What Grows in Bauxite, Arkansas

USDA Zones 8a-9a · 2K acres

Bauxite, Arkansas, sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.

A short list that earns its place here — tomato, peach, muscadine grape, and sweet potato — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Bauxite, 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 Bauxite lot. 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

8a-9a

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Jan 23

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Frost (state avg.)

Oct 15 - Nov 10

Town Area

2K acres

Hardiness Zone Range

8a
9a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Growing Season (statewide frost window)

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Last frost: Mar 15 - Apr 15First frost: Oct 15 - Nov 10

Zone maps are averages across Bauxite. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

Growing Challenges in Arkansas

What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.

Hot, humid summers drive fungal and bacterial diseases

Morning base-watering, wide spacing, and resistant varieties keep disease manageable — your extension lists what holds up here.

Heavy clay soils in parts of the Ozarks

A raised bed gets you growing this season; compost worked in each fall opens the clay for the long run.

Severe spring storms and hail risk

Keep row cover staged through storm season — five minutes of shelter can save a bed of seedlings from hail.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Arkansas, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is the authoritative local source.

Environmental Intelligence

Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Total Sites

352

within ~10 miles of Bauxite

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

21 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Bauxite

High0Moderate123Low229

Highest-Severity Sites

01s13w22baa1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01s13w22baa1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01s13w23ddd1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01s13w23ddd1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01s14w34bda1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Bauxite, two things run higher than the national average — Underground Storage Tanks (231 sites) and PFAS (3 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.

PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.

Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.

Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Bauxite

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:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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

Bauxite Average

  • USDA Zones 8a-9a
  • 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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Bauxite

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

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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 Bauxite, Arkansas

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a-9a (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 23 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 15 - Nov 10 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 2K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)

Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardiness zone is Bauxite, Arkansas?

Bauxite sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a, 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 Bauxite?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Bauxite typically lands around Jan 23, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.

What vegetables grow in Bauxite?

Bauxite's zones 8a-9a support a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Peach, Muscadine Grape, Sweet Potato, and Blackberry. 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 Bauxite, really?

Officially, Bauxite sits in USDA zones 8a-9a (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 Bauxite?

The federal record around Bauxite is a meaningful one — 352 documented sites — so a soil test before new food beds is a sensible precaution here, not a reason to hold back from growing. Remember that proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what sits where.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Bauxite?

As the season closes around Arkansas's first fall frost near Oct 15 - Nov 10 (NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020)), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.

Everything on this page is a Bauxite 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.