What Grows in Union Park, Florida

USDA Zones 10a · 2K acres

Union Park, Florida, sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

These conditions suit okra, meyer lemon, california poppy, and artichoke — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Union Park, 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 Union Park 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 Union Park — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Union Park — the short answer

Union Park, Florida: USDA zone 10a, about 335 days between hard freezes, across 2K acres of town.

USDA zone
10a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Jan 20
Orange County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Dec 21
Orange County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~335
Orange County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
2K 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 Orange County’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

10a10a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 10a is Union Park's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Union Park's 335-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Union Park

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

Season length

From county records

Union Park runs about 335 days between hard freezes (read from Orange County, the closest normal to Union Park) — close to year-round growing.

Frost is rarely the limit here; winter plantings are as real as summer ones, and the harder question is which crops shrug off the summer heat.

Grow cool-season crops through the mild winter, and choose heat-tolerant varieties for the summer beds.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Union Park sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a.

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

The kind of country Union Park is in

Union Park sits in the Southern Coastal Plain — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Union Park's own centroid rather than borrowed from Orange County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Union Park

Every plant below cleared Union Park's own zone 10a and its 335-day season. Each card opens that plant's Florida profile. How we score.

okra, photograph
Growing okra in FloridaZones 2–12Union Park's 335 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Meyer lemon, photograph
Florida meyer lemon guideZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in FloridaZones 6–10Union Park's 10a — 4 zones of cold margin.
artichoke, photograph
Artichoke: Florida growing notesZones 7–11Union Park's 10a — 3 zones of cold margin.
avocado, photograph
Growing avocado in FloridaZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
basil, photograph
Florida basil guideZones 10–11Union Park's 335 days clear the ~80 it needs.
cabbage, photograph
Cabbage in FloridaZones 2–11Union Park's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
banana, photograph
Banana: Florida growing notesZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
rosemary, photograph
Growing rosemary in FloridaZones 8–10Union Park's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Florida collard greens guideZones 2–11Union Park's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
citrus, photograph
Citrus in FloridaZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Kale: Florida growing notesZones 2–11Union Park's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in FloridaZones 2–11Union Park's 335 days clear the ~70 it needs.
potato, photograph
Florida potato guideZones 2–11Union Park's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in FloridaZones 3–11Union Park's 335 days clear the ~40 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Florida growing notesZones 3–10Union Park's 10a — 7 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in FloridaZones 2–11Union Park's 335 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Florida apache plume guideZones 5–11Union Park's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
bougainvillea, photograph
Bougainvillea in FloridaZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
lantana, photograph
Lantana: Florida growing notesZones 10–11Union Park's 10a is its exact cold limit.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in FloridaUnion Park's 335 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Florida holly guideZones 5–11Union Park's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
jasmine, photograph
Jasmine in FloridaZones 9–11Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
mountain laurel, photograph
Mountain laurel: Florida growing notesZones 5–11Union Park's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
moringa, photograph
Growing moringa in FloridaZones 9–12Union Park's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
African foxtail, photograph
Florida african foxtail guideZones 8–13Union Park's 335 days clear the ~120 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in FloridaZones 5–11Union Park's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
palo verde, photograph
Palo verde: Florida growing notesZones 8–11Union Park's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Vuda blue grass, photograph
Growing vuda blue grass in FloridaZones 8–13Union Park's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
liriope, photograph
Florida liriope guideZones 5–11Union Park's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Union Park?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 1; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Jan 20 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 21 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.

What's on the federal record near Union Park

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

  1. O'REILLY AUTO PARTS #4611Brownfields · 1200 ft
  2. DOWNEY FOOD MARTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  3. GOODYEAR DEALER EXPANSION #9468Underground Storage Tanks · 1500 ft
  4. COLONIAL AUTO MARTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  5. ACTION GATOR TIREBrownfields · 1600 ft
  6. CUMBERLAND FARMS #0952Underground Storage Tanks · 1900 ft
  7. UNION PARK DRY CLEANERSBrownfields · 2100 ft
  8. TEXACO MARTUnderground Storage Tanks · 2100 ft
  9. THANK YOU COME AGAINUnderground Storage Tanks · 2300 ft
  10. CHEVRON #47786Underground Storage Tanks · 2300 ft
  11. BP AMOCO #6315Underground Storage Tanks · 2300 ft
  12. UNION PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBrownfields · 2400 ft

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

Measured from Union Park'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 Union Park.

Total Sites

1,969

within ~10 miles of Union Park

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

21 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Union Park

High3Moderate374Low1,592

Highest-Severity Sites

Casselberry, City of (3 Wps)
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
City Industries, INC.
Superfund · Superfund NPL
111 N Orange LLC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
5 Sparrows Fla LLC Dba 5 Sparrow #2
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven Food Store #10017-06
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

Know Before You Grow

  • Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
  • Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
  • TRI facilities report what they release. Check the wind — downwind beds catch more of it.
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Union Park

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 Union Park average

Your land is one point inside Union Park

Everything above resolves to Union Park as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 2K acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Orange County’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 Union Park Average

Union Park Average

  • USDA Zones 10a, averaged across Union Park
  • One soil character for all of Union Park
  • Frost dates read at Union Park's scale: Jan 20 to Dec 21

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Union Park's 10a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Union Park

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

Three things about your lot that Union Park averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Union Park averages 335Your sun & shade

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

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Union Park average

How we know this about Union Park

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 Orange County’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 Union Park

When does frost risk typically end in Union Park?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Union Park typically lands around Jan 20, 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 Feb 10.

When is the first frost in Union Park?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Union Park typically arrives around Dec 21, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Dec 7, so the watching starts about Nov 21 — about 335 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Union Park?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Union Park sees about 335 frost-free days — roughly Jan 20 through Dec 21, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Feb 10 to Dec 7, about 300 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Union Park?

The federal record around Union Park is a meaningful one — 1,969 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (1,152), the nearest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out — 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 Union Park?

From about Nov 21 the job here turns from planting to protecting — the last start even a 30-day crop can finish. As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Dec 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), three moves buy time: row cover or an old sheet over tender plants on still, clear nights; water the soil the afternoon before a freeze, so it holds warmth overnight; and harvest tomatoes, peppers and basil before Dec 21. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Union Park's scale — its 10a band and its 335-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Union Park'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 Union Park’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at Union Park's own scale — the 1,824 acres it covers and 1,969 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Union Park's own USDA hardiness band, zones 10aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 1,969 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Union Park, the closest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Union Park's boundary and the 1,824 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 10a and a ~335-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Union Park's own centroid, the Southern Coastal PlainUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — Union Park has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Orange County
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Union Park's 1,824 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Orange County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Orange County
  • The growing challenges every Florida grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Florida
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Orange County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Union Park's 1,824 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Union Park you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 1,824 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Brownfields record about 0.2 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 Union Park-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address