USDA zone 7a in Tennessee
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 31 locations across Tennessee (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Big Rock, TN, Bowman, TN, Briceville, TN, Church Hill, TN, Cookeville, TN, Coopertown, TN, and 25 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 31 (Nashville-Davidson) to May 22 (Gatlinburg), and growing seasons run 132–218 days (Gatlinburg to Petros) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Tennessee location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Surgoinsville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 31–May 22avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 1–Nov 4avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 132–218days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rock | — | Dover 1 W | Apr 4 | Oct 31 | 210 |
| Bowman | Pleasant Hill | Crossville Ed & Research | Apr 19 | Oct 22 | 185 |
| Briceville | — | Norris | Apr 22 | Oct 25 | 184 |
| Church Hill | Fall Branch, Gate, Nickelsville | Kingsport | Apr 9 | Oct 29 | 203 |
| Cookeville | Algood | Cookeville | Apr 14 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| Coopertown | Springfield, Pleasant View, Greenbrier, Cedar Hill | Springfield Exp Stn | Apr 9 | Oct 28 | 201 |
| Fairfield Glade | Lake Tansi | Crossville Mem Ap | Apr 16 | Oct 23 | 189 |
| Gainesboro | — | Gainesboro | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 183 |
| Gainesboro | Fountain Run, Gamaliel | Lafayette | Apr 3 | Nov 1 | 213 |
| Gatlinburg | — | Mt Leconte | May 22 | Oct 1 | 132 |
| Greeneville | Tusculum | Greeneville Exp Stn | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 185 |
| Grimsley | Clarkrange, Allardt, Sunbright, Jamestown, Elgin | Allardt | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 188 |
| Grimsley | Livingston, Hilham, Celina | Livingston Radio Wliv | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 195 |
| Grimsley | Monterey | Monterey | Apr 10 | Oct 30 | 203 |
| Gruetli-Laager | Coalmont, Beersheba Springs, Tracy | Coalmont | Apr 21 | Oct 20 | 182 |
| Hunter | Hampton | Elizabethton | Apr 19 | Oct 24 | 187 |
| Jamestown | Burkesville, Albany, Byrdstown | Byrdstown | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | 196 |
| Nashville-Davidson | — | Nashville Intl Ap | Mar 31 | Nov 3 | 217 |
| Oneida | Huntsville, Elgin | Oneida | Apr 23 | Oct 18 | 177 |
| Petros | Briceville | Oak Ridge Asos | Mar 31 | Nov 4 | 218 |
| Pikeville | — | Pikeville | Apr 11 | Oct 25 | 197 |
| Pleasant View | — | Cheatham L&d | Apr 9 | Nov 1 | 206 |
| Rockwood | — | Rockwood 2 | Apr 8 | Oct 31 | 203 |
| Spencer | — | Fall Creek Falls Sp | Apr 21 | Oct 19 | 180 |
| Spring | — | Spring City | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | 200 |
| Sunbright | Wartburg | Lancing 6 Nw | Apr 21 | Oct 17 | 177 |
| Surgoinsville * | Rogersville, Sneedville, Jonesville | Rogersville 1 Ne | Apr 14 | Oct 24 | 192 |
| Townsend | — | Townsend 5s | Apr 20 | Oct 22 | 185 |
| Unicoi | Jonesborough, Tusculum, Burnsville, Banner Hill | Erwin 1 W | Apr 21 | Oct 23 | 183 |
| White House | — | White House | Apr 7 | Oct 30 | 206 |
| Winfield | Jellico, Fincastle, Jacksboro, Emlyn | Newcomb | Apr 18 | Oct 24 | 187 |
* Surgoinsville 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 (Surgoinsville, representative)
Computed from Surgoinsville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Tennesseezone 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 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Jun 20 – Jul 10 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 27 – Jul 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Jun 10 – Jun 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Jun 5 – Jun 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Jun 10 – Jun 20 | Aug 25 – Sep 4 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | Jun 13 – Jul 13 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 21 – Jun 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 1 – May 16 | Aug 11 – Aug 26 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 27 – May 12 | Aug 1 – Aug 16 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 12 – Apr 22 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | May 23 – Jun 12 | Jul 22 – Aug 11 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 11 – May 31 | Jul 27 – Aug 16 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Surgoinsville's own 192-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 (Surgoinsville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00407884. 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 27 | May 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 29 | 171 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 14 | May 3 | Oct 24 | Nov 4 | 192 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 18 | Nov 1 | Nov 16 | 214 |
| 24°F | Mar 23 | Apr 6 | Nov 13 | Dec 1 | 236 |
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 31 locations is 4,010; Surgoinsville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,883 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,531 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in Tennessee
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. Tennessee spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Tennessee locations for the full range, including zones6b, 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 Tennessee?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 31 locations in Tennessee fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Tennessee's zone 7a is the growing season longest?
- Petros runs the longest season on this page at about 218 days; Gatlinburg is shortest at about 132 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 Tennessee's zone 7a?
- Using Surgoinsville's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 17 – Mar 3, then transplant outside about Apr 21 – Apr 28. 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 Tennessee'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 31 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.