Many folks have read this as permission to start planting things they couldn’t before. If you were Zone 5A, maybe you’re now tempted to try 5B plants.

I’m here to tell you—that’s a terrible idea. And this gets personal.

I happen to have a daughter who's a sixth-generation nursery kid. While I had dreams she’d take up the family love of growing things, she took a different path: she decided to save the world.

Now, every kid says they want to do that—but mine actually might. She's a PhD student at Princeton studying the effects of climate change on weather, water movement, plant response, and a dozen other interconnected systems. She’s built an algorithm that models how things are shifting—pulling together historical climate data and even what the plants themselves are telling us.

So… are we all going to die? Not anytime soon.

But your plants? That’s another story.

What climate change is really bringing—more than just warmth—is variability. That’s the keyword. Not steady change. Chaotic change. Stronger storms, wilder temperature swings. Sure, the average temperature may be ticking upward, but the extremes—both hot and cold—are becoming more intense.

This means that even though your USDA zone may now technically support that plant you’ve always wanted to try, your garden is still going to face the risk of a sudden cold snap, a freak heat wave, or a damaging freeze. And those are the moments that kill plants—not the averages. Plants don’t die from trends. They die from events.

My daughter is working on research that, hopefully, will be published soon. But already, her data is backing up what many of us have been sensing: it feels hotter and colder than it used to. More tornadoes. More hurricanes. And that’s the new normal.

So where does that leave us gardeners?

Yes, we’re trending warmer. But be careful. You’ll still need to protect plants that are borderline hardy for your area. Broadleaf evergreens especially—anything that tries to hold onto its foliage year-round—are more vulnerable. Deciduous plants or those that die back to the ground? Give them a thick blanket of mulch and let those warmer winter soils help them rebound.

As you can probably tell, I’m immensely proud of my daughter. She’s not an activist—she’s a scientist. No agenda, just data. I know this because I raised her. Raised her to love plants, science, and math. Now she’s using all of that to help people like me kill fewer plants—especially the ones I probably shouldn’t be trying to grow in the first place.

"The Secret to a Beautiful Garden in the Ugliest Season"

This time of year, we’re doing everything we can to forget about winter. Depending on where you live, it starts and ends at different times. But for most of us, the lack of sunlight and cold weather takes a real toll—not just on us, but on our landscapes.

When it comes to planning your garden, winter is literally the last thing on your mind. But maybe it shouldn't be.

Winter is still the longest season for most of the country. Here in the Midwest, it’s essentially five months long. Add in the slow wake-up of early spring, and you’re talking half the year where your yard might look dull, barren, or forgotten.

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, the average gardener visits a garden center just 1.7 times per year. And when they do, they buy what’s in bloom. That means we’re often planning for spring and summer color—maybe tossing in a few fall flowers—but 95% of gardeners completely skip thinking about the winter landscape.

After 30 years of designing gardens I have a few ideas.

What Makes a Great Winter Garden?

Here’s what to look for—and what to plant—for a yard that holds visual interest through the cold months:

1. Structure & Bark
Winter is when the bones of your landscape really matter.

• Look for trees and shrubs with interesting bark: white birch, papery paperbark maple, or flaky river birch.

• Choose plants with strong branching habits, twisting limbs, or dramatic "crotches" that hold snow or provide perches for birds.

• Consider shape and movement—things that look great bare.
  

  

  Weeping Redbud

2. Leaves & Needles
Evergreens are obvious heroes, but the trick is variety.

• Mix in conifers with green, gold, blue, or even amber-toned needles.

• Broadleaf evergreens (like holly or rhododendron) hold their leaves and structure.

• Some deciduous trees, like oak and beech, actually hold on to their dry leaves all winter, adding texture and sound.

3. Dried Flowers & Seed Heads

• Choose perennials and shrubs with strong stems and flower heads that persist: strong stemmed hydrangea, echinacea, rudbeckia, sedum, and ornamental grasses.

• These catch snow beautifully and feed birds through the season.

4. Berries

• Plants like winterberry, crabapple, viburnum, and hawthorn hold their berries deep into winter.

• Adds bright pops of red, orange, or purple when everything else goes gray.

• Bonus: bird food.

