USDA hardiness zone lookup
Fort Worth, TX — USDA Zone 8a
Fort Worth, Texas · 244-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Fort Worth
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8a |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | March 17 |
| Average first fall frost | November 16 |
| Growing season length | ~244 days |
| Temperature range (F) | 10 to 20°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -12 to -7°C |
All of Fort Worth's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 8a.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Fort Worth'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 March 17, 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 Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas sits in USDA Zone 8a, with roughly 244 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around March 17 and a first fall frost around November 16. That is a near year-round season — the limiting factor is summer heat, not frost, so schedule cool-season crops for winter and protect tender ones from extreme highs. 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 Fort Worth
Fort Worth falls in USDA Zone 8a, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 8 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 8a (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes (spring + fall plantings)
- Peppers (sweet + hot)
- Okra
- Sweet potatoes
- Southern peas
- Melons, watermelon
- Figs
- Pomegranates
- Citrus (in protected spots — Meyer lemon)
- Pecans
What to plant in Fort Worth this week
Fort Worth 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 8
- When to plant peppers in zone 8
- When to plant bush beans in zone 8
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 8
- When to plant basil in zone 8
Full planting calendar for Fort Worth
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 8 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 8
- When to plant peppers in zone 8
- When to plant basil in zone 8
- When to plant garlic in zone 8
- When to plant lettuce in zone 8
- When to plant bush beans in zone 8
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 8
- When to plant summer squash in zone 8
- When to plant peas in zone 8
- When to plant carrots in zone 8
ZIP codes in Fort Worth
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Fort Worth:
- 76102 — Fort Worth (Zone 8a)
- 76104 — Fort Worth (Near Southside) (Zone 8a)
- 76112 — Fort Worth (East) (Zone 8a)
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Fort Worthgardens 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 Fort Worth'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 Texas
- Abilene, TX — USDA Zone 8a
- Allen, TX — USDA Zone 8a
- Arlington, TX — USDA Zone 8a
- Austin, TX — USDA Zone 8b
- Brownsville, TX — USDA Zone 10a
- Bryan, TX — USDA Zone 8b
- Carrollton, TX — USDA Zone 8a
- College Station, TX — USDA Zone 8b
- Conroe, TX — USDA Zone 9a
- Corpus Christi, TX — USDA Zone 9b
- Dallas, TX — USDA Zone 8b
- Del Rio, TX — USDA Zone 9a
- All of Texas by zone