USDA zone 7b in Alabama
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 14 locations across Alabama (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Addison, AL, Belgreen, AL, Elkmont, AL, Fort Payne, AL, Hackleburg, AL, Hamilton, AL, and 8 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 20 (Elkmont) to April 11 (Hamilton), and growing seasons run 198–238 days (Hamilton to Elkmont) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Alabama location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Lexington, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 20–Apr 11avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 27–Nov 12avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 198–238days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison | — | Addison | Apr 4 | Nov 1 | 210 |
| Belgreen | — | Russellville #2 | Mar 31 | Nov 4 | 221 |
| Elkmont | — | Athens | Mar 20 | Nov 12 | 238 |
| Fort Payne | — | Ft Payne | Mar 29 | Nov 8 | 225 |
| Hackleburg | Bear Creek, Lynn, Haleyville, Double Springs, Natural Bridge | Haleyville | Mar 29 | Nov 9 | 228 |
| Hamilton | Vina, Beaverton, Hodges, Detroit | Hamilton 3 S | Apr 11 | Oct 27 | 198 |
| Harvest | Ardmore | Ardmore | Mar 30 | Nov 4 | 223 |
| Henagar | Sylvania, Ider, Hammondville, Mentone, Menlo | Valley Head | Apr 8 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Lexington * | — | Lexington | Mar 29 | Nov 4 | 219 |
| New Market | Hollywood, Pisgah, Skyline, Pleasant Groves, Hytop | Scottsboro | Apr 4 | Oct 30 | 209 |
| Red Bay | Iuka, Burnsville, Cherokee, Paden, Waterloo | Iuka | Apr 9 | Oct 28 | 203 |
| St. Florian | — | Muscle Shoals Rgnl Ap | Mar 20 | Nov 8 | 233 |
| West Point | — | Saint Bernard | Mar 31 | Nov 1 | 215 |
| Winfield | Guin, Brilliant, Glen Allen | Winfield 2 Sw | Apr 4 | Nov 1 | 211 |
* Lexington is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Lexington, representative)
Computed from Lexington's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Alabamazone 7b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | Jun 4 – Jun 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 11 – Jul 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 25 – Jun 14 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 20 – Jun 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 25 – Jun 4 | Sep 5 – Sep 15 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 28 – Jun 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 5 – May 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 15 – Apr 30 | Aug 22 – Sep 6 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 11 – Apr 26 | Aug 12 – Aug 27 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 27 – Apr 6 | Sep 1 – Sep 11 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | May 7 – May 27 | Aug 2 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 25 – May 15 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Lexington's own 219-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Lexington)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00010260. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 26 | Oct 26 | Nov 7 | 197 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 29 | Apr 15 | Nov 4 | Nov 23 | 219 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Apr 3 | Nov 16 | Dec 7 | 245 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 30 | 274 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 14 locations is 5,065; Lexington's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 5,031 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 7,991 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Alabama
Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 5 to 10 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Alabama spans 5 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Alabama locations for the full range, including zones8a, 8b, 9a, 9b.
Explore zone 7b in other states at zone 7b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7b mean in Alabama?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 14 locations in Alabama fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Alabama's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- Elkmont runs the longest season on this page at about 238 days; Hamilton is shortest at about 198 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Alabama's zone 7b?
- Using Lexington's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 1 – Feb 15, then transplant outside about Apr 5 – Apr 12. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Alabama's zone 7b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 14 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.