What Zone Is Texas
Texas spans USDA Hardiness Zones 6a to 10a by region. Find your zone and what to plant in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio gardens.
Key takeaways
- Texas spans USDA Zones 6a (Panhandle) to 10a (Rio Grande Valley) — knowing your specific zone determines what plants survive winter outdoors
- Dallas-Fort Worth is Zone 8a (minimum winter temp -10°F to -15°F); plants that die in Atlanta often survive Dallas winters
- Houston is Zone 9a; tropicals like banana plants, bougainvillea, and citrus survive most winters without protection
- The Texas Hill Country (Austin, San Antonio) sits in Zones 8b–9a — a transition zone where subtropical and temperate plants overlap
- El Paso and West Texas (Zones 7b–8a) get cold winters and low rainfall, requiring drought-tolerant plants and irrigation
Texas spans USDA Hardiness Zones 6a through 10a — the widest range of any US state. Your specific zone determines which perennials survive winter outdoors, when to plant vegetables, and whether tropicals like citrus will make it through January. Most Texans garden in Zones 8a through 9a.
The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map updated several Texas counties upward by half a zone, reflecting warming winters over the past 30 years. Understanding your zone is the first step in building a garden that doesn’t die in January or stall in August.
Texas zones by major city and region
Texas divides roughly into five gardening regions, each with distinct climate and zone characteristics.
| City / Region | USDA Zone | Min winter temp | Key characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Valley (McAllen) | 9b–10a | 25–30°F | Near-tropical; frost rare |
| Houston | 9a | 20–25°F | Humid subtropical; mild winters |
| San Antonio | 8b–9a | 15–25°F | Transition zone; occasional hard freeze |
| Austin | 8b | 15–20°F | Variable; zone 9a pockets downtown |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 8a | 10–15°F | Continental; January freezes common |
| Waco / Tyler | 8a–8b | 10–20°F | East Texas gets more rainfall |
| Lubbock | 7a–7b | 0–10°F | High plains; low humidity and rainfall |
| Amarillo (Panhandle) | 6b–7a | -5°F to 5°F | Coldest Texas region; wide temp swings |
| El Paso | 7b–8a | 5–15°F | Desert; low rainfall, bright sun |
For the most precise zone for your address, use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — enter your zip code for an exact zone designation.
What zone means for Texas gardeners
USDA zones measure minimum winter temperature — the coldest temperature your location typically reaches over winter. This predicts which perennial plants survive outdoors year-round.
Zone 6b (Panhandle): Minimum -5°F to 0°F. Perennials must be rated Zone 6 or colder to survive. Many tropicals and even some temperate plants need winter protection. Standard cold-hardy perennials — coneflower, black-eyed Susan, ornamental grasses — perform reliably. See deer resistant perennials for Zone 6–7 recommendations that also handle Panhandle deer pressure.
Zone 7a–7b (Lubbock, El Paso, parts of West Texas): Minimum 0°F to 10°F. Cold enough to kill borderline plants. Crape myrtle survives but may die back to the ground. Focus on native Texas plants and drought-tolerant perennials rated Zone 7. Russian sage is exceptionally tough in this range, surviving both cold and summer drought.
Zone 8a (Dallas-Fort Worth, East Texas): Minimum 10°F to 15°F. The most common zone for Texas gardeners. Most temperate perennials, shrubs, and ornamental trees survive comfortably. Marginal tropicals (citrus, bougainvillea) need frost protection in hard winters. Lantana comes back reliably from roots each spring in Zone 8a.
Zone 8b (Austin, San Antonio, Hill Country): Minimum 15°F to 20°F. A productive transition zone where subtropical perennials like Mexican sage, agave, and lantana are fully reliable. Meyer lemon, kumquat, and other cold-hardy citrus survive most winters. Crape myrtle thrives here without any winter die-back.
Zone 9a (Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi): Minimum 20°F to 25°F. Tropicals survive most winters. Banana plants, bougainvillea, and hibiscus behave as perennials. Citrus grows reliably. Butterfly bush and other Zone 9 plants reach massive sizes in Houston’s heat and humidity.
