What Grows in Moreland, Idaho

USDA Zones 5b · 2K acres

Moreland, Idaho, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

A short list that earns its place here — cabbage, cranberry, lavender, and collard greens — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Moreland — the short answer

Moreland, Idaho: USDA zone 5b, about 164 days between hard freezes, across 2K acres of town.

USDA zone
5b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 30
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 11
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~164
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
2K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

5b5b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 5b is Moreland's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Moreland's 164-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Moreland

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

Season length

Measured

Moreland runs about 164 days between hard freezes — a moderate growing season.

There is room for the full run of cool-season crops plus a warm-season main crop, but the calendar is tight enough that a late spring or early fall frost still decides how much finishes.

Time warm-season transplants to your last hard freeze, and a few weeks of season extension turns a near-miss harvest into a sure one.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Moreland sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b.

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 Moreland is in

Moreland sits in the Snake River Plain — EPA Level III, inside the wider North American Deserts. That is read at Moreland's own centroid rather than borrowed from Bingham County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Moreland

Every plant below cleared Moreland's own zone 5b and its 164-day season. Each card opens that plant's Idaho profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in IdahoZones 2–11Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Idaho cranberry guideZones 2–7Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in IdahoZones 5–8Moreland's 5b is its exact cold limit.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Idaho growing notesZones 2–11Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in IdahoZones 5–8Moreland's 5b is its exact cold limit.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Idaho st. johns wort guideZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in IdahoZones 2–10Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: Idaho growing notesZones 5–9Moreland's 5b is its exact cold limit.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in IdahoMoreland's 164 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Idaho kale guideZones 2–11Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in IdahoZones 5–9Moreland's 5b is its exact cold limit.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: Idaho growing notesZones 2–11Moreland's 164 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Growing okra in IdahoZones 2–12Moreland's 164 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Idaho potato guideZones 2–11Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in IdahoZones 3–11Moreland's 164 days clear the ~40 it needs.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Idaho growing notesZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in IdahoZones 2–11Moreland's 164 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Idaho azalea guideZones 4–8Moreland's 5b — 1 zone of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in IdahoZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Idaho growing notesZones 3–10Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in IdahoMoreland's 164 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Idaho lilac guideZones 4–10Moreland's 5b — 1 zone of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in IdahoZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Canada anemone, photograph
Canada anemone: Idaho growing notesZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in IdahoZones 3–9Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Idaho alfalfa guideZones 2–10Moreland's 164 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in IdahoZones 2–7Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: Idaho growing notesZones 2–8Moreland's 5b — 3 zones of cold margin.
annual ryegrass, photograph
Growing annual ryegrass in IdahoZones 3–10Moreland's 164 days clear the ~90 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Idaho canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Moreland's 5b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Moreland?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Apr 2; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 30 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 11 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. As the window narrows, the plantings just get faster — fall brassicas, then greens, then garlic to finish.

What's on the federal record near Moreland

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

  1. SIMPLOT GROWER SOLUTIONS MORELANDBrownfields · 1000 ft
  2. GARY'S SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1500 ft
  3. MORELAND GROCERYUnderground Storage Tanks · 1800 ft
  4. JB'S COUNTRY STOREUnderground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  5. KARRS (Mountain West Electric)Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  6. SNAKE RIVER LIVESTOCK, FEEDLOTCAFO · 0.9 mi
  7. MILLCREEK METALSToxics Release Inventory · 1.0 mi
  8. MILLCREEK METALSBrownfields · 1.0 mi
  9. MILLER'S HONEY FARMS INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  10. 02S 34E 24ACBC1Nitrate · 1.3 mi
  11. BLACKFOOT BRASSToxics Release Inventory · 1.3 mi
  12. SPUDNIK EQUIPMENT CO 2Underground Storage Tanks · 1.4 mi

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

Measured from Moreland'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 Moreland.

Total Sites

273

within ~10 miles of Moreland

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Moreland

High2Moderate168Low103

Highest-Severity Sites

Blackfoot City of
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Fort Hall
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
01S 33E 13abb2
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01S 33E 13abb2
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
01S 34E 24cdd1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Moreland, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Moreland — CAFO (8 sites) and Nitrate (140 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.

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

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

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 Moreland

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 Moreland average

Your land is one point inside Moreland

Everything above resolves to Moreland as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 2K acres. 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 Moreland Average

Moreland Average

  • USDA Zones 5b, averaged across Moreland
  • One soil character for all of Moreland
  • Frost dates read at Moreland's scale: Apr 30 to Oct 11

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Moreland's 5b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Moreland

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Moreland averages 164Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Moreland

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 Moreland’s own record; 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 Moreland

When does frost risk typically end in Moreland?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Moreland typically lands around Apr 30, 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 21.

When is the first frost in Moreland?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Moreland typically arrives around Oct 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Sep 27, so the watching starts about Sep 11 — about 164 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Moreland?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Moreland sees about 164 frost-free days — roughly Apr 30 through Oct 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 21 to Sep 27, about 129 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Moreland?

The federal record around Moreland is a meaningful one — 273 documented sites, mostly Nitrate entries (140), 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 Moreland?

From about Sep 11 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 Oct 11 (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 Oct 11. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Moreland's scale — its 5b band and its 164-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Moreland'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 Moreland’s own scale

6 of the readings below were taken at Moreland's own scale — its own ~164-day season between 28°F freezes, the 1,560 acres it covers and 273 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Moreland's own USDA hardiness band, zones 5bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Moreland's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 30 and Oct 11 and the ~164-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 273 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Moreland, the closest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Moreland's boundary and the 1,560 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 5b and a ~164-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Moreland's own centroid, the Snake River PlainUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Moreland's 1,560 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Bingham County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Bingham County
  • The growing challenges every Idaho grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Idaho
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Bingham County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Moreland's 1,560 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Moreland you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 1,560 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 Moreland-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address