USDA zone 7b in Mississippi
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 9 locations across Mississippi (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Ashland, MS, Belmont, MS, Corinth, MS, Derma, MS, Hickory Flat, MS, Holly Springs, MS, and 3 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 21 (Verona) to April 8 (Hickory Flat), and growing seasons run 202–233 days (Hickory Flat to Verona) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Mississippi location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Corinth, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 21–Apr 8avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 26–Nov 9avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 202–233days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | — | Ashland | Mar 29 | Nov 6 | 224 |
| Belmont | Dumas | Booneville | Apr 1 | Nov 3 | 216 |
| Corinth * | Chalybeate | Corinth 7 Sw | Apr 2 | Nov 1 | 213 |
| Derma | — | Calhoun City | Mar 28 | Nov 5 | 223 |
| Hickory Flat | — | Hickory Flat | Apr 8 | Oct 28 | 202 |
| Holly Springs | Red Banks, Lamar | Holly Springs 4 N | Apr 6 | Oct 26 | 204 |
| Oxford | — | University | Apr 3 | Oct 31 | 210 |
| Ripley | Falkner | Ripley | Apr 3 | Oct 30 | 210 |
| Verona | — | Verona Exp Stn | Mar 21 | Nov 9 | 233 |
* Corinth 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 (Corinth, representative)
Computed from Corinth's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Mississippizone 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 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | Jun 8 – Jun 28 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | Jun 15 – Jul 15 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 29 – Jun 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 24 – Jun 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 29 – Jun 8 | Sep 2 – Sep 12 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Jun 1 – Jul 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 9 – May 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 19 – May 4 | Aug 19 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 15 – Apr 30 | Aug 9 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Mar 31 – Apr 10 | Aug 29 – Sep 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | May 11 – May 31 | Jul 30 – Aug 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 29 – May 19 | Aug 4 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Corinth's own 213-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 (Corinth)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00221962. 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 11 | Apr 27 | Oct 24 | Nov 4 | 193 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 2 | Apr 17 | Nov 1 | Nov 15 | 213 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Apr 6 | Nov 11 | Dec 1 | 237 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 24 | Nov 23 | Dec 19 | 263 |
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 9 locations is 4,896; Corinth's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,963 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 7,839 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Mississippi
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. Mississippi spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Mississippi locations for the full range, including zones8a, 8b, 9a.
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 Mississippi?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 9 locations in Mississippi fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Mississippi's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- Verona runs the longest season on this page at about 233 days; Hickory Flat is shortest at about 202 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 Mississippi's zone 7b?
- Using Corinth's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 5 – Feb 19, then transplant outside about Apr 9 – Apr 16. 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 Mississippi'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 9 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.