Indiana spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-6b, with a growing season of about 190 frost-free days — a season that fits spring and fall plantings of cool-weather crops around a solid warm-season core.
The climate hand here is 36-46 inches of annual rainfall, a median of roughly 3,500 growing-degree days (base 50°F), and about 1,200 winter chill hours for tree fruit — the numbers that decide what ripens comfortably and what runs out of runway. The prevailing soils — silt loam, clay loam, glacial till, and alluvial — differ most in how they drain, which is exactly where crop success is usually decided. The conditions favor tomato, sweet corn, pawpaw, and peony, among others — though every individual site edits that list with its own soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded inUSDA PHZM 2023•NOAA Climate Normals•USDA NRCS SSURGO•GDD aggregate (Cornell CALS)•Chill-hour aggregate (MSU Extension)•EPA FRS•USDA PLANTS•Growable Ground suitability scoring
Indiana spans zones 5b-6b, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and low spots nudge it further. 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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USDA Zones
5b-6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last Frost
Apr 10 - May 10
NOAA 30-yr Normals
First Frost
Oct 1 - Oct 25
NOAA 30-yr Normals
Annual Rainfall
36-46 inches
NOAA Climate Normals
Zone maps are averages across Indiana. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
The soil types that dominate Indiana — how each drains decides more about crop success than almost anything else. Tap any soil to learn what it is and how to work with it.
Drainage
Moderate. Silt holds water well and releases it steadily, though the fine particles can crust after hard rain and compact under traffic.
What thrives
The full vegetable garden does well here, and small grains, corn, and leafy greens are classic silt-loam crops. Its steady moisture suits shallow-rooted plants that dislike drought stress.
No verified open-license photo yet — this loam is close kin to the loam and silt-loam profiles above.
Drainage
Slow to moderate. Water lingers in the root zone longer than in loam, which is a gift in dry summers and a challenge in wet springs.
What thrives
Heavy feeders that appreciate steady moisture — brassicas, corn, beans, and many fruit trees. Perennials with strong root systems establish well once they are through the first season.
Drainage
Variable by the shovelful. Sandy till drains freely; dense, compacted till (hardpan) can perch water above it after snowmelt and heavy rain.
What thrives
Apples, stone fruits, brambles, and the whole northern vegetable garden do well on till — much of New England and the upper Midwest farms it. Deep-rooted perennials work through the stony structure happily.
Drainage
Usually good: rivers sort their loads, and most alluvial soils have enough sand and silt to move water while holding plenty for roots. Low-lying pockets can run wet.
What thrives
Nearly everything — vegetables, orchards, vines, and berries all prosper on alluvium. Its depth lets roots go as far down as they care to.
Soil data: USDA NRCS SSURGO · Soil types explained
Plants well-suited to Indiana's climate, soils, and growing season — each links to its full growing profile.
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Across Indiana, cool-season planting typically opens about four weeks before the local last hard freeze — county medians put that freeze near Mar 19, with the middle half of counties between Mar 13 and Mar 25 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). Tender transplants wait two to three weeks past it, and fall planting counts back from first freezes mostly between Nov 18 and Nov 23 — 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.
The plants Indiana put its name on — cultural emblems, not growing recommendations.
Peony
Paeonia
Designated 1957.
Liriodendron tulipifera
Designated 1931. In our plant library — see its full growing profile.
Plants the USDA PLANTS Database documents as native and present in Indiana — a real per-state range, not just a zone match. Presence is statewide, so a plant may still be uncommon in your specific county; your state’s Cooperative Extension or a native-plant society is the local authority.
US-native plants whose hardiness range overlaps Indiana’s USDA zones 5b-6b but which USDA PLANTS doesn’t map to a single state range here. Zone overlap is a starting filter, not a range map.
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils limit drainage in many areas
Mounded rows and compost open clay up — and where water still stands, a raised bed ends the argument.
Late spring frosts through early May
Hold tender transplants until your local last-frost normal clears — hardy greens will happily take the early slot.
Hot humid summers promote blight and mildew
Mulch to stop soil splash, water at the base, and rotate crop families — the blight playbook your extension teaches.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Indiana, the Purdue Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?What the federal record shows across Indiana — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Indiana — 33,216 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 423 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Indiana carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Indiana
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Indiana, two things run higher than the national average — Toxic Release Inventory (2,883 sites) and Superfund (423 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
State averages sketch the shape. Your soil, sun exposure, drainage, and microclimate decide what actually takes. Pull a site-specific report for your exact parcel.
Enter your address. We read your soil, sun, drainage, and frost dates, then score 1,112 plants against the real conditions on your land.
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
Indiana spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-6b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Across Indiana, cool-season planting typically opens about four weeks before the local last hard freeze — county medians put that freeze near Mar 19, with the middle half of counties between Mar 13 and Mar 25 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). Tender transplants wait two to three weeks past it, and fall planting counts back from first freezes mostly between Nov 18 and Nov 23 — 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.
Across Indiana, the middle half of counties see their last hard freeze (28°F) between about Mar 13 and Mar 25, with a county median near Mar 19 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, growing seasons across Indiana's counties mostly run about 239 to 255 days, with a county median near 246 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
Indiana's zones 5b-6b support a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Sweet Corn, Pawpaw, Peony, and Apple. 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.
Officially, Indiana spans USDA zones 5b-6b (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.
The federal record across Indiana runs heavier than most — 33,216 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Start with three facts. Indiana spans USDA zones 5b-6b, which sets what survives winter; last hard freezes range from about Mar 13 to Mar 25 across its counties (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 33,216 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Indiana 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.
Explore growing conditions by county — each has its own zone range and land area.
Explore growing conditions by city or town in Indiana.
