New York Planting Zones by City and ZIP Code
New York runs from zones 4a to 7b; 24% of its ZIPs are 6a, New York City is 7b and Buffalo is 6b.
New York runs from zones 4a to 7b
The coldest night of the winter averages -30°F to -25°F in the coldest of New York’s ZIP codes and 5°F to 10°F in the warmest. Most of the state is zone 6a.
Planting zones of New York cities
| City | Zone | Coldest night, on average | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City10001 | 7b | 5°F to 10°F | same as 2012 |
| Buffalo14202 | 6b | -5°F to 0°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (6a) |
| Rochester14604 | 6b | -5°F to 0°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (6a) |
| Albany12207 | 6a | -10°F to -5°F | same as 2012 |
| Syracuse13202 | 6a | -10°F to -5°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (5b) |
| Lake Placid12946 | 4a | -30°F to -25°F | same as 2012 |
Tap a ZIP for that address’s frost dates and this month’s jobs.
Find your zone anywhere in New York
A ZIP code or a town gives you its zone, how it moved since 2012, the frost dates at the nearest NOAA station, and the jobs for this month timed from them.
What to plant in New York this month
The calendar for each of New York's main zones, from vegetables to pruning and winter protection, each job tied to the extension page it comes from. Pick a month, or read the whole year below it.
Timed from the median frost dates of the 36 NOAA stations in New York’s zone 6a: last spring frost May 3, first fall frost Oct 15. Your own ZIP’s frost dates move every window, so the ZIP tool times them for you.
Pick a month above to see every job in it.
The year at a glance
- Start vegetable seeds indoorsJan to Apr
- Sow vegetables in the gardenApr to May
- Sow the fall vegetable gardenJun to Aug
- Set out transplantsApr to May
- Plant trees and shrubsMar 22 to May 17 and Oct 1 to Nov 19
- Plant garlicOct 1 to Nov 5
- Plant tulips and other spring bulbsOct 22 to Oct 29
- Divide fall-blooming perennialsApr 12 to May 24
- Divide spring and summer-blooming perennialsSep 3 to Oct 15
- Prune trees and summer-flowering shrubs while dormantFeb 22 to Apr 5
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloomApr 19 to Jun 14
- Water evergreens and new plantings until the ground freezesSep 17 to Nov 26
- Mulch perennial crowns once the ground freezesNov 26 to Dec 10
- Pull back the winter mulchMar 15 to Mar 29
- Put hardware cloth around young tree trunksOct 15 to Nov 26
- Dig and store dahlia and gladiolusOct 15 to Oct 22
- Cut back perennials after a hard freezeOct 22 to Nov 19
What changed in New York since 2012
Every ZIP on both mapsCompared ZIP by ZIP from the 2023 and 2012 USDA tables; 2,123 New York ZIP codes appear in both.
Why New York’s zones moved
Of the cities above, Buffalo went from 6a to 6b, Rochester went from 6a to 6b and Syracuse went from 5b to 6a.
The USDA explains the national picture: “When compared to the 2012 map, the 2023 version reveals that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone, and the other half of the country remained in the same half zone.” The new map uses 1991 to 2020 and more than 13,000 weather stations, so it draws New York’s hills, valleys and cities more finely than the 2012 map did.
A warmer zone changes which perennials and shrubs come through the winter, not when the garden gets planted; that still follows the frost dates.
Frost dates and seed starting in New York
New York planting zone questions
Planting zones by state
Sources. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP code tables (2023 and 2012), PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; USDA Unveils Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA Agricultural Research Service, November 15, 2023); NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal, by station (v1.0.1); NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Zones are read from the PRISM ZIP code tables, read Oct 9, 2026; a ZIP code’s zone is the zone at its center. The calendar’s extension sources are listed on the planting zones page and under each job.