Plant Hardiness Zone

[kevin nicol design]

Hello Landmark types,

Anyone know what standard the "Plant Zone" relates to for hardiness? I looked up a map on Natural Resources Canada, the feds for national plant data up here, and the numbers don't relate. According to the VW notation, Douglas fir should not be able to grow anywhere near Canada...

Thanks!

Kevin.

[boxjoint]

I'm not completely sure, but I'd suspect it's based on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones.

Here's a link: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

The ability to click the map doesn't seem to work in the Canadian section of the map, but if you click the colored key, it takes you to a close up with additional info. You may be able to match up the colors to those on the map.

Good luck.

[kevin nicol design]

Another look at the Canadian and American data, which use the same zone standard, and what do you know, the Vectorworks info actually makes sense. Thanks for the backup info for my search: turns out that the American map is good for about 200 miles or so north of the 49th parallel.

If you are curious, check out the Canadian map - nicely detailed, with clickable locations, and other info, but unfortunately stops at the US border:

http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/

Thanks!

[kevin nicol design]

Curious, tho', how the information may change with global warming...

; )

Kevin.

[boxjoint]

Thanks.

Glad to see Canada has a nice map of their own. I've bookmarked it as I'm fairly close to the border.

RE: global warming... I'd suggest we start collecting beach umbrellas and cabanas now. We'll soon be in the seaside resort business. : )

[kevin nicol design]

That's the biggest problem convincing Canadians to do anything about global warming: they all privately think, "Bring it on!"

But that's a discussion for another forum...

What I would like to do is port information from VW on cubic feet of built space/window glazed area/R and U values to a database that would provide me real time forecasting of passive solar effectiveness in design, allowing me to show clients the impact of their choices, of, say, a bigger window on the north side... Let you know how that goes...

Kevin.