Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania falls under two USDA planting zones: 6b and 7a according to USDA. Zone 6b (-5°F to 0°F / -20.6°C to -17.8°C) covers most of the city. Zone 7a (0°F to 5°F / -17.8°C to -15°C) occurs in scattered areas like downtown and river corridors.
To find out your Pittsburgh USDA zone use our three tools given below, Zipcode to planting zone tool, easy to use location based interactive map or by searching planting zone table.
Pittsburgh Planting Zones by ZipCode
Pittsburgh Planting Zones Map
Please Select or type your Pittsburgh location in the selection box below, to find its USDA Planting Zone.
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Pittsburgh Area Planting Zone
Planting Zones
Planting Zones
Pittsburgh Planting Zones Table
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Planting zones in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1. Zone 6b
Zone 6b, the blue colored areas on map above, covers the majority of the Pittsburgh (PA)area. This zone has average annual minimum temperatures ranging from -5°F to 0°F (-20.6°C to -17.8°C). It cover most of the city’s central and suburban areas.
Some areas in this zone include Oakland (15213), Squirrel Hill (15217), Shadyside (15232), and Mount Lebanon (15228).
2. Zone 7a
Zone 7a, the light green colored patches of area on our map, is scattered throughout Pittsburgh, primarily appearing in pockets within and around the city limits. This slightly warmer zone has average annual minimum temperatures ranging from 0°F to 5°F (-17.8°C to -15°C).
Some of Pittsburgh’s downtown areas fall into this zone, likely due to the urban heat island effect, like downtown Pittsburgh (15222), the North Shore (15233), and some riverside neighborhoods like the South Side (15203) and Lawrenceville (15201).
The distribution of Zone 7a shows that certain microclimates within the city, influenced by factors like proximity to rivers or urban development, create slightly milder conditions for plant growth.
Best plants for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?
Pittsburgh’s zone 6b is good for the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) it thrives as a hardy, ornamental tree. In the slightly warmer zone 7a, the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) flourishes, attracting pollinators. Both zones support a variety of vegetables, flowers, and shrubs.
The Sunflowers have also been recognized not just as ornamental plants for Pittsburgh but also as potential biofuel feedstock in urban settings. A study by Zhao et al. (2014) found that “Sunflowers grown on marginal urban land can be a safe biofuel feedstock, with potential energy gains” This shows the versatility of plant choices in Pittsburgh, serving both aesthetic and practical purposes.