Zone 8a Frost Dates & Planting Calendar

What zone 8a actually tells you

A hardiness zone describes one thing: the average coldest night of the year, which in zone 8a falls between 10 to 15°F. It answers whether a perennial will survive the winter — not when to plant in spring.

Frost dates answer the planting question, and they vary widely inside a single zone. Zone 8a spans 24 states, and a coastal ZIP can differ from an inland one by three weeks despite sharing the zone. Pick your own ZIP code below rather than planting by zone alone.