What Grows in Griggsville, Illinois

USDA Zones 6a · 708 acres

Griggsville, Illinois, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

These conditions suit cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Griggsville — the short answer

Griggsville, Illinois: USDA zone 6a, about 217 days between hard freezes, across 708 acres of city.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 30
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 2
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~217
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
City area
708 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

6a6a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6a is Griggsville's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Griggsville's 217-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Griggsville

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

Season length

Measured

Griggsville runs about 217 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Griggsville sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a.

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 Griggsville is in

Griggsville sits in the Interior River Valleys and Hills — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Griggsville's own centroid rather than borrowed from Pike County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Griggsville

Every plant below cleared Griggsville's own zone 6a and its 217-day season. Each card opens that plant's Illinois profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in IllinoisZones 2–11Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Illinois hazelnut guideZones 4–9Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in IllinoisZones 5–8Griggsville's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Illinois growing notesZones 2–11Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in IllinoisZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Illinois california poppy guideZones 6–10Griggsville's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in IllinoisZones 2–10Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
apple, photograph
Apple: Illinois growing notesZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in IllinoisZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Illinois kale guideZones 2–11Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pear, photograph
Pear in IllinoisZones 4–8Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Illinois growing notesGriggsville's 217 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in IllinoisZones 2–11Griggsville's 217 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Illinois okra guideZones 2–12Griggsville's 217 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in IllinoisZones 2–11Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Illinois growing notesZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in IllinoisZones 2–11Griggsville's 217 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Illinois azalea guideZones 4–8Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in IllinoisZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Illinois growing notesZones 3–10Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in IllinoisGriggsville's 217 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Illinois lilac guideZones 4–10Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in IllinoisZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Illinois growing notesZones 6–8Griggsville's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in IllinoisZones 3–9Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Illinois ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in IllinoisZones 2–7Griggsville's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Illinois growing notesZones 4–10Griggsville's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in IllinoisZones 2–10Griggsville's 217 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Illinois canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Griggsville's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Griggsville?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 2; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 30 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 2 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. A long window like this one runs successions deep into fall — and even its last weeks take quick greens and garlic.

What's on the federal record near Griggsville

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

  1. Casey's General Stores, Inc.Underground Storage Tanks · 200 ft
  2. Jiffi Stop #572Underground Storage Tanks · 250 ft
  3. United FeedsUnderground Storage Tanks · 450 ft
  4. Bruce Lightle FarmUnderground Storage Tanks · 450 ft
  5. Marshall RobertsUnderground Storage Tanks · 700 ft
  6. Robinson SinclairUnderground Storage Tanks · 700 ft
  7. Griggsville Township OfUnderground Storage Tanks · 800 ft
  8. Logan Oil CoUnderground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  9. Logan Agri-ServiceUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.6 mi
  10. ILLINOIS DEPT OF AGRICULTURE (CLEAN SWEEP)Brownfields · 0.6 mi
  11. BRUSH COLLEGE FINISHERSCAFO · 2.8 mi
  12. BLUE CREEKCAFO · 3.6 mi

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

Measured from Griggsville'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 Griggsville.

Total Sites

97

within ~10 miles of Griggsville

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

3 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Griggsville

High0Moderate18Low79

Highest-Severity Sites

Ayerco Convenience Center #11
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Callender Construction CO INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Callender Construction CO INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Callender Construction CO INC.
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Casey'S General Store #3310
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Griggsville, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Griggsville — CAFO (5 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (71 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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Griggsville

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 Griggsville average

Your land is one point inside Griggsville

Everything above resolves to Griggsville as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 708 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 city 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 Griggsville Average

Griggsville Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Griggsville
  • One soil character for all of Griggsville
  • Frost dates read at Griggsville's scale: Mar 30 to Nov 2

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Griggsville's 6a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Griggsville

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Griggsville averages 217Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Griggsville

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this city’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Griggsville’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 city grain anywhere on this page — there is no city-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 Griggsville

When does frost risk typically end in Griggsville?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Griggsville typically lands around Mar 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 Apr 20.

When is the first frost in Griggsville?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Griggsville typically arrives around Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 19, so the watching starts about Oct 3 — about 217 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Griggsville?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Griggsville sees about 217 frost-free days — roughly Mar 30 through Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 20 to Oct 19, about 182 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Griggsville?

The federal record around Griggsville shows 97 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (71), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out — 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.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Griggsville?

From about Oct 3 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 Nov 2 (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 Nov 2. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Griggsville's scale — its 6a band and its 217-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Griggsville'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 Griggsville’s own scale

6 of the readings below were taken at Griggsville's own scale — its own ~217-day season between 28°F freezes, the 708 acres it covers and 97 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Griggsville's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Griggsville's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Mar 30 and Nov 2 and the ~217-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 97 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Griggsville, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Griggsville's boundary and the 708 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~217-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Griggsville's own centroid, the Interior River Valleys and HillsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Griggsville's 708 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Pike County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Pike County
  • The growing challenges every Illinois grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Illinois
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Pike County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Griggsville's 708 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Griggsville you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 708 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile 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 Griggsville-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in Illinois

Wider growing context

What grows across Illinois

Griggsville sits outside our named growing regions, so Illinois as a whole is its closest context here.