Do USDA zones tell you when to plant?

No. A hardiness zone is based on the average annual lowest winter temperature, so it tells you which perennials survive your winter. It does not give a last frost date, a growing season length or any summer heat information, so it cannot schedule annual vegetables on its own.

What is the difference between a frost date and a hardiness zone?

A frost date tells you when it is safe to plant in spring and when to harvest before autumn. A hardiness zone tells you what survives the winter. Use the zone to choose perennials and fruit trees, and frost dates to schedule sowing.

US Frost Dates by Region

Average last spring frost and first autumn frost for every region we cover, with the growing season each one gives you.

Frost dates, not zones, are what schedule a vegetable garden. Your USDA zone tells you which perennials survive your winter. It does not tell you when it is safe to sow. For that you need the last frost in spring and the first frost in autumn, which is what this page lists.

Region	USDA zone	Frost window	Growing season
Alaska	3a-5b	May 15 to September 10	about 118 days
Central Florida	9b-10a	effectively frost free	year round
Desert Southwest	9b-10a	February 5 to December 5	about 303 days
Gulf South	8b-9a	February 25 to December 1	about 279 days
Hawaii	11a-13b	effectively frost free	year round
Mid-Atlantic	6b-7b	April 15 to October 25	about 193 days
Mid-South	7b-8a	April 10 to October 25	about 198 days
Midwest & Great Lakes	5b-6b	April 30 to October 15	about 168 days
Mountain West	4a-6b	May 5 to September 30	about 148 days
North Florida	8b-9a	February 15 to December 5	about 293 days
Northeast & New England	5a-7b	May 10 to October 15	about 158 days
Northern California & Central Valley	9a-9b	February 28 to November 17	about 262 days
Pacific Northwest	8b-9a	March 25 to November 15	about 235 days
South Florida	10b-11b	effectively frost free	year round
Southern California	9b-11b	effectively frost free	year round
Southern Plains	6a-7b	April 10 to October 30	about 203 days
Texas	8a-8b	March 1 to November 28	about 272 days
Upper Midwest & Northern Plains	3a-4b	May 15 to September 25	about 133 days

These are regional midpoints. A region covers a lot of ground, and a frost pocket, a slope or a warm wall will shift your own dates by weeks. Treat them as a starting point, then watch your own garden.

Find your region from your zip code, or open the free app for a local forecast with frost alerts.

Browse by USDA hardiness zone