What Growing Zone Is Alabama In?
USDA hardiness zones
8a to 9a
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Alabama spans USDA hardiness zone 8a to 9a across its major population centers, according to the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. That's a real range, not a single number: where you fall in it depends on where in the state you actually are.
Hardiness zone for ZIP 35801 (Huntsville)
Your USDA hardiness zone
Zone 8a
Avg. annual minimum (°F)
10°F to 15°F
Avg. annual minimum (°C)
-12°C to -9°C
Nearest reference point: Huntsville, AL
This is a regional estimate based on the nearest of 826 reference points, each matched to the official 2023 USDA zone map. It’s accurate to within about a half-zone across most of the country, but elevation shifts zones over short distances, so if you’re in mountainous terrain, check the official USDA map for your exact address (see Sources below).
Alabama's USDA Hardiness Zones
Here's how the zone shifts across Alabama's major cities:
For your exact zone by ZIP code, use the Hardiness Zone Finder, and for what a zone number actually measures (and doesn't), see how zones actually work.
Frost Dates in Alabama
Frost dates track zone, so they shift across Alabama the same way the zone number does:
- North Alabama (Birmingham, Huntsville) (zone 8): average last frost Mar 8 - Mar 22, average first frost Nov 8 - Nov 22.
- Gulf Coast (Mobile) (zone 9): average last frost Feb 8 - Feb 22, average first frost Dec 8 - Dec 22.
These are averages, not guarantees. For your specific frost window, use the Frost Date Calculator. For a full vegetable-by-vegetable planting calendar already calculated from Alabama's frost dates, see the Alabama Planting Calendar.
Alabama's 2023 USDA map shows a real coastal-to-inland gradient -- zone 9b along the immediate coast (Mobile, Gulf Shores) down to 7b in the cliffs and valleys of extreme north Alabama, driven by latitude, elevation, and Gulf of Mexico proximity.
What Grows Well in Alabama's Zones
A few real, zone-appropriate picks recommended by Alabama Cooperative Extension System for Alabama landscapes: not an exhaustive list, but a genuine starting point.
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
- Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis x hybrida)
Ready to find your exact zone? Use the Hardiness Zone Finder: enter your ZIP code for a precise match against the 2023 USDA map.
Alabama Growing Zone FAQ
What growing zone is Alabama in?
Alabama spans USDA hardiness zones 8a to 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Birmingham is zone 8a and Huntsville is zone 8a; enter your ZIP code in the Hardiness Zone Finder for your exact zone.
What growing zone is Huntsville, AL?
Huntsville is in USDA hardiness zone 8a on the 2023 USDA map. Zones within a city can differ by half a zone, so check your ZIP code for an exact match.
What growing zone is Birmingham, AL?
Birmingham is in USDA hardiness zone 8a on the 2023 USDA map. Zones within a city can differ by half a zone, so check your ZIP code for an exact match.
What growing zone is Montgomery, AL?
Montgomery is in USDA hardiness zone 8b on the 2023 USDA map. Zones within a city can differ by half a zone, so check your ZIP code for an exact match.
What growing zone is Mobile, AL?
Mobile is in USDA hardiness zone 9a on the 2023 USDA map. Zones within a city can differ by half a zone, so check your ZIP code for an exact match.
Free book · 23 pages, PDF
The Spacing & Planting Cheat Sheet
When to start, when to plant, how far apart.
Sources & further reading
Zone and city data checked against the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Plant recommendations sourced from Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Climate note sourced from USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. For more on how we build and verify reference data across this site, see our methodology page.
Growing zones in nearby states
Gardening near a state line? Zones don't stop at the border:
Or browse all 51 state growing-zone guides.