Climate Zones for Australian Gardeners

Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.

How to Use Climate Zones

First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.

While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.

Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.

climate map

Tropical

Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
Set as my climate My climate

Arid

Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
Set as my climate My climate

Subtropical

Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
Set as my climate My climate

Temperate

Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
Set as my climate My climate

Cool Temperate

Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
Set as my climate My climate

Climate Zones FAQ

What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.

What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!

What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when deciding which zone is relevant to you.

Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go – gardening is all about experimenting after all!

Materials

wreath base (20cm-40cm diameter)

40cm of string or ribbon for hanging loop

florist’s wire or strong thread or twine

a variety of foliage

dried seed pods, pine cones, ribbons or decorations

The best foliage to use will hold its shape well and be able to remain out of water for a couple of weeks without wilting. Conifer branches, bay laurel, banksia and eucalyptus all work well, as do buxus (box) and rosemary. In hot climates dried foliage and flowers are a better option than fresh leaves that may only last a couple of days without wilting. Dried branches, twigs, flowers and grasses can also be included. Depending on the look you want from your finished wreath, choose a variety of foliage sizes, colours and textures.

Method

Attach a loop of string or ribbon to the back of the wreath base. This will be used to hang the completed wreath.

Place the wreath base flat on a work surface and attach the florist’s wire or thread

Cut the branches of the foliage to a uniform length. Twenty to 30cm is a good length, depending on the size of the wreath base; cut a couple of 'test' branches at different lengths and lay them on the wreath base to determine what will look the best.

Remove the lower leaves from each branch so there is 5 to 10cm of bare stem.

Gather two or three branches, make them into a small bunch, and place them on the hoop with the ends facing slightly outwards.

Secure the branch by wrapping the florist’s wire or thread firmly around the wreath several times.

Place the next bundle of branches so they overlap the first bunch, this time facing slightly inwards. Secure with wire or thread as before.

Continue around the wreath alternating inward and outward facing bunches until the entire hoop is covered.

Tuck the last group of branches in behind the first to complete the circle.

Use wire or thread to attach decorations, seed pods or pine cones to the wreath.

Wreaths will last longer if they’re kept out of heat and direct sun, which can be a challenge in an Australian summer. If possible, hang the wreath in a shady spot. An alternative to the front door is to hang the wreath indoors facing a window, where it can still be admired from the street.

To dispose of the wreath responsibly, unravel the wire and put the foliage into the compost bin or council green waste. Keep the wire, decorations and wreath base to reuse next year.