Jim Hatchett wrote Yes these zone are confusing to me as well.
I know nothing about the climate of Idaho, but Im guessing that its drier than Maryland in the winter (or under snow). Many plants which are adapted to very cold but dry winters are, in terms of zone hardiness, much less hardy here in the east. As an example, Hesperaloë parviflora is marginally hardy here in zone 7, but properly sited it does very well. Many of the Agave are rated for much colder zones than our zone 7, but they are dubious garden plants here for the most part. And yet, every once and a while someone has a spectacular success with one. It was a real eye-opener to see the hardiness ratings for agaves in the wonderful High Country Gardens catalog, and I trust their ratings for their climate. But those of us in the east have to take these with a grain of salt (and find suitable microclimates if we want to give those plants a try). Jim McKenney
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