Planting Zone 8a: Plants That Grow in USDA Hardiness Zone 8a

USDA hardiness zone 8a covers areas where the coldest winter night averages 10 °F to 15 °F (−12.2 °C to −9.4 °C). 3,420 ZIP codes in 23 states fall in zone 8a, mostly in North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Alabama. PlantoScan lists 256 plants that survive winter outdoors in zone 8a.

Winter low (°F)
10 °F to 15 °F
Winter low (°C)
−12.2 °C to −9.4 °C
US ZIP codes
3,420
Hardy plants
256

What Temperatures Define Hardiness Zone 8a?

Hardiness zone 8a is defined by an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 10 °F to 15 °F (−12.2 °C to −9.4 °C). This is the colder half of zone 8, which spans 10 °F to 20 °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 8abenefit 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 7b (5 °F to 10 °F)Warmer: zone 8b (15 °F to 20 °F) →

Which States Are in Hardiness Zone 8a?

Zone 8a appears in 23 states of the contiguous US. North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Alabama have the most ZIP codes in zone 8a, based on the official 2023 USDA ZIP code table.

  • North Carolina · 640 ZIPs
  • Georgia · 381 ZIPs
  • Arkansas · 372 ZIPs
  • Texas · 333 ZIPs
  • Alabama · 332 ZIPs
  • District of Columbia · 248 ZIPs
  • South Carolina · 205 ZIPs
  • Virginia · 195 ZIPs
  • Mississippi · 151 ZIPs
  • Tennessee · 125 ZIPs
  • Maryland · 118 ZIPs
  • Oklahoma · 106 ZIPs
  • New Mexico · 52 ZIPs
  • Washington · 47 ZIPs
  • California · 38 ZIPs
  • Arizona · 29 ZIPs
  • Oregon · 14 ZIPs
  • New Jersey · 11 ZIPs
  • Utah · 7 ZIPs
  • Missouri · 6 ZIPs
  • Delaware · 4 ZIPs
  • Pennsylvania · 3 ZIPs
  • Nevada · 3 ZIPs

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

What Plants Grow in Zone 8a?

256 plants in PlantoScan's catalogue are hardy in zone 8a, meaning zone 8a falls inside their hardiness range. They include 88 trees, 38 shrubs, 59 perennials, herbs & flowers, 16 vines & climbers.

Trees for Zone 8a (88)

Shrubs for Zone 8a (38)

Perennials, Herbs & Flowers for Zone 8a (59)

Vines & Climbers for Zone 8a (16)

Succulents & Cacti for Zone 8a (8)

Grasses for Zone 8a (20)

Ferns for Zone 8a (9)

Palms for Zone 8a (1)

Other Plants for Zone 8a (17)

Which Popular Plants Aren't Hardy in Zone 8a?

These popular plants need a warmer zone than 8a 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 8a?

Successful zone 8a gardens rely on perennials, shrubs and trees rated to zone 8 or colder. Plants rated right at zone 8a 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 8a — 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.