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).
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!

Flowers are fun and lively space brighteners. Gardens look much more appealing with some color and life, but many people worry that they can't grow flowers because they don't know anything about gardening. General knowledge of gardening isn't a prerequisite for having flowers in your yard, though. There are some flowers that anyone can grow. Several flowers are so easy to grow that all you have to do is plant the seeds and water them.

Sunflowers

Everyone is familiar with the big, yellow bloom of a classic sunflower. They make a fantastic addition to any backyard or garden. Whether you plant the tall type that typically produces a single bloom or the branching type that produces several blooms, these popular flowers are easy to grow.

Sunflowers grow best in full sun. Plant the seeds 10mm deep and 20cm apart in early spring or after the lasts frosts of the season. Keep the soil moist, but not overly wet. Sprouts should start to show in 7-12 days. After your new flowers have sprouted, continue to keep the ground moist. Sunflowers are fairly drought tolerant but will have larger blooms if watered regularly.

Marigolds

Marigolds add pops of fiery color to yards all over the country. They come in many shades of yellow, orange, red, and combinations thereof. The best thing about marigolds is how quickly they usually sprout. This makes them the perfect plant for the kind of person who wants to see results quickly.

Marigolds are another flower that prefers full sun. As a bonus, they are tolerant of extreme heat. Loosen up the soil with a spade, moisten it, and drop marigold seeds about one inch apart on top. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and tap it down a bit. Seedlings should start to show themselves within a matter of a few days if the temperatures are warm. Keep the soil moist.

Cosmos

Cosmos are great because they will grow in soil of almost any quality. Even in the worst dirt, cosmos seem to survive. If the soil is particularly sandy, you may have to water a little more often. There is a large selection of colors to choose from, and cosmos often come in packets of assorted colors for those who can't decide.

Plant cosmos seeds about 6mm deep and 30cm apart in moist soil. They like to be in areas that get full sun. Don't plant cosmos until all chance of frsots has passed. If you live in a particularly hot and dry region, cosmos do well with partial shade. Cover the seeded area with some sort of shading material until sprouts appear if you live in such a climate. Cosmos seeds take about two weeks to sprout.

Zinnias

Zinnias come in a wider variety of colors than any of the flowers mentioned here. Bright red, muted peach, vibrant purple, sunny orange, and lime green are only a few of the colors available. Zinnias are also extremely drought tolerant flowers. Blooms may be small if not watered regularly, but zinnias can often survive on summer rain, alone. Blooms get quite large when the dirt is kept moist.

Plant zinnias in loosened, moist soil anytime after there is no longer a possibility of frost. Cover them very loosely with no more than 6mm of soil because zinnias require light for the seeds to germinate. Expect sprouts quickly as they should appear in 4-7 days. Zinnias will often bloom until late autumn.

Nasturtiums

One of the great things about nasturtiums is that they do not need particularly fertile soil. In fact, they produce more blooms in poor soil. These flowers bloom in a range of warm colors. They can grow from 15-60cm tall, depending on spacing. If you plant the seeds closer together (~25cm), the plants will stay short and make good bedding plants. If you plant them further apart (~50cm), the plants will grow much taller and make for good trellising plants. As an interesting bonus, nasturtium helps to control pests naturally.

Plant nasturtium seeds approximately 12mm deep and 40cm apart in full sun to partial sun. If you live in a very hot climate, nasturtiums appreciate some afternoon shade. The seeds will germinate more reliably if they have been soaked in warm water for no more than 24 hours immediately prior to planting. Water the newly planted seeds thoroughly. Sprouts should be seen within 7-10 days.

There is no reason you can't have flowers in your yard or garden when there are varieties that are so easy to grow. Don't be intimidated. Having flowers can be as easy as planting seeds and watering them. With a few dollars and a little bit of time, you could have flowers blooming all over the place this summer.

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