USDA zone 9b in Florida
USDA plant hardiness zone 9b covers 47 locations across Florida (average annual extreme minimum 25 to 30 °F): Apopka, FL, Apopka, FL, Brandon, FL, Bunnell, FL, Daytona Beach, FL, DeLand, FL, and 41 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges January 20 (Keystone) to March 5 (Horseshoe Beach), and growing seasons run 268–359 days (Horseshoe Beach to Deltona) — 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 Jacksonville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 9b25 to 30 °F
- Last frost range
- Jan 20–Mar 5avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Jan 1–Dec 31avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 268–359days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka | South Apopka | Orlando Executive Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Apopka | — | Mt Plymouth 1ssw | Feb 24 | Dec 29 | 301 |
| Brandon | Plant, Thonotosassa, Valrico, Willow Oak, Dover | Plant City | Jan 30 | Jan 6 | 335 |
| Bunnell | Palm Coast, Pierson, Lake Kerr, Seville, Pomona Park, Crescent, +1 more | Crescent City | Feb 1 | Jan 8 | 334 |
| Daytona Beach | Ormond Beach, Samsula-Spruce Creek, Flagler Beach, Glencoe, Ormond-by-the-Sea | Daytona Beach Intl Ap | Jan 30 | Jan 8 | 340 |
| DeLand | Orange, Lake Helen, Paisley, De Leon Springs, Astor, West DeLand, +2 more | Deland 1 Sse | Feb 17 | Dec 30 | 310 |
| Deltona | Sanford, DeBary, Lake Mary, Wekiwa Springs, Mount Plymouth | Sanford | Jan 26 | Jan 12 | 359 |
| Fish Hawk | — | Ft Green 12 Wsw | Feb 6 | Jan 3 | 325 |
| Geneva | Midway | Orlando Sanford Ap | Jan 24 | Jan 9 | 352 |
| Horizon West | Groveland, Clermont, Mascotte, Minneola, Ferndale, Oakland, +1 more | Clermont 9 S | Jan 29 | Jan 11 | 349 |
| Horseshoe Beach | — | Cross City Ap | Mar 5 | Nov 26 | 268 |
| Indian Lake Estates | Sebring, Avon Park | Avon Park 2 W | Jan 28 | Jan 8 | 343 |
| Indian Lake Estates | — | Kenansville | Jan 26 | Jan 10 | 354 |
| Interlachen | Penney Farms | Federal Pt | Jan 31 | Jan 4 | 337 |
| Jacksonville | — | Jacksonville Craig Muni Ap | Feb 9 | Dec 31 | 314 |
| Jacksonville * | Fruit Cove, Fleming Island | Jacksonville Nas | Feb 1 | Jan 5 | 330 |
| Jacksonville | — | Jacksonville | Feb 25 | Dec 7 | 288 |
| Jacksonville | Fernandina Beach, Atlantic Beach | Mayport Pilot Stn | Feb 1 | Jan 5 | 332 |
| Jacksonville | Nocatee, Palm Valley | Jacksonville Beach | Jan 31 | Jan 10 | 345 |
| Keystone | Trinity, Moon Lake | Tarpon Spgs Sewage Plt | Jan 20 | Jan 9 | 354 |
| Lake Wales | Indian Lake Estates | Mtn Lake | Feb 4 | Jan 4 | 332 |
| Lakeland | Kathleen, Medulla | Lakeland 2 | Jan 26 | Jan 9 | 349 |
| Lutz | East Lake-Orient Park, Lake Magdalene, Temple Terrace, University, Cheval | Tampa Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Mexico Beach | — | Wewahitchka | Mar 1 | Nov 29 | 271 |
| Midway | Oriole Beach | Pensacola Rgnl Ap | Feb 14 | Dec 9 | 301 |
| Miramar Beach | — | Destin Ft Walton Ap | Feb 5 | Dec 28 | 321 |
| Nocatee | St. Augustine, Butler Beach, Crescent Beach | St Augustine Lighthouse | Feb 1 | Jan 5 | 334 |
| North Brooksville | — | Brooksville Chin Hill | Feb 3 | Jan 3 | 329 |
| Old Miakka | — | Myakka Rvr Sp | Feb 1 | Jan 6 | 336 |
| Ona | Fort Green, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs | Wauchula | Feb 4 | Jan 8 | 332 |
| Palm Coast | — | Palm Coast 6ne | Jan 24 | Jan 11 | 356 |
| Panama | Tyndall AFB, Upper Grand Lagoon | Panama City 5n | Feb 15 | Dec 12 | 301 |
| Port LaBelle | Lake Placid | Archbold Bio Stn | Feb 26 | Dec 22 | 300 |
| Port St. Joe | Eastpoint, Apalachicola | Apalachicola Ap | Feb 15 | Dec 18 | 307 |
| Southeast Arcadia | Harbour Heights | Arcadia | Feb 7 | Jan 4 | 324 |
| Spring Hill | Sugarmill Woods, North Weeki Wachee, Connerton, Hudson, Quail Ridge, Spring Lake, +3 more | Brooksville Hernando Co Ap | Mar 1 | Dec 5 | 281 |
| Spring Hill | Pine Island | Weeki Wachee | Feb 5 | Jan 1 | 322 |
| Sugarmill Woods | Lecanto, Homosassa, Crystal River, Inverness Highlands South | Inverness 3 Se | Mar 3 | Dec 5 | 279 |
