Memphis, Tennessee: planting zone & frost dates
Memphis is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 24 and the first fall frost around Nov 9.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 4 | Nov 2 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 24 | Nov 9 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 16 | Nov 16 |
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 MEMPHIS INTL AP, TN (USW00013893), 3.8 mi (6.1 km) from the city center and 59 ft lower than the city center (-18 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 30 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Memphis
All 29 ZIP codes covering Memphis are in zone 8a.
ZIP codes in Memphis and their zones
| ZIP | Zone | Share of city land |
|---|---|---|
| 38109 | 8a | 14.9% |
| 38118 | 8a | 10.3% |
| 38116 | 8a | 6.6% |
| 38127 | 8a | 6.3% |
| 38128 | 8a | 6.3% |
| 38113 | 8a | 5.1% |
| 38134 | 8a | 4.6% |
| 38106 | 8a | 3.5% |
| 38018 | 8a | 3.4% |
| 38016 | 8a | 3.3% |
| 38111 | 8a | 3.3% |
| 38117 | 8a | 3.2% |
| 38120 | 8a | 3.2% |
| 38119 | 8a | 3.0% |
| 38115 | 8a | 2.9% |
| 38108 | 8a | 2.6% |
| 38114 | 8a | 2.6% |
| 38122 | 8a | 2.3% |
| 38141 | 8a | 2.1% |
| 38107 | 8a | 1.8% |
| 38104 | 8a | 1.7% |
| 38112 | 8a | 1.6% |
| 38133 | 8a | 1.3% |
| 38125 | 8a | 1.1% |
| 38103 | 8a | 0.9% |
| 38105 | 8a | 0.6% |
| 38126 | 8a | 0.6% |
| 38132 | 8a | 0.3% |
| 38131 | 8a | 0.1% |
Vegetable planting calendar for Memphis
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 24, first frost Nov 9). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Feb 24 – Apr 7 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 31 – May 5 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Cucumber | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 3 – Apr 7 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Onion | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 10 – Mar 10 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
| Kale | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Broccoli | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | — | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| Eggplant | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | — | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 17 – Apr 7 | Sep 28 – Oct 26 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 3 – Apr 14 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
Nearby cities in Tennessee
- Clarksville — zone 7b, last frost Apr 10, first frost Oct 27
- Franklin — zone 7b, last frost Apr 10, first frost Oct 25
- Nashville — zone 7b, last frost Apr 7, first frost Oct 25
- Murfreesboro — zone 7b, last frost Apr 15, first frost Oct 22
- Chattanooga — zone 8a, last frost Mar 31, first frost Nov 3
- Knoxville — zone 7b, last frost Apr 19, first frost Oct 22
More: all Tennessee cities · other zone 8a cities: Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC, Greensboro, NC, Durham, NC, Winston-Salem, NC, Chesapeake, VA, Huntsville, AL
Memphis gardening questions
When is the last frost in Memphis, TN?
Plan around Mar 24. At NOAA's Memphis Int'l Airport, TN station, 3.8 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 Mar 16, and after Apr 4 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 4. The 90% and 10% dates are 36 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Memphis, TN?
Start seeds indoors Jan 27 – Feb 10 and set transplants outside Mar 31 – Apr 14, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 230 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 Memphis?
About 244 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 221 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 266 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 2 and a 30% chance by Nov 9. That is the longest of the 7 Tennessee cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Memphis?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 9): transplant broccoli Aug 17 – Aug 31; sow kale Aug 31 – Sep 28; sow lettuce Aug 31 – Sep 28; sow radishes Sep 28 – Oct 26. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 28. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Memphis's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Memphis was zone 7b on the 2012 map and is zone 8a 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.
How does Memphis compare with Jonesboro, AR?
Both are in zone 8a. The typical last spring frost in Memphis (Mar 24) comes about 7 days earlier than in Jonesboro, AR (Mar 31), 63 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 9 versus Nov 3. The two cities use different NOAA stations.