What Growing Zone Is Texas In?
USDA hardiness zones
7a to 10a
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Texas spans USDA hardiness zone 7a to 10a 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 75201 (Dallas)
Your USDA hardiness zone
Zone 8b
Avg. annual minimum (°F)
15°F to 20°F
Avg. annual minimum (°C)
-9°C to -7°C
Nearest reference point: Dallas, TX
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).
Texas's USDA Hardiness Zones
Here's how the zone shifts across Texas'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 Texas
Frost dates track zone, so they shift across Texas the same way the zone number does:
- Panhandle (Amarillo) (zone 7): average last frost Mar 18 - Apr 1, average first frost Oct 29 - Nov 12.
- Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville, McAllen) (zone 10): average last frost Jan 24 - Feb 7, average first frost Dec 24 - Jan 7.
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 Texas's frost dates, see the Texas Planting Calendar.
Texas has no mountain range to block Arctic air, so cold fronts can sweep the entire state largely unimpeded -- the same weather pattern behind single freeze events reaching all the way to the Rio Grande Valley, including the widespread killing freeze the National Weather Service documented there in February 2021.
What Grows Well in Texas's Zones
A few real, zone-appropriate picks recommended by Texas Superstar (R), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension/Research for Texas landscapes: not an exhaustive list, but a genuine starting point.
- Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
- Gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
- 'Belinda's Dream' rose (Rosa x 'Belinda's Dream')
- Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)
- Texas lilac vitex (chaste tree) (Vitex agnus-castus)
Ready to find your exact zone? Use the Hardiness Zone Finder: enter your ZIP code for a precise match against the 2023 USDA map.
Texas Growing Zone FAQ
What growing zone is Texas in?
Texas spans USDA hardiness zones 7a to 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Amarillo is zone 7a and Dallas is zone 8b; enter your ZIP code in the Hardiness Zone Finder for your exact zone.
What growing zone is Dallas, TX?
Dallas 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 Houston, TX?
Houston is in USDA hardiness zone 9b 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 Austin, TX?
Austin 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.
What growing zone is San Antonio, TX?
San Antonio 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 Texas Superstar (R), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension/Research. Climate note sourced from National Weather Service, Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley. 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.