Houston, TX Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Houston, Texas.
Gardening in Houston
Houston's subtropical climate means you garden on a schedule that confuses northerners: your tomato season starts in February, your fall garden is planted in August, and summer is for heat lovers only. The city's incredible cultural diversity shows up in what people grow — Vietnamese herbs next to Mexican chiles next to Nigerian okra, all thriving in the same Gulf Coast heat.
Humidity is the word. Houston's air feels like you're gardening inside a warm, wet blanket from June through September. This is powdery mildew country, downy mildew country, and 'why is everything rotting' country. But the upside is enormous: your growing season is 289 days, three months longer than Chicago's. You just grow different things at different times.
Texans fans and gardeners share a bond: eternal optimism despite regularly getting crushed by forces beyond their control (the defense and the humidity, respectively). Houston's urban farming scene has exploded, with organizations turning food deserts into food forests across the city.
What This Means for Houston Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Houston is around February 15, and the average first fall frost arrives around December 1. That gives you approximately 289 frost-free days to work with.
289 days is a long, productive season that supports two full rounds of warm-season crops plus continuous cool-season production through your mild winter. Most frost-sensitive crops can be transplanted by February 15, giving them months to produce before fall. Your winter garden is the real advantage — growing fresh vegetables in December and January while northern gardeners browse seed catalogs.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Houston 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 Houston
With 289 frost-free days, Houston can grow nearly anything — including tropical and subtropical plants that most of the country can only dream about. Your prime vegetable season runs from fall through spring; summer is for heat-lovers like okra, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Recommended starting points: cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, okra, sweet potatoes, basil, collard greens, tomatillos, and lemongrass.
See the full Texas planting guide for all 40 plants: Texas Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Houston.
More About Zone 9A
Houston is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9A, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 20°F to 25°F. View the full Zone 9A planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Texas: Texas Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Houston 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 Houston (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
You can plant cool-season crops (lettuce, kale, broccoli) from December 1 through February 15 — your cool season is your primary vegetable season. Warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers go out in early spring. Tropical plants grow year-round. Enter your zip code for exact dates for every plant.