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

USDA hardiness zone 8b covers areas where the coldest winter night averages 15 °F to 20 °F (−9.4 °C to −6.7 °C). 3,375 ZIP codes in 17 states fall in zone 8b, mostly in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Washington. PlantoScan lists 266 plants that survive winter outdoors in zone 8b.

Winter low (°F)
15 °F to 20 °F
Winter low (°C)
−9.4 °C to −6.7 °C
US ZIP codes
3,375
Hardy plants
266

What Temperatures Define Hardiness Zone 8b?

Hardiness zone 8b is defined by an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 15 °F to 20 °F (−9.4 °C to −6.7 °C). This is the warmer 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 8bbenefit 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 8a (10 °F to 15 °F)Warmer: zone 9a (20 °F to 25 °F) →

Which States Are in Hardiness Zone 8b?

Zone 8b appears in 17 states of the contiguous US. Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Washington have the most ZIP codes in zone 8b, based on the official 2023 USDA ZIP code table.

  • Texas · 978 ZIPs
  • Alabama · 335 ZIPs
  • Georgia · 318 ZIPs
  • Mississippi · 303 ZIPs
  • Washington · 263 ZIPs
  • South Carolina · 261 ZIPs
  • Louisiana · 190 ZIPs
  • Oregon · 189 ZIPs
  • North Carolina · 162 ZIPs
  • California · 112 ZIPs
  • Arkansas · 88 ZIPs
  • Virginia · 63 ZIPs
  • Arizona · 60 ZIPs
  • New Mexico · 20 ZIPs
  • Nevada · 14 ZIPs
  • Florida · 10 ZIPs
  • Utah · 9 ZIPs

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

What Plants Grow in Zone 8b?

266 plants in PlantoScan's catalogue are hardy in zone 8b, meaning zone 8b falls inside their hardiness range. They include 91 trees, 39 shrubs, 61 perennials, herbs & flowers, 19 vines & climbers.

Trees for Zone 8b (91)

Shrubs for Zone 8b (39)

Perennials, Herbs & Flowers for Zone 8b (61)

Vines & Climbers for Zone 8b (19)

Succulents & Cacti for Zone 8b (8)

Grasses for Zone 8b (21)

Ferns for Zone 8b (9)

Palms for Zone 8b (1)

Other Plants for Zone 8b (17)

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

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

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