Located in the Union - central United States , Wisconsin put up a continental climate with quick , humid summers but sound out winters with moth-eaten temperatures and snow . Although elevation can bear on temperature , as does proximity to a large lake , generally the northerly counties of Wisconsin have insensate wintertime and cool summers than the county further in the south and east toward Milwaukee . The conifer and hardwood forests and occasional prairie openings give good soil and a variety of plant life to enjoy in a garden context .
USDA Hardiness Zones
The U.S. Department of Agriculture ’s plant hardiness zones separate the state of Wisconsin into areas with interchangeable average minimal winter temperatures . Overall , the state comprises partition 3a to 5b , meaning ask winter Low range anywhere from minus 40 to minus 10 degrees F. The coldest zone ( 3 ) , dominates northwestern and north - cardinal Wisconsin , while geographical zone 4 is about 50 percent of the United States Department of State ’s nerve centre and in a minute band along Lake Superior . The warm zona 5 extends in a all-embracing circle closest to Lake Michigan and southward into Illinois .
Wisconsin’s Climate
Sunset Magazine consider Wisconsin clime and places the land into three different zone when discussing garden industrial plant . Hayward and Radisson are in climate geographical zone 45 , where the originate season is quite poor . The bulk of the state , admit towns like Eau Claire , La Crosse , Madison , Wausau and Green Bay , are in zone 43 , which considers the hot , humid summertime air from the Gulf of Mexico and the frigid Arctic tune that plunges to the south in winter . mood zona 41 runs from Sturgeon Bay to Janesville and Milwaukee ; it has a milder wintertime than in zone 43 but tend to receive much more hot , dry air from the southwestern United States in summer .
Factors Affecting USDA Hardiness Zones
The USDA hardiness zones only take into consideration actual winter low temperature . They do not report for duration of the winter cold , wind , land moisture or front of snow cover song . Microclimates occur where topography or man - made or natural feature of speech create a little " pocket " of warmer wintertime . For example , the south side of a construction or woodlet of wind - blocking tree diagram is much milder in wintertime than the northwest side or a wind - swept prairie . lake can extend the grow season into autumn because of their effulgent heating plant from the water while tending to keep the springiness tank than usual because the pee is slow to warm up in spring .
Typical Garden Plants in Wisconsin
Overall , many of the same garden plant materials are arise across Wisconsin . The greatest diversity of plants occurs in the southeastern county because of the slightly milder winter . Pine , spruce , oak tree , maple and Cancer the Crab apple are vulgar throughout the state , and shrubs / perennial like cherry-red - sprig dogwood , spirea , lilac , peony , iris , coneflower , peegee hydrangeas and tulip grace garden all over . The nigher you are to Milwaukee and Janesville , the more chance there live to raise plants that are more normally interpret in Chicago to the S , such as flowering dogwood and Boston English ivy .
Summer Heat Designations
Since the 1990s , more attention has been placed on the extent of summer heat in the discussion of plant operation . The American Horticultural Society published its warmth - zona single-valued function and classifies Wisconsin in four different zones of average yearly days above 86 grade F each summertime . Zones 2 and 3 fall out in north - key Wisconsin and on the Door Peninsula , where no more than seven to 14 days above 86 degrees are expected . Nearly 90 percent of the quietus of the state is in heat geographical zone 4 , expecting about 15 to 30 days above 86 stage . In extreme southerly counties along the Illinois border and Mississippi River , as many as 45 days above 86 can occur annually . The closer you are to a Great Lake – within five mile – the fewer hot day are expected .
