What Grows in Anchor Point, Alaska

USDA Zones 6a · 59K acres

Anchor Point, Alaska, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

On paper, cabbage, blackberry, california poppy, and collard greens all suit these conditions — on the ground, soil, sun, and drainage make the final call.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Anchor Point, no two yards are alike.

A low spot, a south-facing slope, or a stand of trees moves the frost date and sun across a single Anchor Point lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

We read public map data around Anchor Point — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Anchor Point — the short answer

Anchor Point, Alaska: USDA zone 6a, about 148 days between hard freezes, across 59K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
May 2
Kenai Peninsula Borough normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Sep 27
Kenai Peninsula Borough normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~148
Kenai Peninsula Borough normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
59K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. No 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid, so the hard-freeze dates are Kenai Peninsula Borough’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

6a6a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6a is Anchor Point's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Anchor Point's 148-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Anchor Point

Each reading below is measured for Anchor Point itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Season length

From county records

Anchor Point runs about 148 days between hard freezes (read from Kenai Peninsula Borough, the closest normal to Anchor Point) — a short growing season.

Long-maturing crops like melons, sweet potatoes, and winter squash can run out of runway before the first hard freeze, ripening late or not at all.

Lead with fast-maturing varieties, and stretch the season on both ends with cold frames, low tunnels, or a greenhouse.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Anchor Point sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

USDA PHZM 2023

What Grows in Anchor Point

Every plant below cleared Anchor Point's own zone 6a and its 148-day season. Each card opens that plant's Alaska profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in AlaskaZones 2–11Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Alaska blackberry guideZones 5–8Anchor Point's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in AlaskaZones 6–10Anchor Point's 6a is its exact cold limit.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Alaska growing notesZones 2–11Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Growing cranberry in AlaskaZones 2–7Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Alaska lavender guideZones 5–8Anchor Point's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Kale in AlaskaZones 2–11Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: Alaska growing notesZones 5–9Anchor Point's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in AlaskaZones 3–8Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Alaska lentil guideZones 2–11Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~70 it needs.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in AlaskaZones 5–9Anchor Point's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
black cohosh, photograph
Black cohosh: Alaska growing notesZones 3–8Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Growing okra in AlaskaZones 2–12Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~50 it needs.
pumpkin, photograph
Alaska pumpkin guideZones 3–11Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~40 it needs.
rhubarb, photograph
Rhubarb in AlaskaZones 2–8Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~60 it needs.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Alaska growing notesZones 3–8Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in AlaskaZones 2–11Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Alaska azalea guideZones 4–8Anchor Point's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in AlaskaZones 3–8Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Alaska growing notesZones 3–10Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in AlaskaAnchor Point's 148 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Alaska lilac guideZones 4–10Anchor Point's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Dutchman's pipe, photograph
Dutchman's pipe in AlaskaZones 4–8Anchor Point's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Alaska growing notesZones 6–8Anchor Point's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in AlaskaZones 3–9Anchor Point's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Alaska ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Anchor Point's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in AlaskaZones 2–7Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: Alaska growing notesZones 2–8Anchor Point's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
berseem clover, photograph
Growing berseem clover in AlaskaZones 3–9Anchor Point's 148 days clear the ~60 it needs.
blue oat grass, photograph
Alaska blue oat grass guideZones 4–8Anchor Point's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Anchor Point?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Apr 4; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near May 2 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Sep 27 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. When the window is tight, the fall moves are quick ones — baby greens, radishes, and garlic set for next season.

What's on the federal record near Anchor Point

Closest first, within ~10 miles of Anchor Point. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. SC00501432BAAC1 003Nitrate · 2.9 mi
  2. ANCHOR POINT PIPELINE PROJECTBrownfields · 3.3 mi
  3. C.A.P.G. - Robert W. CraigUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.1 mi
  4. Eric Eugene HillUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.1 mi
  5. SC00601409BADC1 001Nitrate · 5.0 mi
  6. SC00601402CCAA1 001Nitrate · 5.2 mi
  7. Thurmond's FarWest AutoUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.2 mi
  8. Kender EnterprisesUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.2 mi
  9. Diamond RidgeUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.3 mi
  10. ADOTPF - Equipment Shop HomerUnderground Storage Tanks · 6.0 mi
  11. SC00501329CACA2 001Nitrate · 6.1 mi
  12. SC00501329CACA1 001Nitrate · 6.1 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Anchor Point's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Anchor Point.

Total Sites

93

within ~10 miles of Anchor Point

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

9 brownfield sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Anchor Point

High0Moderate53Low40

Highest-Severity Sites

Essential 1 Homer
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Homer Public Works, Sewage Plant
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Pms Homer Truck Yard
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Sc00501329caca1 001
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
Sc00501329caca1 001
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Anchor Point, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 48 sites within ~10 miles of Anchor Point. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.

Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Anchor Point

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Anchor Point average

Your land is one point inside Anchor Point

Everything above resolves to Anchor Point as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 59K acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Kenai Peninsula Borough’s record because no 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at town scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better local average.

Your Lot vs the Anchor Point Average

Anchor Point Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Anchor Point
  • One soil character for all of Anchor Point
  • Frost dates read at Anchor Point's scale: May 2 to Sep 27

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Anchor Point's 6a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Anchor Point

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Anchor Point, Alaska — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

Three things about your lot that Anchor Point averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Anchor Point averages 148Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Anchor Point — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Anchor Point average

How we know this about Anchor Point

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this town’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Kenai Peninsula Borough’s record, because none resolves here; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Soil is not read at town grain anywhere on this page — there is no town-resolution survey in our data, which is why you will find no soil grid here rather than a statewide one wearing a local label. The resolution ledger below names every figure this page inherited.

Common questions about Anchor Point

When does frost risk typically end in Anchor Point?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Anchor Point typically lands around May 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about May 23.

When is the first frost in Anchor Point?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Anchor Point typically arrives around Sep 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Sep 13, so the watching starts about Aug 28 — about 148 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Anchor Point?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Anchor Point sees about 148 frost-free days — roughly May 2 through Sep 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 23 to Sep 13, about 113 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Anchor Point?

The federal record around Anchor Point shows 93 documented sites, mostly Nitrate entries (48), the nearest Nitrate record about 2.9 miles out — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.

How do gardeners stretch the season in Anchor Point?

With about 148 frost-free days between hard freezes, Anchor Point rewards the classic extension moves: floating row cover buys roughly two to four extra weeks at each shoulder — on this season that is a working window nearer 176 to 204 days — and cold frames or low tunnels buy more. Starting transplants indoors ahead of the May 2 hard-freeze normal stretches the season without touching the calendar.

Everything above is measured at Anchor Point's scale — its 6a band and its 148-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Anchor Point's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Anchor Point’s own scale

4 of the readings below were taken at Anchor Point's own scale — the 58,654 acres it covers and 93 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Anchor Point's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 93 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Anchor Point, the closest Nitrate record about 2.9 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Anchor Point's boundary and the 58,654 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~148-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — Anchor Point has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Kenai Peninsula Borough
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Anchor Point's 58,654 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Kenai Peninsula County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Kenai Peninsula County
  • The growing challenges every Alaska grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Alaska
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Kenai Peninsula County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Anchor Point's 58,654 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Anchor Point you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 58,654 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Nitrate record about 2.9 miles out, measured from the town centrehow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — measured at your address, and averaged away by any Anchor Point-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address