USDA zone 7b in Texas
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 23 locations across Texas (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Abernathy, TX, Childress, TX, Chillicothe, TX, Crosbyton, TX, Dell, TX, Floydada, TX, and 17 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 24 (New Home) to April 17 (Dell), and growing seasons run 189–233 days (Dell to New Home) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Texas location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Lubbock, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 24–Apr 17avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 25–Nov 11avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 189–233days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abernathy | Hale Center | Abernathy | Apr 9 | Nov 1 | 204 |
| Childress | Estelline | Childress Muni Ap | Mar 31 | Nov 7 | 222 |
| Chillicothe | — | Vernon | Mar 27 | Nov 9 | 225 |
| Crosbyton | Ralls, Roaring Springs | Crosbyton | Apr 5 | Nov 5 | 213 |
| Dell | — | Dell City 5ssw | Apr 17 | Oct 25 | 189 |
| Floydada | Lockney, Roaring Springs, Petersburg | Floydada | Apr 7 | Nov 3 | 208 |
| Lelia Lake | — | Clarendon | Apr 14 | Oct 26 | 194 |
| Levelland | Sundown, Smyer, Whiteface, Ropesville | Levelland | Apr 9 | Nov 1 | 205 |
| Littlefield | Spade, Whitharral, Amherst, Anton | Littlefield | Apr 14 | Oct 26 | 192 |
| Lockney | Silverton | Silverton | Apr 13 | Oct 28 | 197 |
| Lubbock * | Wolfforth, New Deal, Shallowater, Idalou, Lorenzo | Lubbock | Apr 4 | Nov 2 | 210 |
| Matador | Roaring Springs | Matador | Apr 5 | Nov 4 | 213 |
| Meadow | — | Brownfield #2 | Apr 3 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Memphis | Hedley, Lakeview | Memphis | Apr 1 | Nov 3 | 215 |
| New Home | Wilson | Tahoka | Apr 2 | Nov 8 | 220 |
| New Home | Smyer | Lubbock Wfo | Mar 24 | Nov 11 | 233 |
| Plains | — | Plains | Apr 11 | Nov 1 | 200 |
| Plainview | Edmonson | Plainview | Apr 6 | Nov 2 | 209 |
| Quail | Wellington, Dodson | Wellington | Apr 1 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Quanah | — | Quanah 2 Sw | Apr 4 | Nov 1 | 210 |
| Shamrock | — | Shamrock #2 | Apr 9 | Oct 30 | 202 |
| Spade | Hale Center | Olton | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | 206 |
| Turkey | Quitaque | Turkey | Apr 4 | Nov 3 | 211 |
* Lubbock 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 (Lubbock, representative)
Computed from Lubbock's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Texaszone 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 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | Jun 10 – Jun 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | Jun 17 – Jul 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 31 – Jun 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 26 – Jun 10 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 31 – Jun 10 | Sep 3 – Sep 13 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | Jun 3 – Jul 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 11 – May 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 21 – May 6 | Aug 20 – Sep 4 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 17 – May 2 | Aug 10 – Aug 25 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 2 – Apr 12 | Aug 30 – Sep 9 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | May 13 – Jun 2 | Jul 31 – Aug 20 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 1 – May 21 | Aug 5 – Aug 25 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Lubbock's own 210-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 (Lubbock)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00023042. 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 15 | Apr 28 | Oct 24 | Nov 5 | 191 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 4 | Apr 22 | Nov 2 | Nov 14 | 210 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Apr 10 | Nov 11 | Nov 26 | 233 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 29 | Nov 22 | Dec 8 | 258 |
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 23 locations is 4,958; Lubbock's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 5,167 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 8,105 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in Texas
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. Texas spans 9 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Texas locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b.
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 Texas?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 23 locations in Texas fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Texas's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- New Home runs the longest season on this page at about 233 days; Dell is shortest at about 189 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 Texas's zone 7b?
- Using Lubbock's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 7 – Feb 21, then transplant outside about Apr 11 – Apr 18. 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 Texas'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 23 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.