Planting Zone 7b: Plants That Grow in USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

USDA hardiness zone 7b covers areas where the coldest winter night averages 5 °F to 10 °F (−15 °C to −12.2 °C). 3,840 ZIP codes in 28 states fall in zone 7b, mostly in Tennessee, Virginia, New York, Oklahoma and Maryland. PlantoScan lists 248 plants that survive winter outdoors in zone 7b.

Winter low (°F)
5 °F to 10 °F
Winter low (°C)
−15 °C to −12.2 °C
US ZIP codes
3,840
Hardy plants
248

What Temperatures Define Hardiness Zone 7b?

Hardiness zone 7b is defined by an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 5 °F to 10 °F (−15 °C to −12.2 °C). This is the warmer half of zone 7, which spans 0 °F to 10 °F in total.

The value is a 30-year average of each winter's single coldest night, taken from 1991–2020 weather records for the 2023 USDA map. Individual winters regularly run a few degrees colder, so plants rated exactly to zone 7bbenefit from mulch and a sheltered spot. Gardeners who don't know their zone yet can look up their USDA hardiness zone by ZIP code before comparing plants.

← Colder: zone 7a (0 °F to 5 °F)Warmer: zone 8a (10 °F to 15 °F) →

Which States Are in Hardiness Zone 7b?

Zone 7b appears in 28 states of the contiguous US. Tennessee, Virginia, New York, Oklahoma and Maryland have the most ZIP codes in zone 7b, based on the official 2023 USDA ZIP code table.

  • Tennessee · 544 ZIPs
  • Virginia · 515 ZIPs
  • New York · 485 ZIPs
  • Oklahoma · 460 ZIPs
  • Maryland · 366 ZIPs
  • New Jersey · 289 ZIPs
  • North Carolina · 174 ZIPs
  • Arkansas · 156 ZIPs
  • Pennsylvania · 153 ZIPs
  • New Mexico · 105 ZIPs
  • Delaware · 88 ZIPs
  • Texas · 88 ZIPs
  • Utah · 59 ZIPs
  • Missouri · 52 ZIPs
  • Alabama · 49 ZIPs
  • District of Columbia · 41 ZIPs
  • Massachusetts · 31 ZIPs
  • Washington · 30 ZIPs
  • Nevada · 27 ZIPs
  • Georgia · 26 ZIPs
  • California · 24 ZIPs
  • Mississippi · 21 ZIPs
  • Kentucky · 18 ZIPs
  • Oregon · 17 ZIPs
  • Arizona · 15 ZIPs
  • Connecticut · 3 ZIPs
  • Idaho · 3 ZIPs
  • Rhode Island · 1 ZIPs

Hardiness zones follow elevation and water, not state lines, so most states span several zones.

What Plants Grow in Zone 7b?

248 plants in PlantoScan's catalogue are hardy in zone 7b, meaning zone 7b falls inside their hardiness range. They include 93 trees, 37 shrubs, 56 perennials, herbs & flowers, 15 vines & climbers.

Trees for Zone 7b (93)

Shrubs for Zone 7b (37)

Perennials, Herbs & Flowers for Zone 7b (56)

Vines & Climbers for Zone 7b (15)

Succulents & Cacti for Zone 7b (4)

Grasses for Zone 7b (18)

Ferns for Zone 7b (10)

Palms for Zone 7b (1)

Other Plants for Zone 7b (14)

Which Popular Plants Aren't Hardy in Zone 7b?

These popular plants need a warmer zone than 7b to survive winter outdoors. Grow them as houseplants, in containers that move indoors before the first frost, or as annuals replanted each spring.

How Do You Garden Successfully in Zone 7b?

Successful zone 7b gardens rely on perennials, shrubs and trees rated to zone 7 or colder. Plants rated right at zone 7b survive typical winters but benefit from mulch, windbreaks and a spot near a warm wall.

A hardiness zone describes winter cold only. Planting dates follow your local last spring frost and first fall frost, which differ by weeks within zone 7b — a last frost date calculator by ZIP code gives the dates for your garden. Summer heat, rainfall and soil drainage decide whether a hardy plant thrives. Microclimates matter as well: raised beds, slopes and paved areas warm up faster, while low ground collects cold air on still nights.

Zone temperatures and ZIP codes: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, USDA Agricultural Research Service and the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Plant hardiness ranges come from PlantoScan's plant database and are estimates — local conditions, cultivars and winter protection change what survives.