USDA zones 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a in Hawaii
USDA plant hardiness zones 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a in Hawaii are effectively frost-free: NOAA's 1991–2020 normals record no meaningful 32°F freeze at any of the 49 locations in this state (Anahola, HI, Discovery Harbour, HI, East Honolulu, HI, Fern Forest, HI, Haiku-Pauwela, HI, Hana, HI, and 43 more), so the growing season runs all 365 days. Every location keeps its own nearest-station match and its own hardiness zone, both listed in the table below, and all 6 of its hardiness zones share this page, because in a frost-free state planting timing does not change from one zone to the next. The printable planting calendar uses Anahola's data as this state's representative reading.
- USDA zones
- 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a35 to 60 °F
- Last frost range
- Nonefrost-free
- First frost range
- Nonefrost-free
- Growing season range
- 365days
Locations in this group
Every location below keeps its own USDA zone, weather station, and frost dates — they are listed together here, not averaged. Find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Zone | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anahola * | 12b | Koloa | Lihue Wso Ap 1020.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Discovery Harbour | 12b | — | S Kona 2 2.32 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| East Honolulu | 12b | Waimanalo Beach | Waimanalo Exp F 795.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Fern Forest | 12b | — | Hawaii Vol Np Hq 54 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Haiku-Pauwela | 12a | — | Haleakala Rs 338 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Hana | 11b | — | Haleakala Rs 338 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Hawaiian Acres | 12a | Pepeekeo | Hilo Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Hawaiian Ocean View | 11b | — | S Kona 2 2.32 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Hawaiian Paradise Park | 12b | Laupahoehoe, Pepeekeo, Honomu | Hilo Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Hawi | 12b | Halaula | Puukohola Heiau 98.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Honalo | 11a | — | Kailua Kona Ke-ahole Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Honaunau-Napoopoo | 12b | — | Opihihale #2 24.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Honaunau-Napoopoo | 11a | — | Opihihale #2 24.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Honokaa | 10b | — | Paauilo 221 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kahului | 12b | Paia, Wailuku | Kahului Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kailua | 12b | Kahaluu, Kaaawa | Kaneohe Bay Mcas | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kaloko | 12b | Kealakekua | Kailua Kona Ke-ahole Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kaneohe Base | 13a | — | Waimanalo Exp F 795.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kapaa | 12a | Lawai, Omao, Puhi | Lihue Wso Ap 1020.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kaumakani | 12b | Hanapepe, Eleele | Makaweli 965 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kaunakakai | 12a | — | Molokai Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Keokea | 12a | Olinda | Kula Branch Stn 324.5 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kihei | 12b | — | Kula Hospital 267 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kilauea | 12b | Kalihiwai | Princeville Rch 1117 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Kualapuu | 12b | Kaunakakai, Maunaloa | Molokai Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Lanai | 12b | — | Lanai Ap 656 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Laupahoehoe | 12b | — | Kihalani 132.5 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Laupahoehoe | 11a | — | Kihalani 132.5 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Mahinahina | 12b | Ualapue | Kapalua-w Maui Ap 462.4 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Makakilo | 12b | — | Ewa Kalaeloa Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Mountain View | 11b | — | Hawaii Vol Np Hq 54 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Mountain View | 11a | — | Hilo Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Paauilo | 11a | — | Paauilo 221 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Pahala | 12b | — | Sea Mtn 12.15 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Pakala | 12a | — | Makaweli 965 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Punaluu | 12b | Hauula, Kahuku | Waimea Valley 892.2 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Royal Kunia | 12a | Aiea | Honolulu Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Schofield Barracks | 12a | Mokuleia, Helemano | Waimea Valley 892.2 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Urban Honolulu | 12b | Hickam Housing, Ewa Gentry | Honolulu Intl Ap | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Urban Honolulu | 12b | — | Manoa Lyon Arbo 785.2 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Volcano | 11a | — | Hawaii Vol Np Hq 54 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Waiahole-Waikane | 12a | Mililani Mauka | Kaneohe Bay Mcas | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Waianae | 12b | — | Makaha Ctry Club 800.3 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Waikoloa | 12a | — | Puukohola Heiau 98.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Waikoloa | 11a | — | Puukohola Heiau 98.1 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Waimea | 12b | — | Waimea 947 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Wainiha | 12b | — | Kanalohuluhulu 1075 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Wainiha | 12a | — | Princeville Rch 1117 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
| Wheeler AFB | 12a | — | Makaha Ctry Club 800.3 | frost-free | frost-free | 365 |
* Anahola 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 (Anahola, representative)
Computed from Anahola's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Hawaiizones 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a 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 | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Pepper | Very tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Cucumber | Tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Basil | Very tender | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Pea | Hardy | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | — | year-round* | — | — | grows across most of the year (no frost limit) |
*Frost-free: planting timing is governed by summer heat rather than frost — each crop's notes flag the hot-season limit. See the methodology for how the heat regime is handled.
Which crops fit this growing season
Anahola's growing season runs all 365 days, so every one of the 12 crops on this page grows across most of the year here — peak summer heat, not frost, is what limits timing (see the notes above).
Frost & freeze dates (Anahola)
Anahola is effectively frost-free — NOAA's 1991–2020 normals record essentially no 32°F freeze at the nearest station, so the growing season is treated as year-round (365 days).
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | — | — | — | — | 365 |
| 32°F (freeze) | — | — | — | — | 365 |
| 28°F | — | — | — | — | 365 |
| 24°F | — | — | — | — | 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 49 locations is 9,076; Anahola's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 9,599 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 13,249 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zones 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a in Hawaii
Hawaii's 6 hardiness zones (10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a) — an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature range of 35 to 60 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — share this page because every Hawaii location on this site is frost-free, planting timing does not change from one hardiness zone to the next here, so all 6 of its zones (10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a) are covered on this one page instead of 6 near-identical ones. Each location's own zone is in the table above. Hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates; the frost calendar uses Anahola, this page's representative location.
See all USDA hardiness zones across the site, or browse all Hawaii locations.
Frequently asked questions
- What USDA hardiness zones does Hawaii have?
- Hawaii spans zones 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a — an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature range of 35 to 60 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — across 49 locations, each listed with its own zone in the table above. The zone does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar for that.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Hawaii?
- Anahola (this page's representative location) records no meaningful 32°F freeze in NOAA's 1991–2020 normals, so there is no last-frost date to count from — frost-free: plantable much of the year. No frost limit at this location; warm-season crop can be grown across most of the year. Peak summer heat can still reduce fruit set (roughly Jun-Aug in the hottest low-desert/tropical sites).
- Does every location in Hawaii have the same frost dates?
- All 49 locations on this page are effectively frost-free, so yes — timing is governed by summer heat rather than frost.
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.