Gardening in Virginia

Hardiness zones in Virginia

Virginia spans USDA hardiness zones 6a through 8b. A hardiness zone marks the average annual minimum winter temperature for a given area. It is not a forecast for any single year. Zone 6a areas see colder winter lows than zone 8b areas. A plant rated for zone 6 survives winter across the whole state. One rated only for zone 8 may only survive winter in the warmest pockets. The zone number says nothing about summer heat, rainfall, humidity, or soil type. Two towns in the same zone can still have very different summers. Use the zone as a starting point, then check a plant's heat tolerance and soil needs on its own page. The zone figures here draw on readings from 125 weather stations across the state.

• Zone 6a
• Zone 6b
• Zone 7a
• Zone 7b
• Zone 8a
• Zone 8b

Frost dates

Frost dates mark the start and end of the safe growing season for outdoor planting. Virginia's last spring frost falls as early as March 16 in the mildest spots and as late as May 12 in the coldest ones. That is the 50% probability date, the point where half of recorded years saw frost after it and half did not. Wait until after your local last frost date before setting out tender seedlings. In fall, the first frost arrives as early as October 3 in cooler areas and as late as November 26 in warmer ones. Those same 50% odds apply: frost could still come earlier or later than the date given. Because the state covers six hardiness zones, the gap between the earliest and latest dates is wide. Check the frost dates for your own zone rather than relying on a single statewide date.

Climate

This page summarizes Virginia's climate using zone, frost, and growing season data pulled from 125 weather stations across the state. Hardiness zones across the state run from 6a to 8b, a six-zone spread in a single state. That range reflects real differences in average winter lows from one station to the next. Spring's last frost comes as early as March 16 and as late as May 12, depending on location. Fall's first frost comes as early as October 3 and as late as November 26. Together, those dates set the outer edges of the frost-free window used to plan planting and harvest. The length of that window itself varies a great deal across the state. The growing season runs as short as 143 days in some areas and as long as 255 days in others. A gardener in the shorter-season part of the state needs faster-maturing varieties than one in the longer-season part. None of these figures describe summer heat, rainfall, or humidity, since hardiness zones and frost dates track winter cold and season length only. Check a plant's own heat and moisture needs alongside the zone and frost figures here.

Season length

Growing season length is the number of frost-free days between your last spring frost and first fall frost. Across Virginia, that season ranges from 143 days at the shortest to 255 days at the longest. A shorter season calls for quicker-maturing varieties, while a longer one leaves more time for slower-growing plants to finish. Use your local frost dates to count the exact number of frost-free days where you live. That count tells you how much time you actually have to work with each year.