Conditional — Some Areas
tree tomato (zones 12-13) reaches only part of Florida (8b-12a): zone 12 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Tree Tomato is hardy to zone 12, and the warmest ground in Florida is zone 11 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Florida winter. To grow it here, grow tree tomato in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 12-13 (plant) against 8-11 (Florida). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
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 tree tomato 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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Zone Comparison
Tree Tomato Needs
- USDA Zones: 12-13
- Frost-Free Days: 270+
- Sun: Full Sun
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 12-13)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Tree Tomato 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 tree tomato, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether tree tomato 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: USDA PLANTS Database. 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 tree tomato 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
Tree Tomato wants 270+ frost-free days; a typical Florida site sees ~320 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
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
Tree Tomato likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.8-7.5). 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 6.3 and 7 — 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
SSURGO maps about 44.6% of Florida as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Tree Tomato sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Florida soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Tree Tomato in Florida — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 12-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Jan 25 - Feb 10 to Dec 7 - Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Tree Tomato 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 tree tomato here specifically
Tree Tomato needs sharp drainage and sends shallow roots hardy to about 50°F; in Florida, about 44.6% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build tree tomato up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its crown never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Florida grower, not just tree tomato — 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 tree tomato to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Tree Tomato needs about 270 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Holmes County — Florida’s shortest season at 281 frost-free days — clears that by 11 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 tree tomato about 50 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"). Tree Tomato's 270-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
Tree Tomato draws native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, tree tomato 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 Tree Tomato
Tree Tomato is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (leaves, unripe fruit) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Florida Cooperative Extension
For Florida-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for tree tomato, the canonical source is UF/IFAS Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Tree Tomato in Florida
When can I plant Tree Tomato 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 Tree Tomato, 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 Tree Tomato grown in across Florida?
Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Tree Tomato carries a range of zones 12-13, 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). Tree Tomato needs 270+ 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.
How should I amend the soil for Tree Tomato in Florida?
Tree Tomato prefers pH 5.8-7.5 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 Tree Tomato actually grow on my specific land in Florida?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores tree 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 Florida
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores tree tomato against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Florida tree tomato 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 tree tomato average
Explore More
Growing guides for tree 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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