USDA zone 7a in Missouri
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 45 locations across Missouri (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Advance, MO, Alton, MO, Arnold, MO, Aurora, MO, Bloomfield, MO, Cape Girardeau, MO, and 39 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 26 (Bloomfield) to April 20 (Raymondville), and growing seasons run 181–225 days (Raymondville to Bloomfield) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Missouri location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Piedmont, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 26–Apr 20avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 19–Nov 6avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 181–225days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance | — | Advance 1 S | Apr 7 | Oct 27 | 204 |
| Alton | — | Alton | Apr 17 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| Arnold | Waterloo, Imperial, Pevely, Crystal, Herculaneum, Valmeyer, +4 more | Festus | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 197 |
| Aurora | Mount Vernon, Crane, Chesapeake, Halltown | Billings 1sw | Apr 15 | Oct 23 | 189 |
| Bloomfield | Morley, Bell, Vanduser | Sikeston Pwr Stn | Mar 26 | Nov 6 | 225 |
| Cape Girardeau | Jackson, Alto Pass, Millersville, Altenburg, Sedgewickville, Oak Ridge, +2 more | Jackson | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 202 |
| Cape Girardeau | Olive Branch, Tamms, Chaffee, Dutchtown, Thebes, McClure, +6 more | Cape Girardeau Muni Ap | Apr 5 | Oct 25 | 201 |
| Cassville | Arrow Point | Cassville | Apr 14 | Oct 26 | 194 |
| Chesterfield | St. Charles, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Ballwin, Murphy, Winchester, +1 more | St Charles 7 Ssw | Apr 4 | Oct 29 | 206 |
| Coney Island | — | Branson Ap | Apr 8 | Nov 2 | 209 |
| Fairdealing | Warm Springs, Oxly, Doniphan, Grandin | Doniphan | Apr 12 | Oct 26 | 196 |
| Frohna | Biehle, Rockwood, Longtown, Old Appleton | Perryville Wtp | Apr 19 | Oct 20 | 182 |
| Greenfield | Golden, Lockwood, Miller, La Russell, Arcola, Avilla | Lockwood | Apr 11 | Oct 25 | 198 |
| Greenville | Puxico, Williamsville, Zalma | Wappapello Dam | Apr 2 | Nov 2 | 215 |
| Houston | — | Houston | Apr 10 | Oct 23 | 194 |
| Joplin | Carthage, Carl Junction, Galena, Duenweg, Carterville, Oronogo, +6 more | Joplin Regional Airport | Apr 9 | Oct 27 | 200 |
| Kansas | — | Kansas City Downtown Ap | Apr 4 | Nov 2 | 211 |
| Kansas | — | Independence | Apr 10 | Oct 27 | 198 |
| Kissee Mills | Hollister, Saddlebrooke, Spokane, Reeds Spring, Kirbyville, Blue Eye, +3 more | Ozark Beach | Apr 6 | Oct 31 | 205 |
| Lamar | Liberal, Sheldon, Milo | Lamar 7n | Apr 9 | Oct 27 | 199 |
| Mansfield | Norwood | Mansfield | Apr 11 | Oct 26 | 197 |
| Marble Hill | Whitewater, Zalma | Marble Hill | Apr 12 | Oct 23 | 193 |
| Maryland Heights | Hazelwood, Old Jamestown, Florissant, Ferguson, Berkeley, Bellefontaine Neighbors, +6 more | St Louis Lambert Intl Ap | Apr 2 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Monett | Pierce, Verona, Exeter, Purdy, Rocky Comfort, Wheaton, +4 more | Monett 4sw | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 199 |
| Mountain Grove | Cabool | Mtn Grove 2 N | Apr 11 | Oct 28 | 196 |
| Mountain View | Raymondville, Summersville | Summersville 3 Se | Apr 7 | Oct 27 | 201 |
| Neosho | Granby, Seneca, Wyandotte, Goodman, Stella | Neosho | Apr 7 | Oct 31 | 206 |
| Nevada | Bronaugh, Moundville | Nevada Wtp | Apr 7 | Oct 27 | 202 |
| Osage Beach | Village of Four Seasons | Lakeside | Mar 31 | Nov 3 | 216 |
| Piedmont * | Greenville, Ellsinore, Mill Spring | Clearwater Dam | Apr 9 | Oct 26 | 199 |
| Poplar Bluff | — | Poplar Bluff | Mar 29 | Nov 5 | 222 |
| Raymondville | — | Licking 4n | Apr 20 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Sarcoxie | Diamond | Diamond 2w | Apr 18 | Oct 22 | 184 |
| Shell Knob | Kimberling, Spokane, Galena, McCord Bend | Galena | Apr 16 | Oct 21 | 187 |
| South Fork | Gainesville, Bakersfield | Dora 3se | Apr 9 | Oct 23 | 196 |
| Springfield | — | Springfield | Apr 9 | Oct 27 | 199 |
| St. Louis | Granite, Oakville, East St. Louis, Columbia, Kirkwood, Sunset Hills, +15 more | St Louis Sci Ctr | Apr 1 | Nov 4 | 218 |
| Stockton | Jerico Springs | Stockton Dam | Apr 6 | Oct 30 | 207 |
| Stotts | — | Mt Vernon Univ Mo - Sw Ctr | Apr 14 | Oct 21 | 188 |
| Washburn | — | Washburn 5 W | Apr 4 | Oct 30 | 207 |
| Wasola | — | Gentryville | Apr 14 | Oct 25 | 193 |
| Wasola | Ava, Sundown, Theodosia | Wasola 5n | Apr 10 | Oct 27 | 198 |
| West Alton | Edwardsville, Alton, Glen Carbon, Spanish Lake, Roxana, Wood River, +4 more | Alton - Melvin Price L&d | Apr 4 | Nov 5 | 214 |
| West Plains | Willow Springs, Pomona, Thomasville | West Plains Muni Ap | Apr 8 | Oct 25 | 199 |
| Wildwood | Parkdale | St Louis Sprt Of S L Ap | Apr 12 | Oct 23 | 193 |
* Piedmont 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 (Piedmont, representative)
Computed from Piedmont's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Missourizone 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 12 – Feb 26 | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | Jun 15 – Jul 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | Jun 22 – Jul 22 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | Jun 5 – Jun 25 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 31 – Jun 15 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | Jun 5 – Jun 15 | Aug 27 – Sep 6 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | Jun 8 – Jul 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 16 – May 31 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 26 – May 11 | Aug 13 – Aug 28 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 22 – May 7 | Aug 3 – Aug 18 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 7 – Apr 17 | Aug 23 – Sep 2 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | May 18 – Jun 7 | Jul 24 – Aug 13 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 6 – May 26 | Jul 29 – Aug 18 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Piedmont'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 (Piedmont)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00231674. 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 21 | May 5 | Oct 17 | Oct 27 | 178 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 9 | Apr 24 | Oct 26 | Nov 7 | 199 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 13 | Nov 4 | Nov 21 | 222 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 31 | Nov 15 | Dec 4 | 244 |
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 45 locations is 4,225; Piedmont's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,179 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,757 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in Missouri
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. Missouri spans 6 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Missouri locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a, 6b, 7b, 8a.
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 Missouri?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 45 locations in Missouri fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Missouri's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Bloomfield runs the longest season on this page at about 225 days; Raymondville is shortest at about 181 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 Missouri's zone 7a?
- Using Piedmont's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 12 – Feb 26, then transplant outside about Apr 16 – Apr 23. 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 Missouri'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 45 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.