Best Plants for Zone 7: What to Grow and When

Zone 7 is one of the easiest climates in the country to garden in. Winters bottom out between 0 and 10 degrees F, the growing season runs roughly 180 to 210 frost-free days, and you can grow both cool-season crops like kale and garlic and heat lovers like tomatoes, okra and sweet potatoes. The trick is timing: two planting windows for vegetables, fall planting for most perennials and shrubs, and a short list of plants that look tempting but struggle with zone 7’s swings between cold snaps and humid summers. Below is a practical plant list and a month-by-month calendar for zones 7a and 7b.

In this guide

1. Zone 7 at a Glance
2. Vegetables for Zone 7
3. Perennials That Thrive in Zone 7
4. Shrubs and Trees for Zone 7
5. Month-by-Month Planting Calendar for Zone 7
6. Bulbs and Annuals for Zone 7
7. Plants That Struggle in Zone 7
8. Tips for Zone 7 Success
9. Frequently Asked Questions

Zone 7 at a Glance

Zone 7 covers a long diagonal band across the country: parts of the Mid-Atlantic from New Jersey and Long Island through Maryland and Virginia, much of North Carolina and Tennessee, northern Georgia and Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, northern New Mexico and Arizona at middle elevations, and the inland Pacific Northwest. Hardiness zones are based only on average winter lows, so summer heat, rainfall and soil vary a lot within the zone. A zone 7 garden in Virginia has humid summers; one in Albuquerque is dry and windy. If you are not sure of your exact zone, look it up on our USDA hardiness zone map guide.

Subzone	Average winter low	Typical last spring frost	Typical first fall frost
7a	0 to 5 degrees F	Mid April	Mid to late October
7b	5 to 10 degrees F	Early April	Late October to early November

Frost dates are approximate and vary with elevation and distance from water. Your county extension office publishes local averages, and those are what you should plan around.

Vegetables for Zone 7

Cool-season crops (spring and fall)

• Peas: Direct sow late February to mid March. Fall crops are less reliable but possible from an August sowing.
• Lettuce, spinach, arugula: Sow early March to April and again late August to September. Spinach often overwinters under a row cover.
• Kale and collards: Transplant in March, or set out fall plants in August. Collards and kale sweeten after frost and often hold through winter in 7b.
• Broccoli and cabbage: Transplant in mid March for spring, early to mid August for fall. Fall crops usually perform better because they mature into cooling weather.
• Carrots, beets, radishes: Sow March to April and August to early September.
• Onions: Plant sets or transplants in March. Short-day and intermediate-day types both work in the southern part of the zone.
• Garlic: Plant cloves in October to early November for a June harvest. Both hardneck and softneck types grow well.

Warm-season crops (late spring to summer)

• Tomatoes and peppers: Start seeds indoors in mid to late February, transplant after the last frost when nights stay above 50 degrees F, usually late April to early May.
• Beans: Direct sow from late April through July in succession.
• Squash, cucumbers, melons: Direct sow or transplant in May. A second sowing of cucumbers and summer squash in early July helps outrun vine borers and beetles.
• Sweet corn: Sow from late April to June in blocks of at least four rows for pollination.
• Okra and sweet potatoes: Wait until the soil is warm in mid to late May. Both love zone 7 summers.
• Southern peas and peanuts: Good in the warmer half of the zone, sown in late May.

Zone 7 shares many crops with warmer zones, but it has a shorter fall window and colder winters. If you garden near the boundary, our zone 8 planting guide shows how timing shifts a couple of weeks earlier in spring and later in fall, while the zone 6 plant list covers the colder side.

Herbs

Perennial herbs that overwinter reliably in zone 7 include thyme, oregano, sage, chives, mint, lavender (in sharp drainage), tarragon and lemon balm. Rosemary survives most winters in 7b, especially varieties like ‘Arp’ and ‘Hill Hardy’, but is a gamble in 7a. Basil, dill and cilantro are annuals; sow cilantro in early spring and again in September, because it bolts in summer heat.

Perennials That Thrive in Zone 7

Zone 7 can grow nearly every popular perennial. The ones below handle both the cold snaps and the humid or dry summers that characterize the zone.

Plant	Light	Bloom time	Notes
Coneflower (Echinacea)	Full sun	June to September	Drought tolerant; leave seedheads for birds
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)	Full sun	July to October	Native, reseeds, very tough
Daylily	Sun to part shade	June to August	Rebloomers extend the season
Hosta	Shade	Summer	Deer favorite; protect if deer visit
Salvia (perennial)	Full sun	May to frost with deadheading	Pollinator magnet
Peony	Full sun	May	Plant in fall, eyes 1 to 2 inches deep
Hellebore	Shade	February to April	Evergreen leaves, deer resistant
Russian sage	Full sun	July to September	Needs good drainage
Aster	Full sun	September to October	Key late food for pollinators
Lenten rose, heuchera, ferns	Part to full shade	Spring foliage plants	Good under trees

