MAINE PUBLIC • November 17, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday issued its new plant hardiness map for farmers and gardeners, and it reflects a warming climate. It had not been updated for 11 years. State horticulturist Gary Fish says the map confirms the warming trends that growers have observed, and will allow some plants to thrive in new areas. "There's a lot of things that you can grow in some parts of Maine, like peaches and cherries and even paw paws, and those will be more easily grown and not winter-killed as often further inland in Maine," he says. But Fish says the warmer temperatures are also allowing invasive species, such as the hemlock wooly adelgid, to expand their ranges.