USDA Hardiness Zone 4 Planting Guide

Zone 4 Overview

Zone 4 extends across a wide swath of the northern United States, from northern Iowa and Minnesota through Wisconsin, Michigan, New England, and parts of the mountain West. Minimum temperatures range from negative 30 to negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and growing seasons typically span 140 to 165 days. This is the zone where mainstream gardening becomes fully accessible: the majority of common vegetable varieties have enough time to mature, a wide selection of fruit trees bear reliably, and ornamental options are diverse. Zone 4 is often considered the dividing line between truly cold-climate gardening and temperate gardening, with most gardening guides treating it as the northernmost extent of standard growing advice.

Zone 4 Temperature Ranges

Plants for Zone 4

Zone 4 supports most apple varieties, pear trees (Bartlett, Bosc), sour cherries, and hardy plums. Crabapples, maples (sugar, red, Norway), oaks (red, white, bur), and birches form a full palette of shade and ornamental trees. Shrubs include hydrangeas (paniculata and arborescens types), viburnums, dogwoods, forsythia, and a wide range of roses. Perennial gardens can include nearly any standard temperate perennial. Blueberries (half-high varieties), raspberries, strawberries, and grapes (cold-hardy varieties like Marquette and Frontenac) produce fruit reliably.

Vegetable Gardening in Zone 4

Zone 4's 140 to 165 frost-free days accommodate virtually all standard vegetable crops. Full-season tomatoes (80 to 85 days), bell peppers, eggplant, melons, and watermelons mature reliably when given an indoor head start. Sweet corn, including mid-season varieties, has ample time. Squash and pumpkins reach full size. Succession planting of lettuce, spinach, and beans keeps the harvest coming. Fall gardening extends production of brassicas, root vegetables, and hearty greens well past the first light frosts.

Frost Protection & Season Tips for Zone 4

Zone 4 gardeners should protect newly planted perennials their first winter with extra mulch. Tree wrapping prevents sunscald. Avoid late-fall fertilizing that stimulates tender new growth vulnerable to early freezes. Plant spring-flowering bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses) in October for reliable spring color. Garlic planted in October roots before freeze-up and produces large bulbs the following July. Cover strawberry beds with straw after temperatures drop into the low 20s.

Cities in Zone 4

The following cities in our database fall within zone 4. Click any city for detailed frost dates and planting calendars.

Other Zones

View all USDA hardiness zones