Wyoming Planting Zones

Wyoming has a semi-arid and continental climate, depending on the location and planting zone. Overall, it has greater temperature extremes and is much windier and drier than many other areas of the country. Winters are typically cold but will often have warmer, mild periods throughout the season in some parts of the state. Summers are most often warm, with July being the warmest month, seeing temperatures averaging in the mid 80s to mid 90s across much of the state. Higher elevations typically see much lower averages though. Summer nights cool rapidly, even in the warmest parts. It is a relatively dry state and a large percentage of the land will see less than 10 inches of rainfall over the entire year. Most of the precipitation is seen from late spring to early summer months. The lower north area in the Big Horn Basin averages 5 to 8 inches and the lower northern and eastern plain regions average 10 to 12 inches. Mountain regions vary the most, with some areas seeing anywhere from 20 to 200 inches of precipitation, most of it snow, annually. Thunderstorms generally occur in the southeastern plains during late spring through early summer, and tornadoes are possible in this region as well. 

It is very important to figure out what Wyoming planting zone you are in before planning a garden. Gilmour’s Interactive Planting Zone Map makes it simple to find all the Wyoming growing zones, so it is easy to figure out which plants are most likely to survive in your region. Wyoming planting zones range from 3a to 6a. If unsure what plants will do best in your zone, a local nursery is a great asset. Keep in mind, it is fine to plant lower than your zone, but do not go higher. As an example, if you live in zone 3a, plants rated for zones 1 to 3 will be fine. 

Wyoming has many plants and vegetables that do very well. Even though the growing season is relatively short and summers can usually be fairly cool, radish, onions, leafy greens, cauliflower, beets and carrots are some vegetables that thrive. Flowers that grow exceptionally well include shasta daisies, daylilies, hosta, creeping thyme, delphiniums and wild roses.