Lonoke County, in Arkansas, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.
Well-matched crops include tomato, peach, muscadine grape, and sweet potato, and the gap between "grows in the area" and "grows in your yard" is closed by soil, sun, and drainage.
Lonoke County lies within the Mississippi Delta — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Lonoke County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Lonoke 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.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
8a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Jan 25
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 15 - Nov 10
County Area
494K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season (statewide frost window)
Zone maps are averages across Lonoke County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Lonoke County
Across Lonoke County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Perry, Hebert, and Immanuel are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally poorly drained with a silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.3–5.6, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group C/D soils.
Soil order
Alfisols
Drainage
Poorly drained
Prime farmland
69%
Hydric soils
35%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Lonoke County
Plants matched to Lonoke County's USDA zones 8a — each links to its full growing profile.
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.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Lonoke County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Lonoke County — 347 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 2 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
There's a meaningful federal record across Lonoke County — worth a look before you plant food, not a reason to hold back from growing. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. A soil test before new food beds is the sensible precaution here, and the map shows exactly which sites sit where, so you can see what's actually near you.
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 Lonoke County
Severity Distribution
across Lonoke County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Lonoke County, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (5 sites) and Nitrate (152 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Lonoke 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
Lonoke County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8a
- ●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 Lonoke County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Lonoke County, Arkansas — 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 Lonoke County, Arkansas
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 25 (county 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)
- County Land Area: 494K 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 Lonoke 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 Lonoke County, Arkansas?
Lonoke County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, 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 Lonoke County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Lonoke County typically lands around Jan 25, 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 Lonoke County?
Lonoke County's zone 8a supports 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 Lonoke County, really?
Officially, Lonoke County sits in USDA zone 8a (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 Lonoke County?
The federal record around Lonoke County is a meaningful one — 347 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.
Just moved to Lonoke County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Lonoke County sits in USDA zone 8a, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Mar 15 - Apr 15 to Oct 15 - Nov 10 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 347 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 Lonoke 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 Arkansas's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.