Spartanburg, SC Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Gardening in Spartanburg
The Hub City's textile heritage gave way to a community that's reinventing itself — and community gardens are part of that story.
Zone 7b with 222 frost-free days. The Upstate's Piedmont location provides reliable four-season growing. Red clay soil is the familiar challenge.
Spartanburg's Hub City Farmers Market connects the city's food culture to its agricultural surroundings. Wofford College and Converse add academic energy to the gardening community.
What This Means for Spartanburg Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Spartanburg is around March 28, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 5. That gives you approximately 222 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 Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg
Spartanburg's 222-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 Spartanburg.
More About Zone 7B
Spartanburg is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 5°F to 10°F. View the full Zone 7B 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 Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg (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 28). 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.