Alabama Planting Zones by City and ZIP Code
Alabama runs from zones 7b to 9b; 42% of its ZIPs are 8b, Birmingham is 8a and Montgomery is 8b.
Alabama runs from zones 7b to 9b
The coldest night of the winter averages 5°F to 10°F in the coldest of Alabama’s ZIP codes and 25°F to 30°F in the warmest. Most of the state is zone 8b.
Planting zones of Alabama cities
| City | Zone | Coldest night, on average | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham35203 | 8a | 10°F to 15°F | same as 2012 |
| Montgomery36104 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8a) |
| Mobile36602 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8b) |
| Huntsville35801 | 8a | 10°F to 15°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (7b) |
| Tuscaloosa35401 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8a) |
| Dothan36301 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8b) |
Tap a ZIP for that address’s frost dates and this month’s jobs.
Find your zone anywhere in Alabama
A ZIP code or a town gives you its zone, how it moved since 2012, the frost dates at the nearest NOAA station, and the jobs for this month timed from them.
What to plant in Alabama this month
The calendar for each of Alabama's main zones, from vegetables to pruning and winter protection, each job tied to the extension page it comes from. Pick a month, or read the whole year below it.
Timed from the median frost dates of the 37 NOAA stations in Alabama’s zone 8b: last spring frost Mar 17, first fall frost Nov 12. Your own ZIP’s frost dates move every window, so the ZIP tool times them for you.
Pick a month above to see every job in it.
The year at a glance
- Start vegetable seeds indoorsDec to Mar
- Sow vegetables in the gardenFeb to Mar
- Sow the fall vegetable gardenJul to Sep
- Set out transplantsFeb to Apr
- Plant trees and shrubsOct 1 to Mar 31
- Plant garlicOct 29 to Dec 3
- Plant pre-chilled tulip bulbsNov 20 to Dec 31
- Divide fall-blooming perennialsFeb 24 to Apr 7
- Divide spring and summer-blooming perennialsOct 1 to Nov 12
- Prune trees and summer-flowering shrubs while dormantFeb 3 to Mar 17
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloomMar 3 to Apr 28
- Prune out cold damageMar 17 to Apr 28
- Cover tender plants on a freezing nightNov 5 to Mar 17
- Cut back perennials after a hard freezeNov 19 to Dec 17
What changed in Alabama since 2012
Every ZIP on both mapsCompared ZIP by ZIP from the 2023 and 2012 USDA tables; 804 Alabama ZIP codes appear in both.
Why Alabama’s zones moved
Of the cities above, Montgomery went from 8a to 8b, Mobile went from 8b to 9a, Huntsville went from 7b to 8a, Tuscaloosa went from 8a to 8b and Dothan went from 8b to 9a.
The USDA explains the national picture: “When compared to the 2012 map, the 2023 version reveals that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone, and the other half of the country remained in the same half zone.” The new map uses 1991 to 2020 and more than 13,000 weather stations, so it draws Alabama’s hills, valleys and cities more finely than the 2012 map did.
A warmer zone changes which perennials and shrubs come through the winter, not when the garden gets planted; that still follows the frost dates.
Frost dates and seed starting in Alabama
Alabama planting zone questions
Planting zones by state
Sources. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP code tables (2023 and 2012), PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; USDA Unveils Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA Agricultural Research Service, November 15, 2023); NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal, by station (v1.0.1); NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Zones are read from the PRISM ZIP code tables, read Oct 9, 2026; a ZIP code’s zone is the zone at its center. The calendar’s extension sources are listed on the planting zones page and under each job.