When is the last frost in USDA Zone 8B?

The average last spring frost in Zone 8B is February 18, with a range from Jan 28 to Mar 8 depending on the specific year. Data from NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals.

When is the first fall frost in Zone 8B?

The average first fall frost in Zone 8B is December 8, with a range from Nov 22 to Dec 22.

How long is the growing season in Zone 8B?

The average frost-free growing season in Zone 8B is 293 days, running from approximately February 18 to December 8.

When should I start seeds indoors in Zone 8B?

In Zone 8B, start tomatoes and peppers indoors 8–10 weeks before the last frost date of February 18. That means starting seeds in mid-winter to early spring depending on your specific transplant targets.

USDA Zone 8B

Zone 8B Planting Calendar — February 18 to December 8

Zone 8b is a nearly subtropical zone where summer heat shapes the entire growing strategy. Productive windows concentrate in spring (February–May) and fall (September–November). First frost is rare before December, enabling extended fall harvests well into winter.

Zone 8B at a glance: Last frost averages February 18 (range Jan 28–Mar 8). First fall frost averages December 8. Growing season is 293 days. Start warm-season crops indoors 6–10 weeks before last frost; transplant after February 18.

Last Spring Frost

February 18

Range: Jan 28 – Mar 8

First Fall Frost

December 8

Range: Nov 22 – Dec 22

Growing Season

293 days

Avg. frost-free window

Winter Low

15° to 20°F

Average minimum temp

Reference City

Houston, TX

Climate data source

Annual Rainfall

50"

Irregular pattern

Zone 8B Planting Calendar — All Crops

Dates based on February 18 average last frost. Start indoors dates assume seed starting under grow lights or in a warm window. All dates are averages — adjust based on your specific microclimate and the current year's weather.

