What Planting Zones Are in Florida?
Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b to 11b, where the average coldest winter night ranges from 15 °F to 50 °F (−9.4 °C to 10 °C). Zone 10a covers the most ZIP codes, 30%, and zones 9a to 11a together cover 99% of the state.
- Zone 8b<1% · 10 ZIPs
- Zone 9a19% · 270 ZIPs
- Zone 9b23% · 333 ZIPs
- Zone 10a30% · 438 ZIPs
- Zone 10b15% · 223 ZIPs
- Zone 11a12% · 169 ZIPs
- Zone 11b<1% · 11 ZIPs
Bars show each zone's share of the 1,454 Florida ZIP codes in the official 2023 USDA ZIP code table; select a zone for its temperatures and hardy plants.
What Hardiness Zone Are Florida Cities In?
Jacksonville is in zone 9b, Miami is in zone 11a, Tampa is in zone 10a and Orlando is in zone 10a. The table lists the zone, winter low and average frost dates for 18 Florida cities, using the ZIP code nearest each city center.
| City | ZIP | Zone | Winter low | Last frost | First frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 32203 | 9b | 25 °F to 30 °F | Feb 1 | Jan 5 |
| Miami | 33128 | 11a | 40 °F to 45 °F | Frost-free | Frost-free |
| Tampa | 33603 | 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | Jan 20 | Jan 12 |
| Orlando | 32827 | 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | Jan 25 | Jan 10 |
| St. Petersburg | 33701 | 10b | 35 °F to 40 °F | Jan 17 | Jan 15 |
| Port St. Lucie | 34953 | 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | Jan 23 | Jan 18 |
| Hialeah | 33012 | 11a | 40 °F to 45 °F | Frost-free | Frost-free |
| Cape Coral | 33991 | 10b | 35 °F to 40 °F | Jan 16 | Jan 13 |
| Tallahassee | 32301 | 9a | 20 °F to 25 °F | Mar 11 | Nov 21 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 33311 | 11a | 40 °F to 45 °F | Frost-free | Frost-free |
| Gainesville | 32605 | 9a | 20 °F to 25 °F | Mar 3 | Dec 2 |
| Palm Bay | 32908 | 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | Jan 30 | Jan 11 |
| West Palm Beach | 33417 | 10b | 35 °F to 40 °F | Jan 21 | Jan 15 |
| Lakeland | 33815 | 9b | 25 °F to 30 °F | Jan 26 | Jan 9 |
| Clearwater | 33755 | 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | Jan 17 | Jan 14 |
| Palm Coast | 32137 | 9b | 25 °F to 30 °F | Jan 24 | Jan 11 |
| Boca Raton | 33431 | 11a | 40 °F to 45 °F | Jan 22 | Jan 17 |
| Deltona | 32738 | 9b | 25 °F to 30 °F | Jan 26 | Jan 12 |
Zone: 2023 USDA ZIP code table for the ZIP code nearest each city's Census center point. Frost dates: 50% (median) dates from the nearest NOAA station, 1991–2020 normals. Cities: the largest Florida places by 2024 Census population estimates, spread across the state, plus the largest place in each common zone. Large cities can span two half zones.
Which Parts of Florida Are in Each Zone?
Zone 8b, the coldest Florida zone, covers <1% of ZIP codes around Bonifay and Century. Zone 11b, the warmest, covers <1% around Key West, Marathon and Islamorada, Village of Islands. The table lists the largest places in every zone.
| Zone | Avg. coldest night | Share of ZIPs | Largest places in this zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 8b | 15 °F to 20 °F | <1% (10) | Bonifay, Century |
| Zone 9a | 20 °F to 25 °F | 19% (270) | Tallahassee, Gainesville, Ocala, Pensacola |
| Zone 9b | 25 °F to 30 °F | 23% (333) | Jacksonville, Lakeland, Palm Coast, Deltona |
| Zone 10a | 30 °F to 35 °F | 30% (438) | Tampa, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, Palm Bay |
| Zone 10b | 35 °F to 40 °F | 15% (223) | St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs |
| Zone 11a | 40 °F to 45 °F | 12% (169) | Miami, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood |
| Zone 11b | 45 °F to 50 °F | <1% (11) | Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Village of Islands |
Places: incorporated places with 1,000+ residents, assigned the zone of the ZIP code nearest their Census center point.
