What Grows in Fredericksburg, Indiana

USDA Zones 6b · 688 acres

Fredericksburg, Indiana, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

Crops well matched to these conditions include cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Fredericksburg — the short answer

Fredericksburg, Indiana: USDA zone 6b, about 206 days between hard freezes, across 688 acres of town.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 7
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 30
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~206
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
688 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

6b6b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6b is Fredericksburg's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Fredericksburg's 206-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Fredericksburg

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

Season length

Measured

Fredericksburg runs about 206 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

Fredericksburg sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

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 Fredericksburg is in

Fredericksburg sits in the Interior Plateau — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Fredericksburg's own centroid rather than borrowed from Washington County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Fredericksburg

Every plant below cleared Fredericksburg's own zone 6b and its 206-day season. Each card opens that plant's Indiana profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in IndianaZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Indiana hazelnut guideZones 4–9Fredericksburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in IndianaZones 5–8Fredericksburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Indiana growing notesZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in IndianaZones 5–8Fredericksburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Indiana california poppy guideZones 6–10Fredericksburg's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in IndianaZones 2–10Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Blueberry: Indiana growing notesZones 3–8Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in IndianaFredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Indiana kale guideZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in IndianaZones 5–9Fredericksburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Indiana growing notesZones 4–9Fredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in IndianaZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Indiana okra guideZones 2–12Fredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in IndianaZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Indiana growing notesZones 3–10Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in IndianaZones 2–11Fredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Indiana lilac guideZones 4–10Fredericksburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in IndianaZones 3–8Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Indiana growing notesZones 3–8Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in IndianaFredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Indiana apache plume guideZones 5–11Fredericksburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in IndianaZones 3–9Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Indiana growing notesZones 6–8Fredericksburg's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in IndianaZones 3–9Fredericksburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Indiana ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Fredericksburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in IndianaZones 2–7Fredericksburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Indiana growing notesZones 4–10Fredericksburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in IndianaZones 2–10Fredericksburg's 206 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Indiana indian grass guideZones 4–9Fredericksburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Fredericksburg?

Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 10; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 7 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 30 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

Documented around Fredericksburg

Survey cells within 31 miles of Fredericksburg checked for spotted lanternfly, none carrying a detection — a surveyed negative, not an absence of looking. Nearest documented record 71 miles off. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Fredericksburg

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

  1. US Post OfficeUnderground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  2. RAEL OIL COMPANYUnderground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  3. WHISTLIN & WHITTLIN LLCBrownfields · 3.6 mi
  4. JACOBI SALES INCORPORATEDUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.7 mi
  5. ANOPRO, LLCBrownfields · 4.7 mi
  6. RONNYS SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.8 mi
  7. Peasters MarathonUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.9 mi
  8. HOOSIER HILLS RADIATOR REPAIR PAUL EVESLAGEUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.0 mi
  9. SAV A STEP 41Underground Storage Tanks · 5.0 mi
  10. GAS STATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.0 mi
  11. RONALD HAYES STANDARD SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.1 mi
  12. Bulk Petroleum 2757Underground Storage Tanks · 5.1 mi

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

Measured from Fredericksburg'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 Fredericksburg.

Total Sites

57

within ~10 miles of Fredericksburg

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Fredericksburg

High2Moderate23Low32

Highest-Severity Sites

Brian Gallahan
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Peasters Marathon
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Anopro, LLC
Brownfields · Vsqg
At & T Hardinsburg
Underground Storage Tanks · Closed UST(S)
Ford New Holland Incorporated
Underground Storage Tanks · Closed UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Fredericksburg, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 43 sites within ~10 miles of Fredericksburg. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.

Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Fredericksburg

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 Fredericksburg average

Your land is one point inside Fredericksburg

Everything above resolves to Fredericksburg as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 688 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 Fredericksburg Average

Fredericksburg Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Fredericksburg
  • One soil character for all of Fredericksburg
  • Frost dates read at Fredericksburg's scale: Apr 7 to Oct 30

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Fredericksburg

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Fredericksburg averages 206Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Fredericksburg

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 Fredericksburg’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 Fredericksburg

When does frost risk typically end in Fredericksburg?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Fredericksburg typically lands around Apr 7, 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 28.

When is the first frost in Fredericksburg?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Fredericksburg typically arrives around Oct 30, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 16, so the watching starts about Sep 30 — about 206 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Fredericksburg?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Fredericksburg sees about 206 frost-free days — roughly Apr 7 through Oct 30, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 28 to Oct 16, about 171 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Fredericksburg?

The federal record around Fredericksburg shows 57 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (43), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 miles 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 Fredericksburg?

From about Sep 30 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 30 (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 30. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Fredericksburg's scale — its 6b band and its 206-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Fredericksburg'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 Fredericksburg’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Fredericksburg's own scale — its own ~206-day season between 28°F freezes, the 688 acres it covers and 57 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Fredericksburg's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Fredericksburg's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 7 and Oct 30 and the ~206-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 57 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Fredericksburg, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Fredericksburg's boundary and the 688 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~206-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Fredericksburg's own centroid, the Interior PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Lanternfly survey cells around Fredericksburg checked, none carrying a detectionlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Fredericksburg's 688 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Washington County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Washington County
  • The growing challenges every Indiana grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Indiana
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Washington County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Fredericksburg's 688 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Fredericksburg you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 688 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 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 Fredericksburg-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address