USDA hardiness zone 11a
In zone 11a, the average annual extreme minimum temperature is 40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C), based on 1991–2020 data from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
What zone 11a means for your garden
A plant labeled "hardy to zone 11a" should survive a typical winter low of 40°F. Tropical and subtropical plants are an option, but many temperate fruit trees may not get enough winter chill. Zone 11b is the warmer half of zone 11.
ZIP codes in zone 11a: 197 in contiguous U.S., 8 in Hawaii. New to zones? Read how to read your hardiness zone.
Frost dates in zone 11a
In all 14 major cities in zone 11a, a 32°F frost is rare (NOAA cannot compute frost dates). Gardens here grow year-round; timing is driven by heat and rainfall more than by frost.
Planting calendar for zone 11a
| 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 | |||
Cities in zone 11a (14)
Major cities whose center falls in zone 11a:
- Miami, FL — frost rare
- Hialeah, FL — frost rare
- Fort Lauderdale, FL — frost rare
- Pembroke Pines, FL — frost rare
- Hollywood, FL — frost rare
- Miramar, FL — frost rare
- Pompano Beach, FL — frost rare
- Miami Gardens, FL — frost rare
- Boca Raton, FL — frost rare
- Santa Monica, CA — frost rare
- Deerfield Beach, FL — frost rare
- Homestead, FL — frost rare
- Doral, FL — frost rare
- Miami Beach, FL — frost rare
← Zone 10b · Zone 11b → · All zones
Zone 11a questions
How cold does it get in zone 11a?
Zone 11a is defined by an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C) for 1991–2020 — the average of each year's single coldest night, not the record low. Individual winters can be colder, so plants rated exactly for zone 11a carry some risk in a severe year.
Does zone 11a get frost?
Rarely. 14 major cities, frost rare. Gardens in zone 11a are planted by season and heat rather than by frost date.
Which states have zone 11a?
The 2023 listings put 205 ZIP codes in zone 11a, spread over 3 states and territories. The most are in Florida (148), California (28), Hawaii (8).
Did zone 11a grow on the 2023 map?
Yes: 22 ZIP codes were in zone 11a on the 2012 map and 205 are on the 2023 map (+183). Of today's zone 11a ZIP codes that were also listed in 2012, 89% were in a colder zone then, 8% were already 11a, and 3% were in a warmer zone. What changed in 2023.
Which big cities are in zone 11a?
The largest cities on this site in zone 11a are Miami, FL, Hialeah, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL; 14 cities in all are listed below.