USDA hardiness zone lookup
Brooklyn, NY — USDA Zone 7b
Brooklyn, New York · 200-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Brooklyn
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 7b |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | April 22 |
| Average first fall frost | November 8 |
| Growing season length | ~200 days |
| Temperature range (F) | 0 to 10°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -18 to -12°C |
All of Brooklyn's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 7b.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Brooklyn's USDA hardiness zone and regional climate normals — not a single-station reading. In a typical year the last spring frost will have passed by April 22, but a colder-than-average year can run 1-2 weeks later. Plant tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) once both soil and night temperatures are consistently warm — a thermometer beats the calendar.
Growing season in Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New York sits in USDA Zone 7b, with roughly 200 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around April 22 and a first fall frost around November 8. That is a long season — succession-sow through summer and run a full fall crop; heat-sensitive greens still need spring/autumn timing. Brooklyn lies near 40.7°N; higher-latitude gardens get longer midsummer days but a tighter shoulder season at this zone. As a large metro, the built-up core typically runs up to half a zone warmer than outlying suburbs through the urban heat-island effect — sheltered city gardens often push tender crops a little earlier than the average suggests.
What grows in Brooklyn
Brooklyn falls in USDA Zone 7b, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 7 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 7b (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
- Okra
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash, melons
- Beans (lima + pole)
- Figs
- Pomegranates (in protected spots)
- Apples, peaches, plums, pears
- Blueberries (rabbiteye + highbush)
- Asparagus, rhubarb
What to plant in Brooklyn this week
Brooklyn is in high summer — most spring plantings are in. Keep an eye on watering and start planning your fall crop. Cool-season seedlings (broccoli, cabbage, lettuce) can be started indoors for a fall transplant.
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 7
- When to plant peppers in zone 7
- When to plant bush beans in zone 7
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 7
- When to plant basil in zone 7
Full planting calendar for Brooklyn
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 7 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 7
- When to plant peppers in zone 7
- When to plant basil in zone 7
- When to plant garlic in zone 7
- When to plant lettuce in zone 7
- When to plant bush beans in zone 7
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 7
- When to plant summer squash in zone 7
- When to plant peas in zone 7
- When to plant carrots in zone 7
ZIP codes in Brooklyn
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Brooklyn:
- 11201 — Brooklyn (Zone 7b)
- 11206 — Brooklyn (Williamsburg) (Zone 7b)
- 11208 — Brooklyn (East New York) (Zone 7b)
- 11215 — Brooklyn (Park Slope) (Zone 7b)
- 11220 — Brooklyn (Sunset Park) (Zone 7b)
- 11226 — Brooklyn (Flatbush) (Zone 7b)
- 11229 — Brooklyn (Sheepshead Bay) (Zone 7b)
- 11234 — Brooklyn (Flatlands) (Zone 7b)
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Brooklyngardens vary. South-facing walls and paved areas can run a full half-zone warmer than the published rating. Low-lying spots, frost pockets, and shaded north sides can run colder. If you've gardened here a few seasons, your own frost record — the last time you actually got frost damage — beats any national average.
Source and methodology
Hardiness zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Frost-date and growing-season figures are modeled from Brooklyn's USDA hardiness zone and regional NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals — zone-level estimates, not a per-station record, so treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own local frost history. Crop recommendations draw on US Cooperative Extension references, curated by the Growli editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026.
Other cities in New York
- Albany, NY — USDA Zone 5b
- Bronx, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- Buffalo, NY — USDA Zone 6a
- Huntington, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- Ithaca, NY — USDA Zone 5b
- Manhattan, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- New Rochelle, NY — USDA Zone 7a
- New York, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- Newburgh, NY — USDA Zone 6b
- Poughkeepsie, NY — USDA Zone 6b
- Queens, NY — USDA Zone 7b
- Rochester, NY — USDA Zone 6a
- All of New York by zone