USDA zone 7a in Arkansas
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 16 locations across Arkansas (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Bella Vista, AR, Berryville, AR, Diamond, AR, Gilbert, AR, Green Forest, AR, Holiday Island, AR, and 10 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 29 (St. Francis) to April 18 (Holiday Island), and growing seasons run 185–224 days (Holiday Island to Berryville) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Arkansas location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Bella Vista, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 29–Apr 18avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 20–Nov 7avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 185–224days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Vista * | Bentonville, Gravette, Centerton, Grove, Pea Ridge, Decatur, +7 more | Gravette | Apr 5 | Oct 28 | 204 |
| Berryville | Huntsville, Wesley, Hindsville | Huntsville 1 Ssw | Mar 30 | Nov 7 | 224 |
| Diamond | Theodosia, Lead Hill | Lead Hill | Apr 15 | Oct 22 | 189 |
| Gilbert | — | Gilbert | Apr 14 | Oct 22 | 189 |
| Green Forest | Ponca, Omaha, Blue Eye | Harrison Boone Co Ap | Apr 3 | Oct 30 | 210 |
| Holiday Island | Eureka Springs, Garfield, Eagle Rock, Seligman | Seligman | Apr 18 | Oct 22 | 185 |
| Horseshoe Bend | Ash Flat, Franklin, Sidney, Evening Shade | Evening Shade 1 Nne | Apr 14 | Oct 20 | 190 |
| Kingston | — | Kingston 2s | Apr 13 | Oct 29 | 199 |
| Mountain Home | Henderson, Gainesville, Pontiac, Cotter, Bakersfield, Oakland, +1 more | Mtn Home 1 Nnw | Mar 31 | Nov 1 | 214 |
| Rogers | Highfill, Siloam Springs, Cave Springs, Prairie Creek | Fayetteville Nw Ar Ap | Apr 8 | Oct 28 | 203 |
| Salem | Franklin, Viola | Salem | Apr 8 | Oct 30 | 204 |
| Springdale | Tontitown, Goshen, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Cincinnati, Elkins | Fayetteville Drake Fld | Apr 15 | Oct 21 | 188 |
| Springdale | Lowell | Fayetteville Exp Stn | Apr 4 | Oct 31 | 209 |
| St. Francis | — | Malden Muni Ap | Mar 29 | Nov 3 | 221 |
| Warm Springs | — | Pocahontas 1 | Mar 31 | Nov 1 | 214 |
| Warm Springs | Thayer, Mammoth Spring, Brandsville, Koshkonong | Mammoth Spring | Apr 12 | Oct 24 | 194 |
* Bella Vista 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 (Bella Vista, representative)
Computed from Bella Vista's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Arkansaszone 7a 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 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 11 – Jul 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | Jun 18 – Jul 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 1 – Jun 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 27 – Jun 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 1 – Jun 11 | Aug 29 – Sep 8 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | Jun 4 – Jul 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 12 – May 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 22 – May 7 | Aug 15 – Aug 30 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 18 – May 3 | Aug 5 – Aug 20 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 3 – Apr 13 | Aug 25 – Sep 4 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | May 14 – Jun 3 | Jul 26 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 2 – May 22 | Jul 31 – Aug 20 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Bella Vista's own 204-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 (Bella Vista)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00032930. 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 20 | May 5 | Oct 20 | Nov 2 | 182 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 5 | Apr 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 12 | 204 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Apr 10 | Nov 7 | Nov 25 | 228 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Apr 1 | Nov 18 | Dec 7 | 250 |
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 16 locations is 4,417; Bella Vista's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 5,044 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 7,919 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in Arkansas
Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 0 to 5 °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. Arkansas spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Arkansas locations for the full range, including zones7b, 8a, 8b.
Explore zone 7a in other states at zone 7a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7a mean in Arkansas?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 16 locations in Arkansas fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Arkansas's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Berryville runs the longest season on this page at about 224 days; Holiday Island is shortest at about 185 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 Arkansas's zone 7a?
- Using Bella Vista's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 8 – Feb 22, then transplant outside about Apr 12 – Apr 19. 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 Arkansas's zone 7a 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 16 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.