6 planting zones in Massachusetts on Map

There are 6 Planting Zones in Massachusetts ranging from zone 5a to zone 7b, as per the latest USDA data.

There is a pattern of distribution of Massachusetts six different planting zones, with colder zones (5a and 5b) spread in the western highlands, transitioning to milder zones (6a and 6b) in the central and eastern regions, and then warmest zones (7a and 7b) along the southeastern coast, Cape Cod, and the islands.

You can find your Massachusetts planting zone by using our ZIP code tool or the Massachusetts city planting zone map. Both tools, available below, will show your exact USDA growing zone.

Search Massachusetts Planting Zones by ZipCode

Planting Zones Massachusetts Map

Select your Massachusetts city from the selection box below. Please Toggle map layers from the top right corner button in the map to change mapview.

What are the 6 planting zones in Massachusetts?

1. Zone 5a

This zone, shown in dark purple color in our map, covers a small portion of western Massachusetts. With average annual minimum temperatures ranging from -20°F to -15°F (-28.9°C to -26.1°C), it represents the coldest areas in the state. It includes some of the highest elevations areas in the Berkshires.

2. Zone 5b

Shown in a lighter purple color on the map, Zone 5b covers much of western Massachusetts and extends into some central areas. The average annual minimum temperatures here range from -15°F to -10°F (-26.1°C to -23.3°C). This zone includes cities such as Adams, Pittsfield, and North Adams, covering much of Berkshire County and parts of Franklin County.

3. Zone 6a

Shown in blue colored areas in our map, Zone 6a covers a significant portion of central Massachusetts and some western areas. With average annual minimum temperatures between -10°F to -5°F (-23.3°C to -20.6°C), this zone represents a transition from the colder western regions to the milder eastern parts of the state. Some of the key cities in this zone include Amherst, Fitchburg, and Worcester.

4. Zone 6b

This zone, represented by dark green on the map above, covers much of eastern Massachusetts and extends into some central regions. Average annual minimum temperatures in Zone 6b range from -5°F to 0°F (-20.6°C to -17.8°C). It includes many of the state’s populous areas, such as Boston (Some areas), Cambridge, and most of the Greater Boston area, as well as cities like Brockton and Taunton.

5. Zone 7a

Depicted in a light green color on our map, Zone 7a is primarily found along the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the islands. This zone experiences average annual minimum temperatures from 0°F to 5°F (-17.8°C to -15°C). Some of the key areas in this zone are Barnstable, Falmouth, and parts of Plymouth County.

6. Zone 7b

The warmest zone in Massachusetts, 7b, is shown in yellow color on the map and is limited to the outermost parts of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. With average annual minimum temperatures between 5°F to 10°F (-15°C to -12.2°C), this zone represents the mildest winter conditions in the state. Some notable locations include Provincetown, Chatham, and Nantucket.

