USDA zone 7b in Massachusetts
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 5 locations across Massachusetts (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Brewster, MA, Dennis, MA, Edgartown, MA, Nantucket, MA, Woods Hole, MA. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 13 (Brewster) to May 7 (Woods Hole), and growing seasons run 156–208 days (Woods Hole to Nantucket) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Massachusetts location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Edgartown, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 13–May 7avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 9–Nov 8avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 156–208days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster | North Eastham, Dennis Port, West Chatham, Chatham, Harwich Port, Orleans, +2 more | Chatham Muni Ap | Apr 13 | Nov 4 | 206 |
| Dennis | East Dennis, West Dennis, Dennis Port, Provincetown | Hyannis Barnstable Muni Ap | Apr 22 | Oct 28 | 188 |
| Edgartown * | — | Edgartown | Apr 17 | Nov 3 | 199 |
| Nantucket | Siasconset | Nantucket Mem Ap | Apr 13 | Nov 8 | 208 |
| Woods Hole | Bliss Corner, Vineyard Haven | Vineyard Haven Ap | May 7 | Oct 9 | 156 |
* Edgartown 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 (Edgartown, representative)
Computed from Edgartown's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Massachusettszone 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 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 23 – Jul 13 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 30 – Jul 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 13 – Jul 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 8 – Jun 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 13 – Jun 23 | Sep 4 – Sep 14 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 16 – Jul 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 24 – Jun 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 4 – May 19 | Aug 21 – Sep 5 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 30 – May 15 | Aug 11 – Aug 26 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 15 – Apr 25 | Aug 31 – Sep 10 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | May 26 – Jun 15 | Aug 1 – Aug 21 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 14 – Jun 3 | Aug 6 – Aug 26 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Edgartown's own 199-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 (Edgartown)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00192501. 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 | May 1 | May 16 | Oct 22 | Nov 3 | 173 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 17 | May 3 | Nov 3 | Nov 18 | 199 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 17 | Nov 16 | Dec 3 | 226 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Apr 1 | Nov 30 | Dec 17 | 253 |
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 5 locations is 2,567; Edgartown's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,867 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,241 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Massachusetts
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. Massachusetts spans 5 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Massachusetts locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a, 6b, 7a.
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 Massachusetts?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 5 locations in Massachusetts fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Massachusetts's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- Nantucket runs the longest season on this page at about 208 days; Woods Hole is shortest at about 156 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 Massachusetts's zone 7b?
- Using Edgartown's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 20 – Mar 6, then transplant outside about Apr 24 – May 1. 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 Massachusetts'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 5 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.