According to the new map, central Arkansas shifted half a zone up from zone 7b to zone 8a since the USDA last updated its map in 2012. The 2023 USDA map shows warmer zones in central Michigan, as well as shifts in some Northeastern states. AdvertisementLimitations of the USDA's new plant zone map"The map is a guideline, not a guarantee," Foster wrote, and plants can thrive in several zones. AdvertisementIn the Northwestern US, the 2023 USDA map (left) shows some regions of Montana in new, warmer zones. Sections of the South Central US, including Houston, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana, have changed to new zones in the 2023 USDA map (left).

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Persons: Megan London, NPR she's, Chris Daly, Daly, Jonathan Foster, The University of Maine's Maine, Foster, you'll, US Department of Agriculture Foster, US Department of Agriculture Daly, " Daly Organizations: USDA, Service, NPR, Better Homes, Gardens, Oregon State University, US Department of Agriculture, North Central, The University of Maine's, The University of Maine's Maine Gardner, Southwestern, Northwestern, South Central Locations: Arkansas, Florida, Montana, Central, Michigan, Northeastern, Omaha , Nebraska, Minnesota, Southwestern US, Maine, Houston , Texas, New Orleans , Louisiana