Planting Zones in Massachusetts with Cities

USDA hardiness zones for Massachusetts cities, towns and counties, Source: USDA

Planting Zones in Massachusetts	Temp Range (°F)	Cities
6b	-5 to 0	Abington, Accord, Acton, Agawam, Allston, Andover, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Ashland, Attleboro, Attleboro Falls, Auburndale, Avon, Babson Park, Bedford, Bellingham, Belmont, Berkley, Berlin, Beverly, Billerica, Blackstone, Bolton, Boston, Boxford, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brighton, Brockton, Brookline, Brookline Village, Bryantville, Burlington, Byfield, Cambridge, Canton, Carlisle, Carver, Charlton, Charlton Depot, Chartley, Chelmsford, Cherry Valley, Chestnut Hill, Concord, Danvers, Dedham, Douglas, Dover, Dudley, East Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, East Taunton, East Walpole, Easton, Elmwood, Essex, Fayville, Feeding Hills, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Georgetown, Grafton, Halifax, Hamilton, Hanover, Hanscom Afb, Hanson, Hathorne, Haverhill, Holbrook, Holden, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Hyde Park, Ipswich, Jamaica Plain, Lakeville, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leicester, Lexington, Lincoln, Linwood, Longmeadow, Lowell, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchaug, Mansfield, Marlborough, Mattapan, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Mendon, Methuen, Middleboro, Middleton, Milford, Millis, Millville, Milton, Milton Village, Monponsett, Natick, Needham, New Town, Newbury, Newburyport, Newton, Newton Center, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Norfolk, North Andover, North Attleboro, North Billerica, North Carver, North Chelmsford, North Dighton, North Easton, North Grafton, North Pembroke, North Reading, North Uxbridge, North Waltham, Northborough, Northbridge, Norton, Norwood, Nutting Lake, Oxford, Peabody, Pembroke, Pinehurst, Plainville, Plympton, Prides Crossing, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Raynham Center, Reading, Readville, Rochdale, Rockland, Roslindale, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Sharon, Sheldonville, Sherborn, Somerville, South Carver, South Easton, South Grafton, South Hamilton, South Lancaster, South Walpole, Southborough, Southbridge, Southwick, Springfield, Stoneham, Stoughton, Stow, Sudbury, Sutton, Taunton, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Upton, Uxbridge, Waban, Wakefield, Wales, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Waverley, Wayland, Webster, Wellesley, Wellesley Hills, Wenham, West Boxford, West Bridgewater, West Medford, West Newbury, West Newton, West Roxbury, West Springfield, Westborough, Weston, Westwood, Weymouth, Whitinsville, Whitman, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn, Woodville, Worcester, Wrentham
6a	-10 to -5	Amesbury, Amherst, Ashburnham, Ashby, Ashley Falls, Auburn, Ayer, Barre, Becket, Belchertown, Blandford, Bondsville, Boxborough, Boylston, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton City, Chester, Chesterfield, Chicopee, Clinton, Conway, Deerfield, Devens, Dracut, Dunstable, East Brookfield, Easthampton, Erving, Fiskdale, Fitchburg, Florence, Gardner, Gilbertville, Goshen, Granby, Granville, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Groton, Groveland, Hadley, Hampden, Hardwick, Harvard, Hatfield, Haverhill, Haydenville, Holland, Holyoke, Huntington, Indian Orchard, Jefferson, Lake Pleasant, Leeds, Leominster, Leverett, Littleton, Ludlow, Lunenburg, Merrimac, Middlefield, Millbury, Monson, Montague, New Braintree, North Amherst, North Brookfield, North Egremont, North Hatfield, North Oxford, Northampton, Northfield, Oakham, Palmer, Paxton, Pepperell, Petersham, Princeton, Russell, Rutland, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Shirley, Shrewsbury, South Barre, South Deerfield, South Egremont, South Hadley, Southampton, Southfield, Spencer, Springfield, Sterling, Still River, Sturbridge, Sunderland, Thorndike, Three Rivers, Townsend, Turners Falls, Tyngsboro, Ware, Warren, West Boylston, West Brookfield, West Chesterfield, West Groton, West Hatfield, West Millbury, West Springfield, West Townsend, West Warren, Westfield, Westford, Westminster, Whately, Wheelwright, Wilbraham, Williamsburg, Worcester, Woronoco, Worthington
5b	-15 to -10	Adams, Ashfield, Athol, Baldwinville, Berkshire, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Cheshire, Colrain, Cummington, Dalton, Drury, East Otis, East Templeton, Gardner, Glendale, Heath, Hinsdale, Housatonic, Hubbardston, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Lenox Dale, Mill River, Monroe Bridge, Monterey, New Salem, North Adams, Northfield, Orange, Otis, Pittsfield, Plainfield, Richmond, Rowe, Royalston, Savoy, Shelburne Falls, Shutesbury, South Lee, Stockbridge, Templeton, Tyringham, Warwick, Wendell, Wendell Depot, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Winchendon, Windsor
7a	0 to 5	Acushnet, Assonet, Barnstable, Boston, Buzzards Bay, Cambridge, Cataumet, Centerville, Charlestown, Chelsea, Cohasset, Cotuit, Cummaquid, Dartmouth, Dighton, Duxbury, East Falmouth, East Freetown, East Sandwich, East Wareham, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Forestdale, Gloucester, Green Harbor, Greenbush, Hingham, Hull, Humarock, Hyannis, Hyannis Port, Kingston, Lynn, Manchester, Manomet, Marblehead, Marion, Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Marstons Mills, Mashpee, Mattapoisett, Minot, Monument Beach, Nahant, New Bedford, North Dartmouth, North Falmouth, North Marshfield, North Scituate, Norwell, Oak Bluffs, Ocean Bluff, Onset, Osterville, Plymouth, Pocasset, Quincy, Rehoboth, Revere, Rochester, Rockport, Sagamore, Sagamore Beach, Salem, Sandwich, Scituate, Seekonk, Somerset, Somerville, South Dartmouth, South Dennis, South Yarmouth, Swampscott, Swansea, Vineyard Haven, Wareham, West Barnstable, West Falmouth, West Hyannisport, West Tisbury, West Wareham, West Yarmouth, Westport, Westport Point, Weymouth, White Horse Beach, Winthrop, Yarmouth Port
7b	5 to 10	Brewster, Chatham, Chilmark, Cuttyhunk, Dennis, Dennis Port, East Dennis, East Orleans, Eastham, Edgartown, Harwich, Harwich Port, Menemsha, Nantucket, North Chatham, North Eastham, North Truro, Orleans, Provincetown, Siasconset, South Chatham, South Harwich, South Orleans, South Wellfleet, Truro, Wellfleet, West Chatham, West Dennis, West Harwich, Woods Hole

5 best plants for Massachusetts?

For Massachusetts’ planting zones 2024, ranging from 5a to 7b, here are five suitable plants:

• Zone 5a: Hosta (Hosta spp.) – Known for its hardiness and attractive foliage.
• Zone 5b: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – A resilient perennial with bright yellow flowers.
• Zone 6a: Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) – Blooms profusely in summer and is easy to care for.
• Zone 6b: Peony (Paeonia spp.) – Appreciated for its large, fragrant flowers.
• Zone 7a-7b: Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) – Known for its beautiful, large blooms and adaptability.