Jacksonville, FL Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Jacksonville, Florida.
Gardening in Jacksonville
Jacksonville is Florida's biggest city by area and its most underrated gardening city. While tourists head south, Jax gardeners quietly produce food on a schedule that maximizes the unique north Florida climate — warm enough for a long season, cool enough in winter for real cool-season production.
North Florida's climate is a sweet spot between the Deep South and subtropical Florida. You get genuine winter — cold enough for bulbs to chill, cool enough for excellent broccoli and lettuce, but rarely cold enough to threaten citrus. Your 283-day growing season bridges two worlds: northern crops in winter, tropical crops in summer. The sandy soil drains fast and holds nothing — compost is your constant companion.
Jaguars fans know about building something in a market that doesn't always get national attention — Jax gardeners relate. The city's sprawling size means most homes have actual yard space for gardening, unlike the vertical gardens of Manhattan or the postage-stamp lots of San Francisco. That space advantage shows up in the generous gardens of Arlington, Mandarin, and the Westside.
What This Means for Jacksonville Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Jacksonville is around February 20, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 30. That gives you approximately 283 frost-free days to work with.
283 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 20, 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville
With 283 frost-free days, Jacksonville 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 Florida planting guide for all 40 plants: Florida Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Jacksonville.
More About Zone 9A
Jacksonville 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 Florida: Florida Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Florida
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville (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 November 30 through February 20 — 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.