Generally — Most Areas
allspice (zones 10-12) suits most of Florida (8b-12a) — zones 10-12 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Allspice in Florida — the short answer
Allspice in Florida: hardy in zones 10–12, full sun, against a state median of ~320 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Florida zones
- 8b-12a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Jan 25 - Feb 10 – Dec 7 - Dec 18
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 281 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 365 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Florida spans zones 8b-12a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score allspice against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Florida is not one climate
Florida’s winter-low ladder runs across 67 counties, from zone 8.5 in Holmes County to zone 10.5 in Palm Beach County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between allspice overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 67 counties runs 9–10 zones, with a median of 9.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 67 Florida counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in Florida Fits Best
Allspice is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Against Florida’s 67 counties that band holds in 20 of them, and the line runs at Brevard County (zone 10a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 10–12
20 counties
- Charlotte County · zone 10a
- Collier County · zone 10a
- Glades County · zone 10a
3 of 20 shown
Below the zone 10 floor
47 counties
- Holmes County · zone 8b
- Alachua County · zone 9a
- Baker County · zone 9a
3 of 47 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Even within Florida's zones 8b-12a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for allspice (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Allspice Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 40 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Florida Has
- USDA Zones: 8b-12a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 25 - Feb 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 7 - Dec 18
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy, Muck (Everglades), Shell-rock (Keys)
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Allspice in Florida
The frost window
Across Florida, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 300-day window you can count on — up to 327 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Florida runs as cold as USDA zone 8, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for allspice, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether allspice is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Florida; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Holmes County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says allspice survives winter in part of Florida, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Allspice wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Florida site sees ~320 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Allspice needs ~5000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~7743 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Florida's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Allspice likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.3-8). That's the common-ground band across Florida's sandy and muck (everglades) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 7 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Florida soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Florida site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Florida soil pH runs about 4.9–5.5, and that sits below allspice's tolerated 6.3–8, so the typical Florida parcel needs lime before it will perform. SSURGO maps it swinging by full points parcel to parcel, so your map unit, not the state number, decides whether allspice needs lime or sulfur.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Florida soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant allspice for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before allspice goes in. What follows is Florida’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Florida — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Florida — 76,189 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 602 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Florida carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Florida
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
- •On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Allspice in Florida
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Florida growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils drain too fast and hold few nutrients — frequent fertilization needed
Humidity drives fungal diseases (powdery mildew, black spot, rust)
Hurricane season (June-November) can destroy plantings
Nematodes are a serious pest in sandy FL soils
Growing allspice here specifically
Allspice needs near-neutral ground (pH 6.3–8.0); Florida's dominant SSURGO pH sits near 5.2, acidic enough to stunt it without correction.
Add lime to bring your parcel up toward pH 6.3–8.0, then retest before setting allspice out. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Florida grower, not just allspice — is covered on the Florida growing guide.
Timing shifts within Florida
Florida isn't one climate. In Holmes County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Feb 20 — roughly 16 days later than the recorded state median — so plant allspice to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Allspice needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Holmes County — Florida’s shortest season at 281 frost-free days — clears that by 131 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Florida. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Florida’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 281 days in Holmes County to 365 days in Sarasota County — a spread of 84 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Florida county sees 320 frost-free days, leaving allspice about 170 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Allspice's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Allspice draws honeybees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, allspice can only work that bloom inside Florida's frost window — roughly 320 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 25 - Feb 10) and closing at the first (Dec 7 - Dec 18), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Allspice
Allspice is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level (Pet Poison Helpline). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Recommended Allspice Varieties for Florida
Florida publishes no state variety trial for allspice, so we won't invent a "best for Florida" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (8b-12a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Florida Cooperative Extension
For Florida-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for allspice, the canonical source is UF/IFAS Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Allspice native to Florida?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Allspice as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Florida's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Florida natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Florida growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Allspice in Florida
When can I plant Allspice in Florida?
Florida's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Allspice, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Florida and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Allspice grown in across Florida?
Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Allspice carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Florida site have?
A typical Florida site sees ~320 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Allspice needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Holmes, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Allspice native to Florida?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Allspice as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Florida's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Florida natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Allspice in Florida?
Allspice prefers pH 6.3-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Florida soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Allspice actually grow on my specific land in Florida?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores allspice against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Florida
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores allspice against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Florida allspice averages can't show:
We read public map data around Florida — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Florida allspice average
Explore More
Growing guides for allspice
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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