USDA zone 7a in North Carolina
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 25 locations across North Carolina (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Andrews, NC, Andrews, NC, Bent Creek, NC, Black Mountain, NC, Brevard, NC, Brevard, NC, and 19 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 6 (Maggie Valley) to May 16 (Black Mountain), and growing seasons run 140–210 days (Black Mountain to Maggie Valley) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every North Carolina location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Andrews, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 6–May 16avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 4–Nov 1avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 140–210days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews | — | Franklin | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 187 |
| Andrews * | — | Murphy 4ese | Apr 22 | Oct 20 | 180 |
| Bent Creek | — | Bent Creek | Apr 26 | Oct 18 | 175 |
| Black Mountain | Barnardsville, Montreat | Mt Mitchell | May 16 | Oct 4 | 140 |
| Brevard | — | Brevard | Apr 21 | Oct 23 | 185 |
| Brevard | — | Pisgah Forest 3 Ne | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | 186 |
| Bryson | — | Newfound Gap | May 3 | Oct 15 | 162 |
| Cove Creek | Boone, West Jefferson | Boone 1 Se | May 2 | Oct 13 | 163 |
| Cove Creek | Butler | Beech Mtn | May 6 | Oct 14 | 159 |
| Cove Creek | Mountain, Damascus | Mtn City 2 | Apr 27 | Oct 14 | 170 |
| Crossnore | — | Grandfather Mtn | May 5 | Oct 13 | 160 |
| Cullowhee | Glenville | Cullowhee | Apr 19 | Oct 22 | 184 |
| Glenville | — | Lake Toxaway 2 Sw | Apr 15 | Oct 26 | 193 |
| Highlands | Cashiers | Highlands | Apr 30 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| Hot Springs | — | Hot Springs | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | 201 |
| Lake Santeetlah | — | Tapoco | Apr 17 | Oct 27 | 193 |
| Maggie Valley | — | Waterville 2 | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | 210 |
| Mills River | — | Fletcher 3 W | Apr 18 | Oct 21 | 186 |
| Robbinsville | — | Robbinsville Ag 5 Ne | Apr 13 | Oct 26 | 194 |
| Sparta | West Jefferson, Jefferson | Transou | May 4 | Oct 10 | 158 |
| Spruce Pine | Burnsville, Bakersville | Celo 2 S | Apr 26 | Oct 15 | 171 |
| Swannanoa | Fairview, Gerton | Swannanoa 2 Sse | Apr 22 | Oct 24 | 184 |
| Waynesville | Lake Junaluska, Canton, Maggie Valley, Clyde | Waynesville 1 E | Apr 30 | Oct 14 | 167 |
| Whittier | — | Cherokee | Apr 17 | Oct 21 | 186 |
| Woodfin | Marshall, Mars Hill | Marshall | Apr 28 | Oct 18 | 173 |
* Andrews 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 (Andrews, representative)
Computed from Andrews's average frost dates — the median-season location in this North Carolinazone 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 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 29 – May 6 | Jun 28 – Jul 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | May 6 – May 13 | Jul 5 – Aug 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 6 | Jun 18 – Jul 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 29 – May 6 | Jun 13 – Jun 28 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 29 – May 6 | Jun 18 – Jun 28 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 21 – Jul 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 29 – May 6 | May 29 – Jun 13 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 9 – May 24 | Aug 7 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 5 – May 20 | Jul 28 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 20 – Apr 30 | Aug 17 – Aug 27 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | May 31 – Jun 20 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 19 – Jun 8 | Jul 23 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Andrews's own 180-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 (Andrews)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00316001. 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 4 | May 18 | Oct 13 | Oct 26 | 161 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 22 | May 7 | Oct 20 | Nov 2 | 180 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 14 | 204 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 14 | Nov 10 | Nov 29 | 230 |
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 25 locations is 3,309; Andrews's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,839 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,556 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in North Carolina
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. North Carolina spans 6 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all North Carolina locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a.
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 North Carolina?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 25 locations in North Carolina fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in North Carolina's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Maggie Valley runs the longest season on this page at about 210 days; Black Mountain is shortest at about 140 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 North Carolina's zone 7a?
- Using Andrews's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 25 – Mar 11, then transplant outside about Apr 29 – May 6. 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 North Carolina'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 25 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.