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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Tuesday - November 11, 2008

From: Worcester, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: General Botany
Title: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone of Worcester, Massachusetts
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

What zone is Worcester, Massachusetts?

ANSWER:

We went to the USDA Hardiness Zone Map on the US National Arboretum site, clicked on the area of the US map in which Massachusetts appears, and found that Worcester, in Central Massachusetts is in Zone 5a (average minimum temperature -15 to -20) to Zone 5b (average minimum temperature -10 to -15). Because of differences in elevation, "micro-climates", winds, etc., it is never possible to exactly pinpoint a hardiness zone in a specific place, so we always provide a range.

 

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