Jefferson County, in Florida, sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Reliable performers under these conditions include mango, tomato, orange, and sweet potato; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.
Jefferson County lies within the Florida Panhandle — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring
Jefferson County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Jefferson 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
9a
Last Frost (state avg.)
Jan 1 - Mar 15
First Frost (state avg.)
Nov 15 - never (south FL)
County Area
383K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across Jefferson County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Jefferson County
Across Jefferson County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Orangeburg, Chaires, and Surrency are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a fine sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.7–5.4, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B/D soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
21%
Hydric soils
39%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Jefferson County
Plants matched to Jefferson County's USDA zones 9a — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Florida
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Sandy soils drain too fast and hold few nutrients — frequent fertilization needed
Build organic matter relentlessly — compost and cover crops turn sand into soil that holds both water and food.
Humidity drives fungal diseases (powdery mildew, black spot, rust)
Space plants for airflow, water at the base in the morning, and choose resistant varieties — your extension office lists the proven ones.
Hurricane season (June-November) can destroy plantings
Favor wind-tough perennials, stake young trees properly, and keep fall crops in containers you can move ahead of a storm.
Nematodes are a serious pest in sandy FL soils
Summer solarization and crop-family rotation knock nematodes back — your extension office can confirm the species from a soil sample.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Florida, the UF/IFAS Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Jefferson County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Jefferson County — 168 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
The federal record across Jefferson County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.
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.
Total Sites
168
across Jefferson County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Jefferson County
Severity Distribution
across Jefferson County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Jefferson County, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (3 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (129 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Average
- ●USDA Zones 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
Read your parcel in Jefferson County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Jefferson County, Florida — 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 Jefferson County, Florida
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 9a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Spring Frost (state avg.): Jan 1 - Mar 15 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Nov 15 - never (south FL) (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 383K 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Florida?
Jefferson County sits in USDA hardiness zone 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County follows Florida's statewide frost window: last spring frost around Jan 1 - Mar 15 and first fall frost around Nov 15 - never (south FL), 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County's zone 9a supports a wide range — strong performers include Mango, Tomato, Orange, Sweet Potato, and Banana. 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 Jefferson County, really?
Officially, Jefferson County sits in USDA zone 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 Jefferson County?
The federal record around Jefferson County shows 168 documented sites — 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.
Just moved to Jefferson County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Jefferson County sits in USDA zone 9a, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Jan 1 - Mar 15 to Nov 15 - never (south FL) (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 168 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Jefferson 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 Florida's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.