Plant	Type	Start Indoors	Transplant / Direct Sow	Harvest Window
Tatsoi	tatsoi	Jan 7	Jan 21 Transplant	Feb 15 – Mar 7
Texas 1015Y SuperSweet Onion	root	Dec 17	Jan 21 Transplant	May 6 – May 16
Acorn Squash	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 9 – May 29
Alexandria Alpine Strawberry	strawberry	Jan 14	Feb 25 Transplant	Jun 5 – Jun 25
Armenian Cucumber	cucumber	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 26 – May 6
Astro Arugula	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 11 – Mar 30
Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 29 – May 19
Baby Cakes Blackberry	blackberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Apr 26
Bay Laurel	bay laurel	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Apr 26 – Feb 25
Beauregard Sweet Potato	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	May 26 – Jun 10
Bee Balm	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	—
Black Beauty Eggplant	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 4 – May 19
Black-Eyed Pea	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 24 – Apr 29
Black-Eyed Susan	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	—
Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 11
Blue Lake Bush Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 17
Bok Choy	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 19
Borage	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – May 4
Brilliant Celeriac	celeriac	Jan 7	Feb 18 Transplant	Jun 8 – Jun 18
Buckwheat	cover crop	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 20 – Apr 4
Butterhead Lettuce	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 24
Calendula	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 19
Calypso Cilantro	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 14
Cherry Belle Radish	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Mar 18 – Mar 27
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 20 – Apr 9
Chioggia Beet	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 21 – May 1
Chives	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 4
Clemson Spineless Okra	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – Apr 23
Common Sage	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 4 – May 19
Contender Bush Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 14
Cosmic Purple Carrot	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 24 – May 11
Cosmos	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 29 – May 19
Crimson Clover	cover crop	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 19
Crimson Sweet Watermelon	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 9 – May 19
Curly Kale	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – Apr 24
Curly Parsley	herb	Jan 14	Feb 18 Transplant	Apr 29 – May 9
Daikon Radishes	daikon radish	Jan 28	Feb 4 Transplant	Mar 21 – Mar 31
Danvers Carrot	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	May 6 – May 16
Delicata Squash	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 9 – May 29
Detroit Dark Red Beet	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 21 – Apr 26
Dill	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 30 – Apr 14
Dragon Tongue Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – Apr 19
Echinacea	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	—
Edamame	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 4 – May 24
Eight Ball Zucchini	zucchini	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 11 – Apr 21
Endive / Escarole	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 24
English Lavender	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – Jun 18
English Lavender	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	—
English Thyme	herb	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	May 6 – May 26
Epazote	epazote	Feb 4	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 21 – May 1
Fall Rutabagas	rutabaga	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 14 – May 29
Fava Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 4 – May 29
Flat-Leaf Parsley	herb	Jan 14	Feb 18 Transplant	Apr 29 – May 19
French Breakfast Radish	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Mar 18 – Mar 25
French Marigold	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 19
French Tarragon	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 9
Garlic Chives	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 4
Georgia Southern Collard Greens	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 9
German Chamomile	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – Apr 24
Gold Rush Zucchini	zucchini	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 11 – Apr 16
Golden Beet	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 21 – May 1
Greek Oregano	herb	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Apr 26 – May 16
Green Fingers Persian Cucumber	cucumber	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 21 – Apr 26
Green Onion	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 19
Heirloom Red Kuri Squash	winter squash	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	May 26 – Jun 5
Herb Fennel	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – Apr 29
Heritage Raspberry	raspberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Apr 26
Horseradish	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Jul 8 – Jul 28
Imperial Star Artichoke	artichoke	Jan 14	Feb 18 Transplant	May 19 – May 29
Jack O'Lantern Pumpkin	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – Jun 8
Japanese Eggplant	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 24
Jersey Knight Asparagus	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Feb 18 – Feb 17
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 17 – Apr 29
Lacinato Kale	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – Apr 24
Leaf Lettuce Mix	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 14
Leek	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 29 – Jun 28
Lemon Balm	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 19
Lemon Cucumber	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – Apr 29
Lemon Verbena	lemon verbena	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	May 26 – Jun 25
Lemongrass	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 4 – May 29
Lima Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 9
Mammoth Sunflower	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 24 – May 9
Mesclun Mix	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 11 – Mar 20
Mizuna	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 30 – Apr 9
Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil	basil	Jan 28	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 26 – May 6
Mustard Greens	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 25 – Apr 9
Mâche (Corn Salad)	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 13
Nantes Carrot	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 28 – May 11
Napa Cabbage	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 29 – May 19
Nasturtium	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 24
National Pickling Cucumber	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 17
New Zealand Spinach	new zealand spinach	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 16 – Apr 26
Orion Florence Fennel	fennel	Feb 4	Feb 25 Transplant	May 16 – May 26
Ozark Beauty Strawberry	strawberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Apr 26 – May 26
Parsnip	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Jun 5 – Jul 5
Patriot Blueberry	blueberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Feb 24
Pattypan Squash	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 6 – Apr 14
Peppermint	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 20 – Apr 4
Popcorn	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 14 – Jun 18
Provider Bush Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 14
Radicchio	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 14
Raspberry Shortcake Raspberry	raspberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Apr 26
Red Leaf Lettuce	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 14
Red Pontiac Potato	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	May 26 – Jun 15
Red Russian Kale	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 19
Rhubarb	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Feb 18
Romaine Lettuce	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 24 – May 4
Scarlet Runner Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – Apr 29
Seascape Strawberry	strawberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	May 11 – May 26
Shallot	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – Jun 18
Shelling Pea	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – Apr 29
Silver Queen Sweet Corn	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – May 21
Snow Pea	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 11 – Apr 29
Softneck Garlic	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Oct 23 – Nov 22
Spacemaster Bush Cucumber	cucumber	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 26 – May 1