5. Winter-Ready Art & Structures

• A bench, birdhouse, trellis, obelisk, or sculpture becomes a focal point once the leaves are gone.

• Place them where they’ll contrast with snow or bark and cast good winter shadows.
  
  

  

6. Water Features (If You Can Swing It)

• Running water can stay open longer in winter, adding sound, reflection, and movement.

• Even a small bubbler or heated birdbath draws birds and looks magical in the frost.

7. Evergreens, but Make Them Interesting

• Don't just plant one type—use layering and texture.

• Pine, spruce, juniper, cedar—they all offer different shapes, colors, and densities.

• Mix in dwarf and weeping forms for more variety.

Even if you don’t love winter, your garden can still give you something to look at—and maybe even something to look forward to. A good winter garden isn’t just for the birds. It’s for the gardener too. Looking out the window in the winter should give you the same smile as you get in the spring.

I just finished talking up winter plants, so the least I can do is give you some recommendations. I even threw in a bonus plant—because while I was writing, I realized I forgot my favorite of them all.

Do I have all of these in my yard? No, but every plant better be on its best behavior this year. If any of them mess up, they’re gone—replaced by one of these.

1. Dwarf Winterberry – Mr. & Mrs. Poppins

Ilex verticillata 'Mr. Poppins' (male) & 'Berry Poppins' (female)
Height/Width: 3–4 ft tall and wide
Zones: 3–9

They call it winterberry for a reason—the berries shine in winter, and this compact variety is just loaded when a pollinator is nearby. Look for growers who mix male and female plants in the same pot for guaranteed berries. If you’re DIY-ing it, grab one of each in smaller pots, plant them together, and trim them into one plant over time. You'll get consistent pollination and a beautiful, berry-loaded winter shrub.

2. Dwarf Crabapple with Bitter Berries

Malus spp. (such as 'Red Jewel', 'Sugar Tyme', or 'Donald Wyman')
Height/Width: 10–15 ft tall, 8–12 ft wide (varies by variety)
Zones: 4–8

Why bitter berries? The birds think so. That’s a good thing—they eat the sweeter berries first, so the more bitter ones stay on the tree deep into winter, often into February or March. These dwarf crabapple trees also offer great spring blooms, strong disease resistance, and bold winter form. A true four-season plant that gives more than it takes.

3. Henry Lauder’s Walking Stick

Corylus avellana 'Contorta'
Height/Width: 6–10 ft tall and wide
Zones: 4–8

One of the most striking branching structures in the plant world. People say it stays 6–8 feet, but I’ve seen them top 10 regularly—plan accordingly. While the leaves can look a bit rough in summer, the bare winter silhouette is stunning. Plus, the gnarled branches are perfect for indoor or outdoor winter decorating.

4. Korean Spice Viburnum

Viburnum carlesii
Height/Width: 5–8 ft tall and wide
Zones: 4–7

My favorite bloom in the world—fragrant enough to smell from a block away in early spring. But it’s not just about the flowers. In winter, the heavy branching structure looks amazing with snow draped across it, and it becomes a perch for birds right outside your window. A top pick for fragrance, form, and four-season beauty.

5. Peking Lilac

Syringa pekinensis
Height/Width: 15–25 ft tall, 15–20 ft wide
Zones: 3–7

An underappreciated gem—think of it as a fast-growing, budget-friendly version of a paperbark maple, but with blooms.

• Attractive Bark: Peeling reddish-brown bark adds real winter interest.

• Late Blooming: Creamy white flowers in June, later than other lilacs.

• Fragrant: Sweetly scented, though milder than common lilac.

• Urban Toughness: Tolerates road salt, pollution, and poor soil—a winner for city or suburban landscapes.

Bonus Pick: Chief Joseph Pine

Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph'
Height/Width: 6–8 ft tall, 3–5 ft wide (in 10 years)
Zones: 5–8

You won’t forget it once you’ve seen it. This lodgepole pine is deep green through summer, but in winter it turns electric yellow—a jaw-dropping color shift.

• Compact: Fits easily into smaller gardens or as a focal point.

• Low Maintenance: Once established, needs very little care.

• High Impact: One of the best color shows of the cold season.

  
  
  

  

Thanks so much for reading each week—I seriously appreciate you! I always love hearing your thoughts, so don’t be shy—hit reply and say hi.

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