Mississippi Planting Zones by City and ZIP Code
Mississippi runs from zones 7b to 9a; 58% of its ZIPs are 8b, Jackson is 8b and Gulfport is 9a.
Mississippi runs from zones 7b to 9a
The coldest night of the winter averages 5°F to 10°F in the coldest of Mississippi’s ZIP codes and 20°F to 25°F in the warmest. Most of the state is zone 8b.
Planting zones of Mississippi cities
| City | Zone | Coldest night, on average | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson39201 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (8a) |
| Gulfport39501 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | same as 2012 |
| Hattiesburg39401 | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | same as 2012 |
| Tupelo38804 | 8a | 10°F to 15°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (7b) |
| Oxford38655 | 8a | 10°F to 15°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (7b) |
| Biloxi39530 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | same as 2012 |
Tap a ZIP for that address’s frost dates and this month’s jobs.
Find your zone anywhere in Mississippi
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 Mississippi this month
The calendar for each of Mississippi'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 48 NOAA stations in Mississippi’s zone 8b: last spring frost Mar 14, 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 28
- Plant garlicOct 29 to Dec 3
- Plant pre-chilled tulip bulbsNov 20 to Dec 31
- Divide fall-blooming perennialsFeb 21 to Apr 4
- Divide spring and summer-blooming perennialsOct 1 to Nov 12
- Prune trees and summer-flowering shrubs while dormantJan 31 to Mar 14
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloomFeb 28 to Apr 25
- Prune out cold damageMar 14 to Apr 25
- Cover tender plants on a freezing nightNov 5 to Mar 14
- Cut back perennials after a hard freezeNov 19 to Dec 17
What changed in Mississippi since 2012
Every ZIP on both mapsCompared ZIP by ZIP from the 2023 and 2012 USDA tables; 524 Mississippi ZIP codes appear in both.
Why Mississippi’s zones moved
Of the cities above, Jackson went from 8a to 8b, Tupelo went from 7b to 8a and Oxford went from 7b to 8a.
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 Mississippi’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 Mississippi
Mississippi 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.