Zone 10b covers 752 ZIP codes in 4 states on the 2023 map, most of them in California, Florida, Texas and Hawaii. Cities in it include Los Angeles and San Francisco in California.

Zone 10b Planting Calendar and Hardy Plants (35°F to 40°F)

Q: What does zone 10b mean?

Zone 10b means the coldest night of the winter averages 35°F to 40°F, measured over 1991 to 2020. It is an average of each winter's lowest temperature, so some winters go colder.

Q: Does zone 10b get frost?

Rarely. 32 of the 50 NOAA stations in zone 10b record no spring freeze in most years, so planting here runs by the season rather than a frost date.

Q: What can I plant in zone 10b?

24 of the plants listed here are rated for zone 10b by NC State Extension, including perennials such as bird of paradise and elephant ear (Alocasia) and fruit such as fig, lemon and avocado. Any plant rated for a range that includes 10b should come through a typical winter.

Q: What is the difference between zone 10a and 10b?

Five degrees. Zone 10a averages 30°F to 35°F and 10b averages 35°F to 40°F, so 10a is the colder half. A plant rated for zone 10 suits both.

Q: Will a plant rated for zone 11a survive in zone 10b?

Not reliably. A plant rated down to 11a is rated for winter lows of 40°F to 45°F, and a typical zone 10b winter reaches 35°F to 40°F. Choose plants whose range on the tag includes 10b.

752 ZIP codes

Where zone 10b is

Zone 10b covers 752 ZIP codes in 4 states: California (527), Florida (223), Texas (1), Hawaii (1).

Across its 18 NOAA stations the last spring frost comes around Jan 18 and the first fall frost around Jan 14; half the stations fall between Jan 10 and Jan 23 in spring and Jan 5 and Jan 16 in fall. 32 more record no spring freeze in most years.

Cities and towns in zone 10b

Tap a town for its own frost dates and this month’s jobs; a hill or a valley a few miles off can be half a zone either side.

Twelve months

Zone 10b planting calendar

What to start, sow, plant, divide, prune, mulch and protect in zone 10b, month by month. Every job names the extension service page it rests on; open “Where this comes from” under a job to read their words.

Most of zone 10b sees no frost to count from, so the vegetable months come straight from University of Florida IFAS Extension’s Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide for South Florida (south of State Road 70).

Pick a month above to see every job in it.

The year at a glance

Plant vegetables: South Florida (south of State Road 70)Aug to Apr
Plant pre-chilled tulip bulbsNov 20 to Dec 31

24 plants

What grows in zone 10b

Perennials, shrubs, trees and fruit that NC State Extension rates as hardy in zone 10b, each linked to its plant page. A plant rated for a range of zones suits every half zone in it, so “zones 4 to 8” covers 4a through 8b.

Perennials 2

Bird of paradisezones 10a to 12b
Elephant ear (Alocasia)zones 10a to 12b

Shrubs 6

Bigleaf hydrangeazones 6a to 11b
Gardeniazones 7b to 11b
Tropical hibiscuszones 9a to 11b
Bougainvilleazones 9b to 10b
Oleanderzones 8a to 10b
Ixorazones 9a to 11b

Trees 3

Southern magnoliazones 6a to 10b
Live oakzones 8a to 10b
Cabbage palmettozones 7b to 11b

Fruit 9

Figzones 7a to 10b
Lemonzones 9a to 11b
Avocadozones 9a to 12b
Banana (Musa acuminata)zones 10a to 11b
Loquatzones 8a to 11b
Pomegranatezones 8a to 10b
Olivezones 8a to 10b
Pineapple guava (feijoa)zones 8a to 10b
Pineapplezones 10a to 12b

Bulbs 4

Cannazones 6a to 10b
Dahliazones 7a to 10b
Gladioluszones 7a to 10b
Elephant ear (Colocasia)zones 8a to 11b

Ratings from the NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, read Oct 9, 2026. The zone covers winter cold only; heat, rain and soil decide the rest.

A summer perennial border of yellow black-eyed Susans, purple liatris spikes and silvery Russian sage, with a rose of Sharon shrub behind and small plant labels in the bed — A labeled perennial border in high summer. The zone on a plant tag is the coldest winter it is rated to come through, so a plant rated for zones 4 to 9 suits every half zone from 4a to 9b. “Perennials border in Summer”, Bindersbee, Public domain

Either side

The zones next to 10b

Each half zone is five degrees. Zone 10a is five degrees colder at 30°F to 35°F. Zone 11a is five degrees warmer at 40°F to 45°F.

Zone 10a, colder30°F to 35°F Zone 11a, warmer40°F to 45°F

Questions

Zone 10b questions

What does zone 10b mean?

Where is zone 10b?

Does zone 10b get frost?

What can I plant in zone 10b?

What is the difference between zone 10a and 10b?

Will a plant rated for zone 11a survive in zone 10b?

Your own dates, by ZIP

Find your zone by ZIPYour zone, your frost dates and this month’s jobs for your address.Seed starting calendarWhen to start each vegetable indoors, by ZIP.Frost dates by ZIPYour last spring and first fall frost, with the odds either side.First frost forecastWhen the first fall frost usually arrives, state by state.Soil temperatureWhen the ground is warm enough to sow.When to plant garlicThe fall planting window by ZIP.

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. Zone frost dates are the medians of the NOAA 1991 to 2020 station normals inside the zone.

The calendar’s extension sources:

UNH Cooperative Extension, Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden, read Sep 21, 2026.
University of Minnesota Extension, Planting vegetables in midsummer for a fall harvest, read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Illinois Extension, Planting a fall vegetable garden (Good Growing), read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Minnesota Extension, Dividing perennials, read Oct 9, 2026.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, How should I prepare my perennial beds for winter?, read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Minnesota Extension, Pruning trees and shrubs, read Oct 9, 2026.
Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension, Pruning Flowering Shrubs (FS1221), read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Maryland Extension, Planting a Tree or Shrub, read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Preparing Landscape Plants for Winter, read Oct 9, 2026.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Storing Tender Bulbs for Winter, read Oct 9, 2026.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, All About Tulips, read Oct 9, 2026.
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Tulips, read Oct 9, 2026.
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Preparing the Landscape for Cold Weather, read Oct 9, 2026.
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Treating Cold-Damaged Plants, read Oct 9, 2026.