What hardiness zone is Quebec?

Quebec spans a wide range of plant hardiness zones — from roughly Zone 1 in the far north (Nunavik, the Ungava coast) to Zone 5b in the warmest southwest, the Montreal and Montérégie lowlands. The great majority of Quebecers garden in Zone 4b to Zone 5b along the St. Lawrence valley: Montreal is Zone 5b, Gatineau (the Outaouais) is Zone 5a, and Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières are Zone 4b. Farther from the river the zone drops — Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas-Saint-Laurent run Zone 3–4a, and the far north falls to Zone 1–2. Zones are assigned by Natural Resources Canada based on winter minimum temperature plus summer heat, rainfall, snow cover, wind, and frost-free days — so a Canadian zone is not identical to the U.S. (USDA) zone of the same number. Check your exact location on the NRCan Plant Hardiness Zone Map at planthardiness.gc.ca.

What zone is Montreal for planting?

Montreal is Zone 5b — the warmest zone in Quebec. The Island of Montreal's urban heat island pushes sheltered downtown and near-river pockets toward Zone 6a, while low-lying rural sites off-island can run a sub-zone colder. Montreal's average last spring frost is around May 10 and first fall frost around October 10, giving a frost-free growing season of roughly 150–160 days — Quebec's longest. For perennial and shrub selection use the zone (5b); for vegetable transplant timing use the frost dates. This makes Montreal Quebec's best bet for borderline-hardy plants and longer-season warm crops.

What is the warmest hardiness zone in Quebec?

The warmest hardiness zone in Quebec is Zone 5b, in the extreme southwest — the Island of Montreal, the Montérégie (the farmland south and east of Montreal), and the St. Lawrence lowlands upstream toward the Ontario border. Sheltered, urban-heat-island pockets on the Island of Montreal edge into Zone 6a. This corner has Quebec's earliest last frost (early May), its longest growing season, and enough summer heat for warm-season crops that struggle farther downriver. It is warmer than anywhere in the province north or east of it, where the zone steps down toward the Laurentians, the Appalachians, and the north.

What zone is northern Quebec?

Northern Quebec is far colder than the populous St. Lawrence valley. Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas-Saint-Laurent sit around Zone 3–4a, Abitibi-Témiscamingue around Zone 2b–3b, and the Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, and Nunavik drop to Zone 1 or lower. Because these regions aren't in our city dataset, don't take a single number as gospel — look up your exact town on the Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zone Map at planthardiness.gc.ca, which maps every location in the country. Northern Quebec gardeners lean on short-season varieties, season-extension (row covers, cold frames, Wall-O-Water), and cold-hardy perennials rated to Zone 3 or below.

How do I find my exact hardiness zone in Quebec?

Three ways, most precise first: (1) Use the official Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zone Map at planthardiness.gc.ca — enter your address or postal code for a location-specific zone that accounts for local terrain. (2) Use our interactive Zone Finder (growersguide.ca/zone-finder) — click Quebec to see zones and frost dates for cities across the province. (3) Match to the nearest city in the table on this page. Remember that zones can shift by one or two sub-zones within a single area: the St. Lawrence riverbank and dense urban cores run warmer, while inland, higher-elevation, and low-lying frost-pocket sites run colder. When a plant tag says 'hardy to Zone 5,' choosing one rated a zone colder than yours is the safe hedge.

What can I grow in my Quebec zone?

Your hardiness zone tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees will survive a typical Quebec winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant tender vegetables. In Zone 5b (Montreal, Montérégie) you can grow most perennials sold in Quebec garden centres, plus borderline Zone 6 plants in sheltered urban spots. In Zone 4b (Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières) stick to Zone 4-or-hardier perennials and expect a last frost around mid-to-late May. In the Zone 3–4a regions farther north and east, choose Zone 3 perennials (hardy roses, lilacs, most native shrubs) and lean on season-extension for warm-season vegetables. For crop timing, see our Quebec city planting guides linked below and our frost calculator.

Does the hardiness zone change within Quebec?

Yes — microclimates routinely move a site one to two sub-zones off the regional headline zone. The three big drivers in Quebec are the St. Lawrence River (the valley and its lowlands run milder than the highlands on either side — the river is why Montreal, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City are warmer than the Laurentians just north), elevation (the Laurentian and Appalachian uplands are colder and frostier than the valley floor), and the urban heat island (dense city cores like Montreal hold winter warmth, while low-lying rural frost pockets just outside the city can be a full zone colder). This is why a location-specific NRCan map lookup beats relying on a single regional number.