What Do the Hardiness Zones Mean for Florida Gardeners?
A Florida gardener in zone 11b sees winter lows about 30 °F milder than one in zone 8b, so a shrub or perennial that thrives in one part of the state can die in another. Choose plants rated to your own ZIP code's zone or colder.
Hardiness zones follow latitude, elevation and large bodies of water rather than state lines. Higher ground and inland valleys that trap cold air usually sit in colder half zones, while cities, coasts and large lakes moderate winter lows. Within Florida, a plant labelled “zones 9–11” survives winter in at least 99% of ZIP codes, but plants at the edge of their range benefit from mulch and a sheltered spot. Enter a ZIP code in the USDA hardiness zone finder by ZIP code to check your exact half zone before buying perennials.
A zone describes winter cold only. Summer heat, humidity, rainfall and soil decide whether a cold-hardy plant thrives, and planting dates for vegetables follow frost dates, not zones: two Florida towns in the same zone can have last frosts weeks apart.
What Plants Grow Well Across Florida?
75 plants in PlantoScan's catalogue are hardy in every zone from 9a to 11a, the zones that cover 99% of Florida ZIP codes. Popular examples include dahlia, spanish flag and zinnia.
- DahliaDahlia pinnataPlantoScan
Dahlia
Dahlia pinnata
Zone 8a – 11b
Spanish Flag
Ipomoea lobata
Zone 9a – 12b
AI generated
Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Zone 9a – 13b
ErmellCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commonsresized
Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides
Zone 8a – 11b
AI generated
Papyrus
Cyperus papyrus
Zone 9a – 12b
Shaun SwanepoelCC BY 4.0iNaturalistresized
Petunia
Petunia hybrida
Zone 9a – 11b
Bonnie SemmlingCC BY 4.0iNaturalistresized
Fig Tree
Ficus carica
Zone 7a – 11b
Image: PlantoScan
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Zone 5a – 11b
Dmitriy BochkovCC BY 4.0iNaturalistresized
Elephant Ear Plant
Colocasia esculenta
Zone 8a – 11b
AI generated
Hardiness ranges come from PlantoScan's plant database; gardeners in Florida's colder or warmer edge zones should check each plant's full range.
When Is the Last Frost in Florida?
Across most Florida ZIP codes, the average last spring frost falls between January 17 and March 3, from January 16 in Cape Coral to March 11 in Tallahassee. Tender vegetables such as tomatoes go out 1 to 2 weeks after the local date.
The last and first frost dates for Florida cities include the safer 90% planting date, the fall frost date, growing season length and a tomato planting table for each city. Miami, Hialeah and Fort Lauderdale have no average frost date at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What planting zone is Florida?
- Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b to 11b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 10a is the most common, covering 30% of the state's 1,454 ZIP codes, and zones 9a to 11a together cover 99%.
- What hardiness zone is Jacksonville, Florida?
- Jacksonville is in USDA hardiness zone 9b (ZIP 32203), where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 °F to 30 °F. Its average last spring frost is February 1 and its first fall frost January 5.
- What hardiness zone is Miami, Florida?
- Miami is in USDA hardiness zone 11a (ZIP 33128), where the average coldest winter night reaches 40 °F to 45 °F. Frost is essentially absent there in the 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals.
- What hardiness zone is Tampa, Florida?
- Tampa is in USDA hardiness zone 10a (ZIP 33603), where the average coldest winter night reaches 30 °F to 35 °F. Its average last spring frost is January 20 and its first fall frost January 12.
- What is the coldest hardiness zone in Florida?
- Zone 8b (15 °F to 20 °F) is the coldest zone in Florida, found in 10 ZIP codes around Bonifay and Century. The warmest is zone 11b (45 °F to 50 °F), around Key West and Marathon.
Zones: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code table, USDA Agricultural Research Service and the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, used without changes. Frost dates: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals. City locations and populations: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files and Vintage 2024 population estimates. PlantoScan is not affiliated with or endorsed by these agencies.