Every plant has a USDA Hardiness Zone designation, which measures the lowest winter temperature a plant can survive. Tags on every tree at your local nursery will provide this information along with other important details about the individual tree cultivar and its care requirements.
The Hardiness Zone is a great indicator to help you determine if your tree is appropriate for Weston’s average climate. However, other factors such as wind exposure, high temperature and temperature swings, soil conditions, exposure to road salt and sun all contribute to the overall health and longevity of a tree.
Weston currently is Hardiness Zone 6b, but borders the colder Zone 6a. For the best chance of survival for your new tree, choose a tree that thrives in a broad range of zones.

Selection Tips
DO: Plant Trees that can thrive in a wide range of Hardiness Zones, including Zone 6.
A good example of this is a small understory tree called the flowering dogwood. It can thrive in zones 5-9, from Maine to Florida. This tree can manage even when Weston experiences a cold snap or heat waves. It will also have a better chance of surviving projected Hardiness Zone Migration
DON’T: Plant a new tree that depends on a narrow temperature band to survive.
An example of a tree with a narrow band is the Douglas Fir tree, which thrives in zones 4-6. Weston’s temperature is the warmest that it can tolerate. Although our neighborhoods boast many beautiful mature specimens, as higher temperatures become more typical in our area, this tree is unlikely to adapt to the changing conditions and will likely require extensive care to survive.
For More Information
Hardiness Zone Migration
Weston’s USDA Hardiness Zone is projected shift from Zone 6 to Zone 7 by 2040. This means that Weston’s average lowest temperature will rise to a low temperature average similar to Delaware, Virginia and Tennessee in the next twenty years. Any tree planted today will grow to maturity during this period of rapid temperature shifts and extremes, including heat waves and polar vortexes, and should be factored into your tree selection process.
