USDA Zone 8B
Warm. Puget Sound, Gulf Coast, much of the Deep South. Cool-season crops grow through winter. Some tropicals survive.
Temperature Range
What Does Zone 8B Mean?
USDA Hardiness Zone 8B means your area's average annual extreme minimum winter temperature falls between 15°F to 20°F (-9°C to -7°C). This is the coldest temperature you can typically expect in a normal winter, based on 30 years of climate data.
Your zone primarily determines which perennial plants (trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, and fruit bushes) can survive outdoors year-round. It's also strongly correlated with your frost dates, which are the foundation for calculating when to plant annual vegetables and flowers. Learn more about what hardiness zones mean.
Enter your zip code on our homepage tool to see personalized planting dates for all 50 plants based on your specific location within Zone 8B.
States in Zone 8B
These states contain areas classified as Zone 8B:
Best Plants for Zone 8B
These plants are well-suited to Zone 8B conditions. Click any plant for detailed growing information and state-specific planting dates.
Peppers
From sweet bells to fiery habaneros, peppers love heat and reward patience with...
Warm-Season VegetableOkra
A Southern garden staple that thrives in blazing heat. Beautiful flowers are a...
Root VegetableSweet Potatoes
Not related to regular potatoes at all. Sweet potatoes need heat and a long...
Warm-Season VegetableEggplant
Beautiful purple fruits that love heat even more than tomatoes. Start early...
Warm-Season VegetableTomatillos
The key ingredient in salsa verde, producing golf-ball-sized fruits inside...
HerbBasil
The king of herbs. Basil and tomatoes are best friends in the garden and in the...
FruitFigs
Ancient Mediterranean fruit tree that thrives in warm climates and can be...
Warm-Season VegetableWatermelon
The ultimate summer treat. Watermelons need heat, space, and patience — but the...
HerbLemongrass
Tropical grass with intense lemon flavor essential to Thai and Vietnamese...
Cool-Season VegetableCollard Greens
Heat-tolerant Southern green that produces from spring through winter. More...
FruitBlackberries
Vigorous bramble fruit producing sweet-tart berries in summer. Thornless...
Perennial VegetableArtichokes
Dramatic thistle relative producing large, edible flower buds. Perennial in...
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan for a midsummer slowdown. Many crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans) stop setting fruit when nighttime temperatures stay above 75°F. Use shade cloth (30-50%) over sensitive crops during the hottest weeks. Focus summer plantings on heat-lovers: okra, sweet potatoes, Southern peas, and eggplant. Your second opportunity comes in fall — plant cool-season crops in August and September for harvest through winter.
Two full growing seasons. Your 240-270 frost-free days support warm-season crops from spring through early summer, then again from late summer through fall. Cool-season crops grow through your mild winter. With planning, you harvest something fresh from the garden every month of the year. Few zones in the country offer that kind of year-round productivity.