United States regional guide · WI
Permaculture in Wisconsin
Wisconsin combines cold northern forest, lake-moderated shorelines, and fertile southern agricultural country. Severe winter lows, snow, humid summers, and local lake effects determine which perennial systems persist.
USDA span
3b–6a
Census region
Midwest
Climate starting point
USDA hardiness zones in Wisconsin
Wisconsin includes USDA zones 3b–6a. Hardiness zones describe typical annual extreme minimum temperatures; within-state elevation, wind, water, soil, and urban heat can change what succeeds on a particular site.
Regional plant starting points
Plants to explore for a Wisconsin design
These plants are useful starting points for researching a design in Wisconsin. Confirm each choice against your exact zone, site conditions, local ecology, and management goals.
Lowbush Blueberry
Vaccinium angustifolium
- Layer
- Groundcover
- Type
- Perennial
Lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
- Layer
- Groundcover
- Type
- Perennial
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
- Layer
- Sub-Canopy
- Type
- Deciduous Tree
American Hazelnut
Corylus americana
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Perennial
American Black Currant
Ribes americanum
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Perennial
American Plum
Prunus americana
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Deciduous Tree