Yes — Strong Match
garden tomato (zones 2-11) covers every zone Missouri contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Tomato in Missouri — the short answer
Tomato in Missouri: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~219 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- 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
- Missouri zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 27 - Apr 2 – Oct 31 - Nov 7
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 192 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 75 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.
Tomato is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Missouri site runs ~219 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score tomato against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Missouri is not one climate
A single Missouri answer averages 115 counties whose growing seasons are 66 days apart — from 192 frost-free days in Crawford County to 258 in Pemiscot County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what tomato can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 115 counties runs 211–225 days, with a median of 219 days — a 66-day span end to end.
Measured across 115 Missouri counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 Missouri Fits Best
Even within Missouri's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for tomato (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Tomato Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 70+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Picking window: ~75 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Missouri Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 7
- Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Tomato in Missouri
The frost window
Across Missouri, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 212-day window you can count on — up to 225 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when tomato goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 7 weeks ahead, so counting back from Missouri's late-side last freeze of Apr 2 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 75 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 137 days to spare even in Missouri's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Crawford 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 tomato survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Tomato wants 70+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~219 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Tomato needs ~2200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3770 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Missouri'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
Tomato likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Missouri's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Missouri soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Missouri site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 31.8% of Missouri as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Tomato has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
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. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant tomato 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 tomato goes in. What follows is Missouri’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 Missouri — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Missouri — 33,623 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 270 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Missouri 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 Missouri
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Missouri, two things run higher than the national average across Missouri — Mining (4,339 sites) and CAFO (595 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Tomato in Missouri
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Missouri growers also need to think about:
Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat
Heavy clay soils in many regions
Ozark soils are thin and rocky
Growing tomato here specifically
Tomato roots run shallow and prefer pH 5.0–7.5, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 31.8% of Missouri as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its roots before pH ever matters.
Plant tomato on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the roots stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Missouri grower, not just tomato — is covered on the Missouri growing guide.
Timing shifts within Missouri
Missouri isn't one climate. In Crawford County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 10 — roughly 12 days later than the recorded state median — so plant tomato to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Tomato needs about 70 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Crawford County — Missouri’s shortest season at 192 frost-free days — clears that by 122 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Missouri. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Missouri’s 115 counties the frost-free season runs from 192 days in Crawford County to 258 days in Pemiscot County — a spread of 66 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Missouri county sees 219 frost-free days, leaving tomato about 149 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"). Tomato's 70-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
Tomato draws native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, tomato can only work that bloom inside Missouri's frost window — roughly 219 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Tomato
Tomato is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (leaves, stems) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Missouri this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 31 - Nov 7) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Missouri Cooperative Extension
For Missouri-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for tomato, the canonical source is MU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Tomato native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Tomato as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Missouri 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 Tomato in Missouri
When can I plant Tomato in Missouri?
Missouri's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Tomato mature before first frost in Missouri?
Yes — Tomato matures in 75 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Missouri's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 212 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 137 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Tomato grown in across Missouri?
Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Tomato carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Missouri site have?
A typical Missouri site sees ~219 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Tomato needs 70+ 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 Crawford, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Tomato native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Tomato as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Tomato in Missouri?
Tomato prefers pH 5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Missouri soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Tomato actually grow on my specific land in Missouri?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores tomato 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 Missouri
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores tomato against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Missouri tomato averages can't show:
We read public map data around Missouri — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Missouri tomato average
Explore More
Growing guides for tomato
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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