Regions

USDA Hardiness Zones
6 to 10

AHS Heat Zones
5 to 12

The Region
In the middle and upper south, mild winters punctuated by a few short-lived snows or occasional ice storms give way to beautiful springs that fill March through May. The last spring frost usually comes in early April, and the first fall frost can be expected in mid-November. The coastal and tropical south will not experience frost most winters, however the summer's are oppressively hot and humid.  Precipitation amounts vary in the southeast from 20 to 30 inches a year Arkansas to 55 to 60 inches a year in Florida. The fall gardening season is unusually long and pleasant in this region. Plenty of warm, clear days and comfortably cool nights last well into November.