Georgia Planting Zones by City and ZIP Code
Georgia runs from zones 7a to 9a; 41% of its ZIPs are 8a, Atlanta is 8a and Savannah is 9a.
Georgia runs from zones 7a to 9a
The coldest night of the winter averages 0°F to 5°F in the coldest of Georgia’s ZIP codes and 20°F to 25°F in the warmest. Most of the state is zone 8a.
Planting zones of Georgia cities
| City | Zone | Coldest night, on average | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta30303 | 8a | 10°F to 15°F | same as 2012 |
| Savannah31401 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8b) |
| Augusta30901 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8a) |
| Macon31201 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8a) |
| Columbus31901 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | same as 2012 |
| Blue Ridge30513 | 7b | 5°F to 10°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (7a) |
Tap a ZIP for that address’s frost dates and this month’s jobs.
Find your zone anywhere in Georgia
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 Georgia this month
The calendar for each of Georgia'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 Georgia’s zone 8a: last spring frost Mar 31, first fall frost Nov 5. 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 gardenMar to Apr
- Sow the fall vegetable gardenJul to Sep
- Set out transplantsMar to Apr
- Plant trees and shrubsSep 24 to Apr 14
- Plant garlicOct 22 to Nov 26
- Plant pre-chilled tulip bulbsNov 20 to Dec 31
- Divide fall-blooming perennialsMar 10 to Apr 21
- Divide spring and summer-blooming perennialsSep 24 to Nov 5
- Prune trees and summer-flowering shrubs while dormantFeb 17 to Mar 31
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloomMar 17 to May 12
- Prune out cold damageMar 31 to May 12
- Cover tender plants on a freezing nightOct 29 to Mar 31
- Cut back perennials after a hard freezeNov 12 to Dec 10
What changed in Georgia since 2012
Every ZIP on both mapsCompared ZIP by ZIP from the 2023 and 2012 USDA tables; 937 Georgia ZIP codes appear in both.
Why Georgia’s zones moved
Of the cities above, Savannah went from 8b to 9a, Augusta went from 8a to 8b, Macon went from 8a to 8b and Blue Ridge went from 7a to 7b.
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 Georgia’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 Georgia
Georgia 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.