Open Grow Guide

USDA Hardiness Zone 7

By Open Grow Guide Updated

Zone 7 at a glance

What zone 7 means

USDA zone 7 describes how cold a place gets in an average winter, not how hot it gets in summer. The number comes from the average annual low temperature for that spot. For zone 7, that low falls between 0°F and 10°F (-18°C and -12°C). Gardeners split the zone into two halves. Zone 7a runs from 0°F to 5°F (-18°C to -15°C), and zone 7b runs from 5°F to 10°F (-15°C to -12°C). The map uses this number to help you judge which shrubs, trees, and perennials can survive outdoors through winter. The zone number says nothing about summer heat, rainfall, or soil. Two towns in zone 7 can share the same winter low and still differ in humidity, wind, and snow cover. Treat the zone as one part of your planning, not the whole picture. Pair it with your local frost dates and your yard's sun, drainage, and wind before you pick plants. Parts of 35 states and the District of Columbia touch zone 7. It stretches from the Pacific Northwest coast through the mid-Atlantic and into parts of the South and Southwest. A single state can span several zones, so check the zone for your own county, not just your state's name. The state pages linked below show which counties and cities fall in zone 7. If a plant's tag lists zone 7 within its range, you can grow it outdoors all year here. If the tag stops at zone 6 or lower, the plant may need winter cover or a pot you can bring indoors. When you buy online, check the zone range before you order, since nurseries list each plant's safe zones.

Not sure which zone you are in? Look it up by ZIP code.

Open the zone finder

Frost and season length

Frost dates in zone 7 vary by location, but the season follows a predictable shape. Its frost season is shorter than in colder zones, but longer than in zone 9 or 10. Winter lows between 0°F and 10°F (-18°C and -12°C) mean the ground can still freeze hard some nights. Your last spring frost and first fall frost depend on where you are within the zone, not on the zone number alone. A spot near the coast often warms earlier in spring and cools later in fall than one inland at the same latitude. Check your local extension office or a frost-date tool for the dates that fit your ZIP code. Wait until after your last frost date to move tender seedlings outside. Bring them back in once the first fall frost is forecast. You can also count back from your last frost date to time seed starting indoors each spring.

What to grow in zone 7

Perennials

Planting in this zone

Zone 7 supports a wide range of perennials, shrubs, and trees that need a real winter chill to thrive. Many plants rated for zones 4 through 7 will survive outdoors here without extra protection. Plants rated only for zones 8 and warmer often need help to survive here. Give them a sheltered spot, a heavy mulch layer, or a pot you can bring indoors for winter. Before you plant, match the zone on the tag against zone 7. Also check that the plant suits your summer heat and rainfall. Set out warm-season vegetables and tender annuals two weeks after your last frost date, once the soil has warmed. Plant most trees, shrubs, and perennials in early fall or early spring, so roots can settle before heat or hard frost arrives.

How this page was made

  • Written with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. AI is never the source of a fact.

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