Spaghetti Squash	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 17 – May 29
Spearmint	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 20 – Apr 4
Stevia	herb	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – Jun 18
Straight Eight Cucumber	cucumber	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	Apr 26 – May 1
Sugar Pie Pumpkin	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 19 – Jun 8
Sugar Snap Pea	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 14 – Apr 29
Sunshine Blue Blueberry	blueberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Feb 24
Sunshine Kabocha Squash	winter squash	Feb 11	Feb 25 Transplant	May 31 – Jun 5
Sweet Alyssum	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Mar 30 – Apr 14
Sweet Marjoram	marjoram	Jan 28	Feb 25 Transplant	May 11 – May 26
Swiss Chard	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 19
Tall Utah 52-70 Celery	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	May 29 – Jun 28
Tomatillo	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 14
Top Hat Blueberry	blueberry	—	Feb 25 Plant Out	Feb 25 – Feb 24
Turnip	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 16 – Apr 26
Watermelon Radish	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	Apr 16 – May 1
Winner Kohlrabi	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 4 – Apr 9
Yard Long Bean	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 19
Yarrow	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	—
Yellow Crookneck Squash	vegetable	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 9 – Apr 19
Yukon Gold Potato	root	—	Feb 25 Direct Sow	May 16 – Jun 5
Zinnia	flower	—	Feb 18 Plant Out	Apr 19 – May 19
Amish Paste Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 17 – May 28
Anaheim Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 20 – May 28
Banana Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 10 – May 20
Beefsteak Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 23 – May 28
Better Boy Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 18
Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	Jun 2 – Jul 2
Big Jim Hatch Chile	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 18
Black Beauty Zucchini	vegetable	Feb 1	Mar 1 Transplant	Apr 15 – Apr 25
Black Cherry Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 7 – May 18
Black Krim Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 23
Black Oil Sunflower Microgreens	sunflower microgreens	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	Mar 11 – Mar 16
Brandywine Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 23 – Jun 2
Broccolini	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 23 – May 13
Brussels Sprouts	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 28 – Jun 22
Butternut Squash	vegetable	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	Jun 12 – Jul 2
California Wonder Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 22 – May 25
Cantaloupe	vegetable	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 23 – Jun 2
Caribbean Red Scotch Bonnet Pepper	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	Jun 7 – Jul 2
Cayenne Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 28 – Jun 7
Celebrity Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 15
Celeste Fig	fig	—	Mar 4 Plant Out	Mar 4 – Mar 3
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 21 – May 28
Chicago Hardy Fig	fig	—	Mar 4 Plant Out	Mar 4 – Mar 3
Corno di Toro Pepper	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 23
Cubanelle Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 12 – May 20
Culinary Turmeric	turmeric	Feb 11	Mar 11 Transplant	Nov 6 – Jan 5
Cupid Grape Tomato	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 13
Early Girl Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 25 – May 5
Fresno Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 23
Genovese Basil	herb	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – May 13
Ginger	ginger	Feb 11	Mar 11 Transplant	Nov 6 – Jan 5
Green Cabbage	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – Jun 12
Green Zebra Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 21
Habanero Pepper	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 11 Transplant	Jun 9 – Jul 9
Honeydew Melon	vegetable	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	Jun 12 – Jun 27
Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 18
Improved Meyer Lemon	meyer lemon	—	Mar 4 Plant Out	Mar 3
Jalapeño Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 18
Jimmy Nardello Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 30 – Jun 9
Juliet Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 2 – May 4
King Arthur Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 12 – May 18
Lunchbox Mini Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 5 – May 10
Marketmore 76 Cucumber	vegetable	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 1 – May 11
Midnight Snack Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 13
Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 23 – May 28
Mountain Magic Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 15 – May 18
Mucho Nacho Jalapeño Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 11 – May 13
Nagami Kumquat	kumquat	—	Mar 4 Plant Out	Mar 3
Padron Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 10 – May 15
Patio Princess Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 13
Pinkeye Purple Hull Pea	cowpea	Jan 7	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 28 – May 11
Poblano Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 18
Purple Basil	herb	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 28
Rambo Radish Microgreens	radish microgreens	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	Mar 10 – Mar 14
Red Cabbage	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – Jun 22
Red-Stem Malabar Spinach	malabar spinach	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 28 – May 13
Roma VF Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 23
Romanesco	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – Jun 12
Rosemary	herb	—	Mar 4 Plant Out	May 23 – Jun 12
Rutgers Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 23
San Marzano Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	May 21 – May 31
Serrano Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 23
Shishito Peppers	pepper	Feb 4	Mar 11 Transplant	May 10 – May 15
Snow Crown Cauliflower	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 23 – May 3
Speckled Pea Shoot Microgreens	pea shoot microgreens	Feb 25	Mar 4 Transplant	Mar 12 – Mar 18
Sugar Baby Watermelon	vegetable	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 23
Sun Gold Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 30 – May 8
Supersweet 100 Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – May 8
Sweet 100 Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – May 8
Sweet Million Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – May 8
Thai Basil	herb	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 3 – May 8
Thai Hot Peppers	pepper	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – May 28
Tiny Tim Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	Apr 18 – Apr 28
Tumbling Tom Red Tomato	tomato	Feb 4	Mar 4 Transplant	May 8 – May 13
Waltham 29 Broccoli	vegetable	Jan 28	Mar 4 Transplant	May 18 – Jun 2
Yellow Pear Tomatoes	tomato	Feb 11	Mar 4 Transplant	May 13 – May 21
Garlic	garlic	Aug 15	Aug 22 Transplant	Apr 19 – May 19

Browse Zone 8B by Month

See exactly what to plant, transplant, and harvest each month in Zone 8B.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Zone 8B Growing Tips

Average last spring frost is February 18 and first fall frost is December 8 — these are the anchor dates your entire planting schedule is built around.
Heat + humidity is the defining challenge. Many standard varieties fail without heat-tolerant selections.
Tropical moisture brings heavy downpours. Drainage critical. Can get 4+ inches in one storm.
Disease pressure in this zone is very-high. Primary risks include early blight, late blight, bacterial spot. Proper plant spacing, air circulation, and avoiding overhead watering significantly reduce disease incidence.
Fall cool-season crops (lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes) should go in the ground between September 15 and November 1 for harvest before hard frost arrives.

States in Zone 8B

Zone 8B spans parts of these states. Note that zone boundaries run within states — check your specific ZIP code for your exact zone.

Texas (central) Louisiana Mississippi Alabama (south) Georgia (south) South Carolina (coast) Florida (north) California (Bay Area, central valley)

Zone 8A Zone 8B Calendar Zone 9A

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Frost dates from NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals via NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, NWS Houston/Galveston (HGX). Growing season data from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Harris County. Planting dates are averages based on zone frost dates and standard horticultural timing — adjust for your local microclimate.