What zone is Quebec City?

Quebec City is Zone 4b. Sitting downstream on the St. Lawrence where the valley narrows and cools, it runs about a sub-zone colder than Montreal (5b), with a shorter season: an average last spring frost around mid-to-late May and a first fall frost near the start of October. Choose Zone 4-or-hardier (ideally Zone 3) perennials, shrubs, and trees. Sheltered, urban sites near the river hold a little more warmth than the exposed plateau and the Laurentian foothills just north of the city.

What zone is Gatineau, Quebec?

Gatineau is Zone 5a. As the Quebec side of the national-capital region in the Outaouais, it shares Ottawa's continental climate — cold, snowy winters and warm summers — and is one of the milder parts of Quebec after the Montreal area. The average last spring frost is around mid-May. Choose Zone 5-or-hardier perennials; low-lying and rural pockets in the Outaouais can drop to Zone 4b, so hedge toward hardier plants away from the urban core.

What zone is Sherbrooke, Quebec?

Sherbrooke is Zone 4b — the hub of the Estrie (Eastern Townships), a region of rolling Appalachian hills southeast of Montreal. Its elevation and inland position give it a shorter, cooler season than the Montreal lowlands, with a mid-to-late-May last frost. Pick Zone 4-or-hardier perennials, shrubs, and trees, and expect valley-bottom and hilltop sites around the Townships to differ by a sub-zone from the city reading.

QUEBEC PLANT HARDINESS ZONES

Quebec Hardiness Zones — Zone by City & Region

Q: Are Canadian hardiness zones the same as USDA zones?

No — and this trips up Quebec gardeners who buy plants or read growing advice from U.S. sources. The USDA system is based on winter minimum temperature alone. Natural Resources Canada's system factors in seven variables — winter minimum, summer maximum, frost-free period, rainfall, snow cover, and wind — so a Canadian 'Zone 5' is defined differently from a USDA 'Zone 5,' even though the numbers look the same. NRCan does also publish a separate USDA-method map for cross-border comparison. Practical rule for Quebec: use the Canadian (NRCan) zone from planthardiness.gc.ca for Canadian-sourced plants and seed catalogues, and treat a U.S. plant tag's zone as a rough guide only — when in doubt, pick the hardier (lower-numbered) option.

Quebec hardiness zones run from Zone 4b in Quebec City and Sherbrooke to Zone 5b in Montreal. Find your city's plant zone, last and first frost dates, and growing-season length — then plant with confidence.

Updated July 2026 · Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zone Map + Environment and Climate Change Canada normals (1991–2020)

Quebec hardiness zones: the province spans roughly Zone 1 in the far north to Zone 5b in the Montreal and Montérégie lowlands. Most Quebecers garden in Zone 4b–5b along the St. Lawrence valley: Montreal is Zone 5b; Gatineau is Zone 5a; Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières are Zone 4b; Saguenay and the Bas-Saint-Laurent run Zone 3–4a. Zones come from Natural Resources Canada and are not identical to U.S. (USDA) zones of the same number. Find your exact zone at planthardiness.gc.ca or with our interactive Zone Finder.

🍁 Quebec Zones at a Glance

Warmest

Montreal

Zone 5b

Coldest (major city)

Trois-Rivieres

Zone 4b

Most gardeners

Zone 4b–5b

the St. Lawrence valley

Quebec Hardiness Zone by City

Cities below are drawn from our frost-date dataset (Environment and Climate Change Canada normals + Natural Resources Canada zones), sorted from the warmest zone to the coldest. Tap a city with a link for its full month-by-month planting guide.

City	Zone	Last Frost	First Frost	Season
Montreal ›	5b	May 10	Oct 10	153 days
Gatineau	5a	May 15	Oct 1	139 days
Quebec City ›	4b	May 18	Oct 1	136 days
Sherbrooke	4b	May 20	Sep 28	131 days
Trois-Rivieres	4b	May 15	Oct 5	143 days

Frost dates are historical averages; actual dates vary year to year, so add 1–2 weeks of buffer before transplanting frost-sensitive crops. Zones can shift by a sub-zone or two within a single area (see below).

What Zone Is My Quebec Town?

