Arkansas consists of four plant zones —7a, 7b, 8a,and8b. Each zone has an average annual extreme minimum temperature. Knowing the zone you live in can help you choose trees, veggies, fruits, flowers, and grasses that can survive the zone’s extreme cold temperatures.
Below, we’ll dig into the zones of several cities, which will give further insight into which plants will grow best at your Arkansas home.
In This Article:
The Hardiness Zone Map For Arkansas
Planting Zones In Your Neck Of The Woods
FAQ About Arkansas Planting Zones
When To Hire a Pro
The Hardiness Zone Map For Arkansas
Updated by the USDA in 2023, the new Arkansas zone map reflects how the state has warmed up a bit over the years, due to a combination of climate change and more accessible weather data. Now, instead of falling between zones 6b and 8a, Arkansas’ growing zones range from 7a to 8b.
And, if you need a little extra help deciphering things, check out our guide on How to Use the Updated and Warmer USDA Hardiness Zone Map.
Planting Zones In Your Neck Of The Woods
Of Arkansas’ four planting zones, which one do you live in? What plants can you grow in this zone? Let’s explore things on a more local level.
Zone 7a
The coldest part of the state, located as far north as you can go in Arkansas, Zone 7a’s annual minimum temperature averages between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
This zone includes cities like Bentonville, Bella Vista, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville, to name a few.
Some of the plants that grow well in this area are:
Smooth azalea
English lavender
Barberry
Bleeding hearts
Crape myrtle
Zone 7b
Situated just below Zone 7a, Zone 7b has an average annual minimum temperature between 5 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
With a little overlap in some counties (e.g., Boone, Marion, and Newton), Hardiness Zone 7b encompasses the cities of Jonesboro, Paragould, Marmaduke, Batesville, Pleasant Plains, and Southside.
Here are a few plants and trees that do well here:
Japanese maple
Clematis
Chrysanthemum
Southern lady fern
American crabapple
Zone 8a
If you live in one of the following cities, you’re in Zone 8a: Little Rock, Benton, Cabot, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, and Conway. The dominant zone in Arkansas, summers here can get pretty hot, while winters tend to be mild.
The average annual minimum temperature in Zone 8a ranges between 10 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Flowers and trees that grow best here include:
Southern red oak
Pampas grass
Calla lilies
Zebra grass
Dahlias
Monkey puzzle tree
Purple coneflower
Zone 8b
Spanning the southernmost region and up the eastern border a little ways, Zone 8b includes Pine Bluff, Texarkana, El Dorado, Magnolia, Winchester, and Jerome.
The average annual minimum temperature in Zone 8b ranges between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
A few examples of what does well in this growing zone:
White ash tree
Lemon verbena
Hetz blue juniper
Shasta daisies
Peonies
FAQ About Arkansas Planting Zones
What grass types grow best in Arkansas?
Since Arkansas is located in the transition zone, it’s able to successfully grow warm-season and cool-season grasses. A few examples include:
Bermudagrass
Tall fescue
Zoysia
Centipedegrass
Ryegrass
For more details on each grass type and how to grow it from seed in this state, check out our guide to the best grass seed for Arkansas.
Then, once you’ve chosen the type you like most, learn how to maintain it with the following guides:
When and How to Fertilize Your Arkansas Lawn
How To Aerate Your Lawn in Arkansas
Complete Guide to Weed Control in Arkansas.
What are the best vegetables to grow in Arkansas?
There are a number of vegetables that grow well in Arkansas, some of which include:
Chard
Brussels sprouts
Collards
Mustard greens
Spinach
Onions
Radishes
What’s the difference between the “a” and “b” sections of each zone?
While slight, the differences between the subzones “a” and “b” have to do with when the last spring frost and first fall frost occur.
Hire A Landscaping Pro
After deciding which trees, flowers, and veggies to grow in your Arkansas hardiness zone, turn to the pros for help. Hire a local landscaping pro near you to handle your flower beds, mulching, and planting.
Andréa Butler is a writer and editor who loves crafting witty turns of phrase and informative, compelling copy on various topics. She especially enjoys sharing her knowledge of landscaping and pest management to help others create the outdoor spaces of their dreams.
Zone 7 dominates most of the land area of Arkansas, with areas north of I-30, east of Little Rock and everything north of I-40 falling in that zone. Zone 8a has pushed out of the gulf coastal plain region and now reaches north all the way to Little Rock.
From east to west, it begins in small areas of southern Connecticut. It then stretches south through Virginia, east through Tennessee and northern Arkansas, and southwest through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico, then narrows and winds north through Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington.
However, especially cold-hardy plants may not survive the summer heat of this region. The Zone 9 map includes the following states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.
Zone 3 plants can withstand cold temperatures of -40°F to -30°F. The upper Midwest states and some northeast states hold most of Zone 3, such as northern parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, New York, and Maine. Common Plants: Foxglove (Digitalis selections)
If you live in one of the following cities, you're in Zone 8a: Little Rock, Benton, Cabot, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, and Conway. The dominant zone in Arkansas, summers here can get pretty hot, while winters tend to be mild.
Officially classified by climatologist Wladimir Köppen as having a humid sub-tropical climate, Arkansas is indeed humid, but numerous weather extremes run through the state.
Hardiness Zone 7's coldest temperatures fall between zero and ten degrees Fahrenheit. It's subdivided into Zone 7a—encompassing territories with zero- to five-degree temperatures—and Zone 7b—encompassing territories with five- to ten-degree temperatures.
Varieties include dahlias, lilies, gladiolus, caladium, cannas, and begonias. In cooler regions, try planting summer bulbs outdoors in pots before transferring them—once the soil is warm enough—to your garden bed or border. Most can go in the ground once the possibility of frost has passed.
In North America, Zone 8 is one of the warmest zones, containing much of the southern quarter of the United States, including much of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, California, and coastal Oregon and Washington.
Zone 10 of the map includes equatorial parts of North America, including southern California, southern Florida, and Hawaii. There are two subsets of Zone 10: 10a and 10b. Zone 10a is slightly cooler than Zone 10b, with about five degrees of difference between the two.
Where Is USDA Zone 6? Zone 6 starts in the Mid-Atlantic United States (including parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) and extends slightly down the Atlantic Coast to include North Carolina, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Zone 5 starts in the Northeastern United States (including parts of New England, like Maine and New Hampshire, and mid-Atlantic states like New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). It extends across the northern part of the Central US (including Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin).
Where is Zone 4? The USDA Hardiness Zone 4 comprises some of the coldest and northernmost areas of the continental United States. It stretches in a crescent shape from northern Idaho to northern New York and New England, and from the Canadian border south into parts of the Colorado Rockies.
It also shows up in western Montana and Nevada and in mountain areas of the Southwest. This is the coldest zone in which sweet cherries and many apples grow. Winter temperatures here usually hover between 10 and 20°F (–12 to –7°C) at night, with drops between –20 and –30°F (–29 and –34°C) every few years.
Zone 1a has a minimum average temperature of -60°F to -55°F and zone 1b has a minimum average temperature of -55°F to -50°F, although these zones are rarely used. Zone 1 includes the very coldest parts of the country, all in Alaska. The ground is frozen solid for many months, and during this time plants remain dormant.
Little Rock is in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b and 8a. That makes heat tolerant plants a great choice. Every home is different, though, and it's important to get to know your backyard's microclimate. If your landscape faces south, for example, sunshine will be more intense.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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