Zone 9b–10a (Rio Grande Valley): Minimum 25°F–35°F. Near-tropical growing conditions. Frost is rare. Year-round vegetable production is possible. Coconut palms, mango, and papaya grow outdoors.
Vegetable gardening calendar for Texas zones
Texas has one of the longest growing seasons in the US — many zones support two or even three vegetable crops per year. But heat is the limiting factor in summer, not cold.
Zone 8a (Dallas, Tyler):
| Crop | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Feb 15–Mar 15 (transplant) | Aug 1–15 (transplant) |
| Peppers | Feb 15–Mar 15 | Aug 1–15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 1–Feb 28 | Aug 15–Sept 15 |
| Lettuce | Jan 15–Mar 1 | Sept 1–Oct 31 |
| Beans | Mar 15–Apr 15 | Aug 1–Sept 1 |
Zone 9a (Houston):
| Crop | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Jan 15–Feb 28 | Aug 15–Sept 15 |
| Peppers | Jan 15–Feb 28 | Aug 15–Sept 15 |
| Broccoli | Jan 1–Feb 15 | Sept 1–Oct 15 |
| Lettuce | Nov–Feb | Sept–Nov |
| Beans | Feb 1–Mar 15 | Aug 15–Oct 1 |
In Zone 9a and 9b, cool-season vegetables like lettuce and spinach grow through winter rather than spring and fall. The summer heat (frequently 95°F+) shuts down most cool-season crops entirely.
For accurate last and first frost dates for your Texas city, the National Weather Service provides historical frost data by city and region.
Plants that thrive in each Texas zone
Best perennials for Zone 8a (Dallas area)
- Salvia ‘May Night’ — heat-tolerant and drought-resistant once established
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea) — native-adjacent, long-blooming, low maintenance
- Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) — Texas native, hummingbird magnet, Zone 7–10
- Crepe myrtle — iconic Texas shrub/tree; dozens of sizes, Zone 7–9
- Mexican feather grass — ornamental grass; exceptional drought tolerance
Best perennials for Zone 9a (Houston area)
- Firebush (Hamelia patens) — tropical shrub; hummingbirds and butterflies
- Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) — fall bloom, silvery stems, Zone 8–10
- Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) — native; deep shade tolerance rare in flowering plants
- Esperanza (Tecoma stans) — yellow flowers June–frost, Zone 8–11
Best trees and shrubs for Texas
- Live oak — the definitive Texas shade tree; evergreen, native, Zones 7–10
- Desert willow (Chilopsis) — fast-growing small tree; drought-tolerant, Zones 7–11
- Texas mountain laurel — slow-growing, extremely tough, Zone 7b–10, fragrant purple flowers
- Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) — native holly; incredible winter berry display, Zones 5–9
See flowering bushes for zone-by-zone recommendations on ornamental shrubs that perform reliably across Texas conditions.
Heat zones matter too in Texas
The USDA Hardiness Zone measures cold tolerance. In Texas, summer heat is an equally important limiting factor — plants that survive Texas winters may struggle with Texas summers.
The American Horticultural Society’s Plant Heat Zone Map assigns Texas cities 7–10 heat zones (number of days above 86°F per year). Houston averages 98 days above 86°F; Dallas averages 78. Plants rated for heat zones 7–10 are the best choices for sustained Texas summer performance.
When buying perennials, look for both USDA zone rating and heat zone rating where available. A plant rated Zone 8 but heat zone 5 may winter over fine in Dallas but fail to thrive in July and August.
Finding your exact Texas zone
Texas’s climate varies dramatically across 268,000 square miles. Your neighborhood, elevation, and proximity to water affect your local microclimate beyond the zone designation.
Three steps to find your precise zone:
- Enter your zip code at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Check local elevation — hilltops run warmer than valleys (cold air drains downhill)
- Consider urban heat — dense urban areas in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio may be half a zone warmer than the city’s official designation
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (agrilifeextension.tamu.edu) provides Texas-specific planting guides, pest calendars, and regional vegetable planting schedules organized by county — a far more precise resource than zone maps alone.
See USDA zones for the complete national zone guide, and planting zones for how to use zone information across all plant types.
Sarah Mitchell is a Master Gardener and garden writer based in the Pacific Northwest. She has been growing food and flowers for over 15 years across USDA zones 7 and 8.