What zone are you growing in?
Every perennial, shrub and fruit tree is rated for a USDA hardiness zone - the coldest winter it can survive. Find your state below for its zone range, then check the exact half-zone for your ZIP on the official USDA map. Pair it with the frost & sowing calendar to plan the season.
| State | USDA zones (2023 map) | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7b-9b | Mar 6-Apr 5 | Oct 31-Nov 22 |
| Alaska | 1a-8b | Apr 25-Jun 2 | Sep 1-Oct 19 |
| Arizona | 5b-10a | Jan 15-May 231 of 162 stations have no frost | Oct 5-Dec 21 |
| Arkansas | 7a-8b | Mar 15-Apr 9 | Oct 27-Nov 14 |
| California | 5b-11a | Jan 7-May 2231 of 350 stations have no frost | Oct 11-Dec 28 |
| Colorado | 4a-7a | Apr 30-Jun 9 | Sep 13-Oct 13 |
| Connecticut | 6a-7b | Apr 14-May 7 | Oct 9-28 |
| Delaware | 7a-8a | Apr 2-9 | Oct 31-Nov 9 |
| Florida | 8b-11b | Jan 18-Mar 735 of 163 stations have no frost | Nov 24-Jan 14 |
| Georgia | 7a-9a | Mar 5-Apr 4 | Nov 1-26 |
| Hawaii | 10b-13a | no frost at most stations | 45 of 47 stations have no frost |
| Idaho | 4a-7b | Apr 24-Jun 10 | Sep 9-Oct 17 |
| Illinois | 5a-7a | Apr 7-27 | Oct 13-28 |
| Indiana | 5b-7a | Apr 9-28 | Oct 15-29 |
| Iowa | 4b-6a | Apr 20-May 3 | Oct 3-19 |
| Kansas | 6a-7a | Apr 10-30 | Oct 12-29 |
| Kentucky | 6b-7b | Apr 4-24 | Oct 18-Nov 1 |
| Louisiana | 8b-10a | Feb 3-Mar 16 | Nov 10-Dec 24 |
| Maine | 3b-7a | Apr 27-May 23 | Sep 23-Oct 19 |
| Maryland | 6a-8a | Mar 29-Apr 25 | Oct 20-Nov 15 |
| Massachusetts | 5b-7b | Apr 15-May 5 | Oct 6-Nov 1 |
| Michigan | 4a-7a | Apr 28-May 25 | Sep 27-Oct 24 |
| Minnesota | 3a-5a | Apr 27-May 23 | Sep 23-Oct 11 |
| Mississippi | 7b-9a | Mar 5-Apr 1 | Nov 1-21 |
| Missouri | 5b-8a | Apr 4-20 | Oct 17-Nov 1 |
| Montana | 3b-6b | May 10-Jun 5 | Sep 8-30 |
| Nebraska | 5a-6a | Apr 22-May 13 | Sep 30-Oct 16 |
| Nevada | 5a-10a | Mar 7-Jun 7 | Sep 15-Nov 22 |
| New Hampshire | 4a-6b | Apr 30-May 24 | Sep 22-Oct 11 |
| New Jersey | 6b-8a | Apr 4-27 | Oct 17-Nov 5 |
| New Mexico | 5a-8b | Apr 2-May 30 | Sep 27-Nov 6 |
| New York | 4a-7b | Apr 14-May 17 | Oct 1-Nov 2 |
| North Carolina | 6b-9a | Mar 22-Apr 23 | Oct 20-Nov 16 |
| North Dakota | 3b-4b | May 8-20 | Sep 21-Oct 1 |
| Ohio | 6a-7a | Apr 17-30 | Oct 14-28 |
| Oklahoma | 6b-8a | Mar 28-Apr 15 | Oct 25-Nov 6 |
| Oregon | 5b-9b | Mar 14-Jun 6 | Sep 17-Nov 26 |
| Pennsylvania | 5b-8a | Apr 15-May 14 | Oct 3-28 |
| Rhode Island | 6b-7b | Apr 11-May 1 | Oct 12-Nov 5 |
| South Carolina | 8a-9b | Mar 12-Apr 6 | Nov 1-26 |
| South Dakota | 4a-5b | May 2-17 | Sep 25-Oct 7 |
| Tennessee | 6b-8a | Mar 31-Apr 20 | Oct 21-Nov 4 |
| Texas | 6b-10b | Feb 4-Apr 81 of 460 stations have no frost | Nov 1-Dec 13 |
| Utah | 4a-8b | Apr 18-Jun 3 | Sep 19-Oct 23 |
| Vermont | 4a-6a | May 4-23 | Sep 26-Oct 9 |
| Virginia | 6a-8b | Mar 31-Apr 26 | Oct 18-Nov 10 |
| Washington | 6a-9b | Mar 24-May 14 | Sep 26-Nov 14 |
| West Virginia | 5b-7a | Apr 15-May 7 | Oct 8-29 |
| Wisconsin | 3b-6a | Apr 27-May 22 | Sep 27-Oct 18 |
| Wyoming | 4a-5b | May 11-Jun 2 | Sep 13-Oct 1 |
Each range runs from the coldest to the warmest half-zone among the state's ZIP codes in the data behind the 2023 USDA map (PRISM Group, Oregon State University, ZIP code listings, accessed 15 Oct 2026). ZIP codes mark where people live, so empty high mountains can be colder than the range shows.
Frost dates come from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: for each weather station, the date by which the last spring frost (32°F or below) is over in half of years, and the date by which the first fall frost has arrived in half of years. The range shows the middle 80% of the state's stations, so a few stations fall outside it, and in any given year your frost can come earlier or later.
A mountain valley and a coastal town in the same state can sit several half-zones apart. The ZIP-level USDA lookup is the final word for plant hardiness. For frost dates, your nearest station's figure beats a state range: put it into the frost & sowing calendar.
Know your soil and frost
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