| The Villages | Marion Oaks, Silver Springs Shores, Silver Springs Shores East, Silver Springs, Belleview | Ocala | Feb 25 | Dec 12 | 293 |
| The Villages | Eustis, Lady Lake, Silver Springs Shores East, Ocklawaha, Lisbon, Pittman, +1 more | Lisbon | Feb 2 | Jan 3 | 327 |
| Wesley Chapel | Pasadena Hills, Lutz, Connerton, Zephyrhills, Dade, Crystal Springs, +5 more | Saint Leo | Jan 31 | Jan 8 | 336 |
| Wildwood | Center Hill, Coleman, Webster | Bushnell 1 E | Mar 2 | Dec 5 | 281 |
| Wildwood | Leesburg, Tavares, Fruitland Park, Yalaha, Tangerine, Zellwood, +3 more | Leesburg Muni Ap | Jan 26 | Jan 9 | 346 |
| Wimauma | Balm | Tampa Bay Area Wfo | Jan 20 | Jan 9 | 357 |
| Wimauma | — | Parrish | Jan 28 | Jan 9 | 355 |
| World Golf | Flagler Estates, Palatka, Hastings, East Palatka | Hastings 4ne | Feb 14 | Dec 30 | 308 |
| Yankeetown | Cedar Key | Usher Twr | Feb 28 | Dec 2 | 279 |
* Jacksonville 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 (Jacksonville, representative)
Computed from Jacksonville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Floridazone 9b 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 1 | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Apr 9 – Apr 29 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 1 | Feb 15 – Feb 22 | Apr 16 – May 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Jan 4 – Jan 11 | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 30 – Apr 19 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 25 – Apr 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 30 – Apr 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 2 – May 2 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Jan 1 – Jan 4 | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 10 – Mar 25 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Jan 1 – Jan 4 | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 18 – Mar 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Jan 1 – Jan 4 | Feb 25 – Mar 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Jan 1 – Jan 4 | Feb 10 – Feb 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Mar 12 – Apr 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 1 | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 28 – Mar 20 | — | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Jacksonville's own 330-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 (Jacksonville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00093837. 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 | Feb 18 | Mar 15 | Dec 17 | Jan 22 | 302 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Feb 1 | Mar 3 | Jan 5 | Feb 6 | 330 |
| 28°F | Jan 22 | Feb 19 | Jan 14 | Feb 12 | 365 |
| 24°F | Jan 17 | Feb 6 | Jan 15 | Feb 5 | 365 |
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 47 locations is 7,918; Jacksonville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 7,918 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 11,489 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 9b in Florida
Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 25 to 30 °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, 9a, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b.
Explore zone 9b in other states at zone 9b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 9b mean in Florida?
- Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 25 to 30 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 47 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 9b is the growing season longest?
- Deltona runs the longest season on this page at about 359 days; Horseshoe Beach is shortest at about 268 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 9b?
- Using Jacksonville's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Jan 1, then transplant outside about Feb 8 – Feb 15. 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 9b 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 47 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.