West Palm Beach, Florida: planting zone & frost dates
West Palm Beach is in USDA plant hardiness zone 10b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 35 to 40°F (1.7 to 4.4°C). Frost is rare here.
Frost dates
Frost data comes from NOAA station WEST PALM BEACH INTL AP, FL (USW00012844), 4.5 mi (7.3 km) from the city center and 3 ft higher than the city center (+1 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 28 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across West Palm Beach
All 7 ZIP codes covering West Palm Beach are in zone 10b.
Vegetable planting calendar for West Palm Beach
Windows below are for a frost-free climate: plant cool-season crops from fall through late winter and warm-season crops in late winter–spring, with a second warm-season round in late summer for some crops.
| Crop | Planting windows (frost-free climate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| Pepper | Feb 1 – Apr 15; Jul 15 – Aug 31 | |||
| Lettuce | Sep 15 – Feb 15 | |||
| Green Beans | Feb 15 – Apr 30; Aug 15 – Sep 30 | |||
| Sweet Corn | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Aug 31 | |||
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| Cucumber | Feb 15 – Apr 15; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| Carrot | Sep 1 – Feb 28 | |||
| Onion | Oct 15 – Jan 15 | |||
| Potato | Jan 1 – Feb 28; Sep 1 – Oct 15 | |||
| Basil | Mar 1 – Jun 30; Aug 15 – Sep 30 | |||
| Spinach | Oct 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| Kale | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| Broccoli | Sep 1 – Jan 15 | |||
| Peas | Oct 1 – Jan 31 | |||
| Eggplant | Feb 15 – Apr 30; Jul 15 – Aug 31 | |||
| Cabbage | Sep 1 – Jan 31 | |||
| Radish | Sep 15 – Mar 15 | |||
| Strawberry | Oct 1 – Nov 30 | |||
| Beets | Sep 15 – Feb 28 | |||
Nearby cities in Florida
- Boynton Beach — zone 10b, last frost Jan 31, first frost Jan 7
- Boca Raton — zone 11a, frost rare
- Deerfield Beach — zone 11a, frost rare
- Coral Springs — zone 10b, frost rare
- Pompano Beach — zone 11a, frost rare
- Sunrise — zone 10b, frost rare
More: all Florida cities · other zone 10b cities: San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Long Beach, CA, Anaheim, CA, Irvine, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Chula Vista, CA, St. Petersburg, FL
West Palm Beach gardening questions
Does it ever frost in West Palm Beach, FL?
Rarely. From 1991 to 2020, NOAA's West Palm Beach Int'l Airport, FL station, 4.5 mi from the city center, reached 32°F in only 7% of years — too seldom for NOAA to compute frost dates. Zone 10b means the coldest night of an average winter is 35 to 40°F (1.7 to 4.4°C), so frost is essentially unknown, though cool nights can slow tropical plants.
When should I plant tomatoes in West Palm Beach, FL?
Without a frost season, plant by temperature: set out tomatoes Jan 15 – Mar 31 and Aug 1 – Sep 15. Fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so avoid timing harvests for the hottest weeks. More: tomato planting by zone.
When is the best time for lettuce and broccoli in West Palm Beach?
Cool-season crops do best in the mild months: plant lettuce Sep 15 – Feb 15 and broccoli Sep 1 – Jan 15. Summer heat makes lettuce bolt and broccoli flower early.
Did West Palm Beach's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of West Palm Beach was zone 10a on the 2012 map and is zone 10b 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 West Palm Beach compare with Boynton Beach, FL?
Both are in zone 10b. Frost is rare in West Palm Beach, but Boynton Beach (15 miles away) has a typical last frost around Jan 31 — see Boynton Beach, FL.