The Quebec cities gardeners look up most often, with the plant hardiness zone for each. Zones come from Natural Resources Canada and this site's Environment and Climate Change Canada frost dataset — not fabricated. A single area can still span a sub-zone or two (the St. Lawrence riverbank and urban cores warmer, higher or low-lying ground colder), so for a pinpoint answer check your exact address on the NRCan map at planthardiness.gc.ca or our Zone Finder.

What zone is Montréal?

Zone 5b

Quebec's warmest — the St. Lawrence lowlands, with the urban heat island edging sheltered spots toward 6a.

Montreal frost dates & planting ›

What zone is Gatineau?

Zone 5a

The Outaouais, on the Quebec side of the capital region; shares Ottawa's milder-for-Quebec climate.

Ottawa–Gatineau frost dates ›

What zone is Québec City?

Zone 4b

Downstream where the valley narrows and cools; a sub-zone colder than Montreal, with a shorter season.

Quebec City frost dates & planting ›

What zone is Sherbrooke?

Zone 4b

Hub of the Estrie (Eastern Townships); Appalachian elevation gives it a shorter, cooler season.

Find Sherbrooke on the Zone Finder ›

What zone is Trois-Rivières?

Zone 4b

Midway between Montreal and Quebec City on the St. Lawrence; a Zone 4b valley reading.

Find Trois-Rivières on the Zone Finder ›

Quebec's Zones, Warmest to Coldest

Zone 5b — the Montreal & Montérégie lowlands. The Island of Montreal, the Montérégie farmland, and the St. Lawrence lowlands toward the Ontario border. Quebec's warmest zone, longest season, and earliest frost; urban-heat-island pockets on the island edge into Zone 6a.

Zone 5a — the Outaouais. Gatineau and the Quebec side of the national-capital region. Shares Ottawa's continental climate and is among the milder parts of Quebec after the Montreal area.

Zone 4b — the central St. Lawrence & Estrie. Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, and Sherbrooke (the Eastern Townships). The valley narrows and cools downstream; a mid-to-late-May last frost and Zone 4-hardy perennials.

Zone 3–4a — Saguenay, Bas-Saint-Laurent & Abitibi. Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the Lower St. Lawrence, and Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Short seasons and hard winters; short-season varieties and season-extension are the norm.

Zone 1–2 — the far north. The Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, and Nunavik. These regions aren't in our dataset — confirm your exact zone on the NRCan map before choosing perennials.

Why Quebec Zones Aren't the Same as U.S. Zones

If you're buying plants or reading growing advice from American sources, don't take a USDA zone at face value. The U.S. system is based on winter minimum temperature alone. Natural Resources Canada's system factors in seven variables — winter minimum, summer maximum, frost-free period, rainfall, snow cover, and wind — so a Canadian "Zone 5" is defined differently from a USDA "Zone 5," even though the number is the same. NRCan publishes a separate USDA-method map for cross-border comparison if you need it.

Practical rule for Quebec: use the Canadian (NRCan) zone from planthardiness.gc.ca for Canadian-sourced plants and seed catalogues, and treat a U.S. plant tag's zone as a rough guide only. When in doubt, pick the hardier (lower-numbered) option.

Source & how to cite: Zone assignments follow the Natural Resources Canada Plant Hardiness Zone Map (planthardiness.gc.ca); frost dates are Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals (1991–2020). Enter your address on the NRCan map for a location-specific zone that accounts for local terrain.

Quebec City Planting Guides

Your zone tells you what survives the winter; these guides tell you exactly what to sow and transplant, week by week, for your city.

Montreal Planting Guide ›
Zone 5b · last frost May 10 Quebec City Planting Guide ›
Zone 4b · last frost May 18

Find your exact zone & what to plant now

Click your province on the interactive map, or jump straight to your city's frost-based planting timeline.

🗺️ Interactive Zone Finder 🌱 What to Plant Now ❄️ Frost Date Calculator

Quebec Hardiness Zones — Zone by City & Region

🍁 Quebec Zones at a Glance

Quebec Hardiness Zone by City

What Zone Is My Quebec Town?

What zone is Montréal?

What zone is Gatineau?

What zone is Québec City?

What zone is Sherbrooke?

What zone is Trois-Rivières?

Quebec's Zones, Warmest to Coldest

Why Quebec Zones Aren't the Same as U.S. Zones

Quebec City Planting Guides

Find your exact zone & what to plant now

Get New Guides Before Anyone Else

🌱 GrowersGuide.ca

Outdoor

Indoor

Hydroponics

Rooftop

Site

Top Cities

Popular Houseplants

Free Calculators

Most Popular Articles