With guest speaker Dr. Dan McKenney (Canada Forest Service)

As PEI gardeners, we’re quite aware of the challenges of growing plants that may be borderline hardy in the region where we live. “Will it grow in my zone?” is the pertinent question about winter hardiness for perennial plants. Scientists have developed maps of plant hardiness zones for Canada based on seven climate variables (not only the average annual minimum temperature). Now they are beginning to assess how changes in climate affect what can be grown in different regions.

New plant hardiness data compiled by Natural Resources Canada over a 50-year period was released last year, by Dr. Dan McKenney and others, describing a northern shift in zones across Canada. They compared the data used for the original zones and maps from the 1931 to 1960 period with more recent observations used for the 1981 to 2010 indexing of plant hardiness. Most areas in Canada along the U.S. border are at least half a zone higher now.

Come hear Dan describe how plant hardiness zones have changed on PEI as the climate has changed and become warmer. Dan McKenney is a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service and team leader at Great Lakes Forestry Centre (GLFC).

The presentation will take place on Friday, August 14th from 12 pm to 2 pm at The Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre on UPEI campus (550 University Ave., Charlottetown). 

Lunch will be provided. Space is limited.   

There is no cost to attend the presentation, but registration is required. 

To register, please email climate@upei.ca.