Asheville, North Carolina: planting zone & frost dates
Asheville is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 13 and the first fall frost around Oct 26.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 24 | Oct 17 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 13 | Oct 26 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 6 | Oct 31 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station ASHEVILLE, NC (USW00013872), 1.7 mi (2.7 km) from the city center and 177 ft higher than the city center (+54 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 30 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Asheville
Asheville spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 8 ZIP codes): 7b (97%), 7a (3%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Asheville
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 13, first frost Oct 26). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Apr 20 – May 4 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Apr 27 – May 11 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Mar 16 – Apr 27 | Aug 17 – Sep 14 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 20 – May 25 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Apr 20 – May 11 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Cucumber | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Apr 27 – May 4 | Apr 20 – May 11 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 23 – Apr 27 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Onion | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Apr 27 – May 18 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 2 – Mar 30 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Kale | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 17 – Sep 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | — | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 2 – Mar 23 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Eggplant | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Apr 27 – May 11 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 9 – Apr 27 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 23 – May 4 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
Nearby cities in North Carolina
- Gastonia — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 3
- Charlotte — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 30
- Concord — zone 8a, last frost Apr 6, first frost Oct 28
- Winston-Salem — zone 8a, last frost Apr 2, first frost Nov 3
- High Point — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 31
- Greensboro — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 31
More: all North Carolina cities · other zone 7b cities: New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Oklahoma City, OK, Nashville, TN, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Albuquerque, NM, Tulsa, OK
Asheville gardening questions
When is the last frost in Asheville, NC?
Plan around Apr 13. At NOAA's Asheville, NC station, 1.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 6, and after Apr 24 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 26. The 90% and 10% dates are 35 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Asheville, NC?
Start seeds indoors Feb 16 – Mar 2 and set transplants outside Apr 20 – May 4, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 196 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Asheville?
About 205 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 185 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 226 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 17 and a 30% chance by Oct 26. That is the shortest of the 13 North Carolina cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Asheville?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 26): transplant broccoli Aug 3 – Aug 17; sow kale Aug 17 – Sep 14; sow lettuce Aug 17 – Sep 14; sow radishes Sep 14 – Oct 12. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 10. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Asheville's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Asheville was zone 7a on the 2012 map and is zone 7b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Asheville in zone 7b?
No. Zone 7b covers about 97% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (3%), measured across the city's 8 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.