USDA zone 9a in Florida
USDA plant hardiness zone 9a covers 38 locations across Florida (average annual extreme minimum 20 to 25 °F): Bell, FL, Branford, FL, Bushnell, FL, Carrabelle, FL, Crestview, FL, DeFuniak Springs, FL, and 32 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges January 31 (Interlachen) to March 21 (Crestview), and growing seasons run 237–337 days (Crestview to Interlachen) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Florida location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Gainesville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 9a20 to 25 °F
- Last frost range
- Jan 31–Mar 21avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Jan 3–Dec 28avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 237–337days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell | Branford | Bell 4nw | Mar 14 | Nov 22 | 254 |
| Branford | Mayo | Mayo | Mar 8 | Nov 25 | 264 |
| Bushnell | — | Bushnell 1 E | Mar 2 | Dec 5 | 281 |
| Carrabelle | Sopchoppy, Panacea | Panacea 1 S | Mar 8 | Nov 22 | 262 |
| Crestview | — | Crestview Bob Sikes Ap | Mar 21 | Nov 12 | 237 |
| DeFuniak Springs | Ponce de Leon | De Funiak Springs 1 E | Feb 28 | Nov 28 | 275 |
| East Milton | Harold, Springhill, Wallace, Bagdad | Whiting Fld Nas | Mar 14 | Nov 19 | 251 |
| Freeport | Hurlburt Field, Destin, Miramar Beach, Lake Lorraine, Cinco Bayou | Destin Ft Walton Ap | Feb 5 | Dec 28 | 321 |
| Gainesville * | Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, La Crosse, Waldo, Hampton, +5 more | Gainesville Rgnl Ap | Mar 3 | Dec 2 | 277 |
| Hernando | Pine Ridge, Floral, Citrus Springs, Dunnellon, Inverness, Lake Panasoffkee, +1 more | Inverness 3 Se | Mar 3 | Dec 5 | 279 |
| High Springs | — | High Springs | Mar 13 | Nov 22 | 255 |
| Hilliard | — | Folkston 9 Sw | Feb 26 | Dec 7 | 285 |
| Interlachen | — | Federal Pt | Jan 31 | Jan 4 | 337 |
| Interlachen | — | Orange Springs 2ssw | Mar 1 | Dec 7 | 284 |
| Jacksonville | Yulee, Callahan | Jacksonville | Feb 25 | Dec 7 | 288 |
| Jacksonville | — | Jackson Whitehouse Nolf | Feb 28 | Dec 3 | 280 |
| Jacksonville | Middleburg, Oakleaf | Jacksonville Nas | Feb 1 | Jan 5 | 330 |
| Lake | Fort White, Watertown, Lake Butler, Five Points | Lake City 2 E | Mar 1 | Nov 28 | 273 |
| Lake | Live Oak | Live Oak | Feb 20 | Dec 6 | 292 |
| Macclenny | Baldwin, Lawtey, Raiford, Glen St. Mary | Glen St Mary 1 W | Mar 8 | Dec 1 | 272 |
| Madison | Lee, Clyattville, Greenville | Madison | Mar 5 | Nov 29 | 273 |
| Marianna | Cottonwood, Greenwood, Sneads, Grand Ridge, Malone, Gordon, +3 more | Marianna Muni Ap | Mar 1 | Nov 27 | 270 |
| Navarre | Pensacola, Gonzalez, Ferry Pass, Ensley, Bellview, Brent, +3 more | Pensacola Rgnl Ap | Feb 14 | Dec 9 | 301 |
| Newberry | — | Gainesville 11 Wnw | Mar 4 | Dec 4 | 274 |
| Niceville | Valparaiso, Wright | Niceville | Mar 12 | Nov 19 | 253 |
| Nobleton | — | Brooksville Chin Hill | Feb 3 | Jan 3 | 329 |
| Ocala | Liberty Triangle, On Top of the World, Silver Springs, Reddick, Ocala Estates | Ocala | Feb 25 | Dec 12 | 293 |
| Panama City Beach | Lynn Haven, Callaway, Ebro, Laguna Beach | Panama City 5n | Feb 15 | Dec 12 | 301 |
| Pensacola Station | Warrington, Lillian | Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas | Feb 28 | Nov 29 | 277 |
| Perry | Steinhatchee, Lamont | Perry | Mar 4 | Nov 26 | 267 |
| Quincy | Gretna, Chattahoochee, Greensboro | Quincy 3 Ssw | Mar 13 | Nov 22 | 256 |
| Rainbow Lakes Estates | Williston, Chiefland, Bronson, Inglis, Trenton, Otter Creek, +1 more | Usher Twr | Feb 28 | Dec 2 | 279 |
| Starke | Penney Farms | Starke | Feb 8 | Dec 24 | 313 |
| Steinhatchee | Cross, Horseshoe Beach | Cross City Ap | Mar 5 | Nov 26 | 268 |
| Tallahassee | Bradfordville, Midway, Woodville, Hosford, Crawfordville, Havana, +2 more | Tallahassee | Mar 11 | Nov 21 | 255 |
| Vernon | Graceville, Cottondale, Caryville, Wausau, Alford | Chipley | Mar 5 | Nov 21 | 263 |
| Wacissa | Waukeenah, Miccosukee, Lloyd | Monticello 10 Sw | Feb 25 | Dec 3 | 286 |
| Wewahitchka | Hosford, Lake Mystic, Blountstown | Wewahitchka | Mar 1 | Nov 29 | 271 |
* Gainesville 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 (Gainesville, representative)
Computed from Gainesville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Floridazone 9a 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 | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | May 9 – May 29 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 1 – Jan 6 | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | May 16 – Jun 15 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Feb 3 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 29 – May 19 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 24 – May 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 29 – May 9 | Oct 3 – Oct 13 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 2 – Jun 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 9 – Apr 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 20 – Apr 4 | Sep 19 – Oct 4 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 16 – Mar 31 | Sep 9 – Sep 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 1 – Mar 11 | Sep 29 – Oct 9 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Feb 10 – Feb 17 | Apr 11 – May 1 | Aug 30 – Sep 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 30 – Apr 19 | Sep 4 – Sep 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Gainesville's own 277-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 (Gainesville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00012816. 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 | Mar 17 | Apr 7 | Nov 19 | Dec 9 | 246 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 3 | Mar 23 | Dec 2 | Jan 1 | 277 |
| 28°F | Feb 12 | Mar 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 26 | 312 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 23 | Jan 5 | Feb 9 | 348 |
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 38 locations is 7,085; Gainesville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 7,205 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 10,737 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 9a in Florida
Zone 9a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 20 to 25 °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. Florida spans 7 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Florida locations for the full range, including zones8b, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b.
Explore zone 9a in other states at zone 9a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 9a mean in Florida?
- Zone 9a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 20 to 25 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 38 locations in Florida fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Florida's zone 9a is the growing season longest?
- Interlachen runs the longest season on this page at about 337 days; Crestview is shortest at about 237 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 Florida's zone 9a?
- Using Gainesville's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Jan 6 – Jan 20, then transplant outside about Mar 10 – Mar 17. 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 Florida's zone 9a 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 38 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.