Florence, SC Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Florence, South Carolina.
Gardening in Florence
The Pee Dee's largest city sits where the Coastal Plain begins — sandy soil, warm climate, and a long growing season.
Zone 8a with 240 frost-free days. The Pee Dee River provides fertile bottomland. Coastal Plain sand is easy to work but needs organic amendment.
Florence's location at the I-95/I-20 junction brings travelers, but the city's food garden heritage stays rooted in the Pee Dee's agricultural traditions.
What This Means for Florence Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Florence is around March 15, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 10. That gives you approximately 240 frost-free days to work with.
That's a generous season. You have time for full-size tomatoes, long-season peppers, and even watermelons without the anxiety of racing the frost. Start warm-season seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost to hit the ground running. Fall planting is your second opportunity — garlic, kale, lettuce, and broccoli all go in 8-10 weeks before your first frost for harvest into late autumn.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Florence area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Florence
Florence's 240-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full South Carolina planting guide for all 40 plants: South Carolina Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Florence.
More About Zone 8A
Florence is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8A, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 10°F to 15°F. View the full Zone 8A planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for South Carolina: South Carolina Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in South Carolina
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Florence area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Florence (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (March 15). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.