Shrubs and Trees for Zone 7

Shrubs

• Hydrangeas: Panicle and smooth hydrangeas are the most reliable bloomers. Bigleaf types bloom well in most years but late freezes can nip buds in 7a.
• Camellias: Sasanqua camellias for fall bloom and hardy japonica selections for spring in 7b; choose hardier selections in 7a.
• Azaleas and rhododendrons: Excellent in acidic, well-drained soil with afternoon shade.
• Boxwood, holly and inkberry: Evergreen structure; inkberry is a native alternative to boxwood.
• Crape myrtle: Thrives in summer heat; choose mildew-resistant types and avoid topping.
• Abelia, spirea, ninebark and viburnum: Tough, low-maintenance flowering shrubs.

Trees

• Small flowering trees: Redbud, dogwood, serviceberry, Japanese maple, fringe tree and Japanese tree lilac.
• Shade trees: Red maple, willow oak, river birch (good in wet sites), tulip poplar for large lots.
• Evergreens: Southern magnolia cultivars such as ‘Little Gem’ (7b), American holly, Nellie R. Stevens holly, eastern red cedar and cryptomeria.
• Fruit trees: Apples, peaches, plums, pears, figs (with winter protection in 7a), persimmons and pawpaws all grow well.

Month-by-Month Planting Calendar for Zone 7

Month	What to plant or start	Other tasks
January	Start onions and leeks indoors	Order seeds; prune fruit trees on mild days
February	Start tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage indoors; sow peas late in month	Cut back ornamental grasses and liriope
March	Transplant brassicas; sow lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, radishes; plant potatoes and onion sets	Apply pre-emergent to lawns as forsythia blooms
April	Keep sowing greens; after last frost, set out early tomatoes with protection; sow beans late in month	Divide summer and fall perennials
May	Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant; sow squash, cucumbers, corn, okra; plant sweet potato slips	Mulch beds; plant summer annuals
June	Succession sow beans and corn; plant late tomatoes	Harvest garlic; watch for squash vine borer
July	Start fall broccoli, cabbage, collards indoors or in shade; sow second cucumbers and squash	Water deeply; stop pinching mums mid month
August	Transplant fall brassicas; sow carrots, beets, turnips, kale	Order spring bulbs
September	Sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, cilantro; plant perennials and shrubs	Overseed cool-season lawns
October	Plant garlic, tulips, daffodils, trees and shrubs; sow cover crops	Cover tender crops before first frost
November	Finish bulb planting; plant bare-root trees as stock arrives	Mulch perennials after ground cools
December	Little planting; harvest overwintered greens	Plan next year’s garden

Bulbs and Annuals for Zone 7

Zone 7 winters are cold enough to give spring bulbs the chilling they need, so tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, alliums and snowdrops all perform well. Plant them from mid October through November when soil temperatures drop below about 60 degrees F, setting bulbs two to three times as deep as they are tall. Daffodils return reliably for decades; tulips tend to fade after a few years in the warmer half of the zone, so treat them as short-lived or choose Darwin hybrids and species tulips that perennialize better.

Summer bulbs are more mixed. Lilies, crocosmia and hardy gladiolus usually overwinter in the ground, especially in 7b with a thick mulch. Dahlias survive mild winters in well-drained soil in 7b but are safer dug and stored in 7a. Cannas and elephant ears often return in 7b with mulch.

For annual color, plant pansies and violas in October; they bloom through mild spells and again strongly in March and April. Switch to heat-tolerant annuals such as zinnias, lantana, vinca, pentas and angelonia in May. Petunias and calibrachoa handle early summer well but may need a midsummer trim to rebound in August.

Plants That Struggle in Zone 7

• True tropicals: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, bougainvillea, mandevilla and citrus must be treated as annuals or brought indoors.
• Plants needing long, cold winters: Some lilac varieties, rhubarb and certain apples and cherries need more chill than the warmer parts of 7b provide; check chill hours for fruit trees.
• Cool-summer plants: Delphiniums, lupines and some alpine plants melt in humid zone 7 summers.
• Borderline evergreens: Loquat, certain palms and some citrus relatives may survive mild winters but die back in a hard one.

Tips for Zone 7 Success

• Use the fall season. Fall vegetable gardens often outperform spring ones, with fewer pests and sweeter crops.
• Plant hardy perennials and shrubs in fall. Cool air and warm soil help roots establish before summer heat.
• Respect late frosts. A warm March is common, but so is a hard freeze in early April. Keep row covers handy.
• Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep. It moderates soil temperature swings and saves water in summer.
• Fix the soil first. Much of zone 7 sits on heavy clay. Adding compost to beds and planting slightly high pays off.
• Pick resistant varieties. Humid areas favor powdery mildew and blight; choose resistant tomatoes, crape myrtles and phlox.

For more detail on planning beds, crop rotation and soil preparation, see our vegetable gardening guide.