Clarke County, in Alabama, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.
Crops well matched to these conditions include pecan, muscadine grape, okra, and collard greens — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring
Clarke County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Clarke County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Quick Facts
USDA Zones
8b
Last Frost (state avg.)
Feb 28 - Apr 5
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 25 - Nov 20
County Area
793K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across Clarke County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Clarke County
Across Clarke County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Smithdale, Luverne, and Wadley are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a loamy sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.0–5.1, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group A soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
10%
Hydric soils
8%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Clarke County
Plants matched to Clarke County's USDA zones 8b — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Alabama
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils in the Piedmont region
Open clay with compost over time — or start above it in a raised bed and let the ground catch up underneath.
High humidity promotes fungal diseases
Airflow is the free fungicide: space generously, water at the base in the morning, and pick resistant varieties from your extension's list.
Fire ants are a persistent garden pest
Season-long baiting beats mound-by-mound whack-a-mole — your extension office publishes the current program that works.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Alabama, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Clarke County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Clarke County — 241 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 3 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Clarke County 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.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
across Clarke County
Severity Distribution
across Clarke County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Clarke County, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (6 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (163 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Clarke County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Clarke County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8b
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Clarke County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Clarke County, Alabama — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Clarke County, Alabama
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Spring Frost (state avg.): Feb 28 - Apr 5 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 793K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Clarke County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Clarke County, Alabama?
Clarke County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
When does frost risk typically end in Clarke County?
Clarke County follows Alabama's statewide frost window: last spring frost around Feb 28 - Apr 5 and first fall frost around Oct 25 - Nov 20, per NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020). Frost dates shift with elevation and local microclimate, so watch your own site's cold pockets.
What vegetables grow in Clarke County?
Clarke County's zone 8b supports a wide range — strong performers include Pecan, Muscadine Grape, Okra, Collard Greens, and Fig. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Clarke County, really?
Officially, Clarke County sits in USDA zone 8b (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Clarke County?
The federal record around Clarke County runs heavier than most — 241 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Clarke County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Clarke County sits in USDA zone 8b, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Feb 28 - Apr 5 to Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 241 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Clarke County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Alabama's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.