What Grows in Park Ridge, Illinois

USDA Zones 6a · 5K acres

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

The conditions favor cabbage, blueberry, lavender, and collard greens, among others — though every individual site edits that list with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Park Ridge — the short answer

Park Ridge, Illinois: USDA zone 6a, about 220 days between hard freezes, across 5K acres of city.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 4
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 10
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~220
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
City area
5K 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)
Your USDA zone 6aSee the zone map →

Zone 6a is Park Ridge's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Park Ridge's 220-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Park Ridge

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

Season length

Measured

Park Ridge runs about 220 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.

Making the most of a long season

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Park Ridge 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.

How hardiness zones work

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Park Ridge is in

Park Ridge sits in the Central Corn Belt Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Park Ridge's own centroid rather than borrowed from Cook County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Park Ridge

Every plant below cleared Park Ridge's own zone 6a and its 220-day season. Each card opens that plant's Illinois profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in IllinoisZones 2–11Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Illinois blueberry guideZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in IllinoisZones 5–8Park Ridge's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Illinois growing notesZones 2–11Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Growing hazelnut in IllinoisZones 4–9Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Illinois california poppy guideZones 6–10Park Ridge's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in IllinoisZones 2–10Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
apple, photograph
Apple: Illinois growing notesZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in IllinoisZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Illinois kale guideZones 2–11Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pear, photograph
Pear in IllinoisZones 4–8Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Illinois growing notesPark Ridge's 220 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in IllinoisZones 2–11Park Ridge's 220 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Illinois okra guideZones 2–12Park Ridge's 220 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in IllinoisZones 2–11Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Illinois growing notesZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in IllinoisZones 2–11Park Ridge's 220 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Illinois azalea guideZones 4–8Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in IllinoisZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Illinois growing notesZones 3–10Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in IllinoisPark Ridge's 220 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Illinois lilac guideZones 4–10Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in IllinoisZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Illinois growing notesZones 6–8Park Ridge's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in IllinoisZones 3–9Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Illinois ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in IllinoisZones 2–7Park Ridge's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Illinois growing notesZones 4–10Park Ridge's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in IllinoisZones 2–10Park Ridge's 220 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Illinois canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Park Ridge's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Park Ridge?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 7; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 4 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 10 — 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.

Documented around Park Ridge

Spotted lanternfly documented 10 miles from Park Ridge, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Park Ridge

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

  1. Park Ridge BP (GEI-183)Underground Storage Tanks · 600 ft
  2. KRIS TOUHY AUTO INCBrownfields · 600 ft
  3. Park Ridge Shell, LLCUnderground Storage Tanks · 700 ft
  4. LUTHERAN GENERAL HOSPITALPFAS · 750 ft
  5. PARK RIDGEPFAS · 750 ft
  6. GREENWOOD 1 HOUR CLEANERSBrownfields · 850 ft
  7. Thornton's #19Underground Storage Tanks · 1000 ft
  8. Nicor GasUnderground Storage Tanks · 1100 ft
  9. 41N12E-34.1h1Nitrate · 1300 ft
  10. MAINE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL SOUTHSuperfund · 1600 ft
  11. Park Ridge Park DistrictUnderground Storage Tanks · 1700 ft
  12. Park Ridge Public WorksUnderground Storage Tanks · 1700 ft

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

Measured from Park Ridge'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 Park Ridge.

Total Sites

6,389

within ~10 miles of Park Ridge

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

41 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Explore the live map
Underground Storage Tanks3,055Brownfields2,477Toxics Release Inventory641Nitrate132PFAS43

Sources Checked

within ~10 miles of Park Ridge

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Park Ridge

High1Moderate1,573Low4,815

Highest-Severity Sites

1200 Shemer Rd.
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
1805, INC. & Egvs, INC.
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
231 Martingale Associates, LLC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
2474, INC. & Rggd, INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
2800, INC. & 3216N, INC.
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Park Ridge, Toxics Release Inventory runs higher than the national average — 641 sites within ~10 miles of Park Ridge. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

Toxics Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.

Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.

grow under coverread your soil before you plantSee what's flagged near Park Ridge
Explore the contamination map around Park Ridge·Illinois Growing Guide
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Park Ridge

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 Park Ridge average

Your land is one point inside Park Ridge

Everything above resolves to Park Ridge as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 5K 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 Park Ridge Average

Park Ridge Average

  • ●USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Park Ridge
  • ●One soil character for all of Park Ridge
  • ●Frost dates read at Park Ridge's scale: Apr 4 to Nov 10

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Park Ridge

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Park Ridge averages 220Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Park Ridge

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 Park Ridge’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 Park Ridge

When does frost risk typically end in Park Ridge?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Park Ridge typically lands around Apr 4, 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 25.

When is the first frost in Park Ridge?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Park Ridge typically arrives around Nov 10, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 27, so the watching starts about Oct 11 — about 220 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Park Ridge?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Park Ridge sees about 220 frost-free days — roughly Apr 4 through Nov 10, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 25 to Oct 27, about 185 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Park Ridge?

The federal record around Park Ridge is a meaningful one — 6,389 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (3,055), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Park Ridge?

From about Oct 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 Nov 10 (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 10. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Park Ridge's scale — its 6a band and its 220-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Park Ridge'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 Park Ridge’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Park Ridge's own scale — its own ~220-day season between 28°F freezes, the 4,536 acres it covers and 6,389 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Park Ridge's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Park Ridge's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 4 and Nov 10 and the ~220-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 6,389 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Park Ridge, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Park Ridge's boundary and the 4,536 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~220-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Park Ridge's own centroid, the Central Corn Belt PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Park Ridgelydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Park Ridge's 4,536 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Cook County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Cook 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 Cook County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Park Ridge's 4,536 acreswhy one lot differs from the next →
  • Which side of Park Ridge you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 4,536 acresreading your own microclimate →
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Park Ridge-wide figureread your own land →
The next step finer is your own address

More in Illinois

Cook County Growing Guide·Illinois Growing Guide
USDA PHZM•NOAA Climate Normals•US Census TIGER•PRISM Climate•EPA FRS