Cherokee County, in Iowa, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
Expect sweet corn, tomato, apple, and hosta to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Cherokee County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Cherokee County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. 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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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
5a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Apr 5
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Oct 31
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
369K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Cherokee County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Cherokee County
Across Cherokee County, the ground is predominantly Mollisols, where Galva, Colo, and Primghar are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a silty clay loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.7–6.5, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group C soils.
Soil order
Mollisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
50%
Hydric soils
18%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Cherokee County
Plants matched to Cherokee County's USDA zones 5a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Cherokee County?
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 8; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 31 — 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.
Growing Challenges in Iowa
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Cold winters reaching -20F or below
Choose perennials rated a zone hardier than yours — Iowa winters test the margins, and the margin is where plants are lost.
Variable spring weather delays planting
Let soil temperature and your local frost normal call the start, not the calendar — a two-week wait beats a replant.
Wind exposure on open prairies desiccates plants
Even a simple windbreak — a shrub row, a snow fence, a tall cover crop — cuts wind desiccation dramatically.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Iowa, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Cherokee County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Cherokee County — 248 documented sites across 5 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 9 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
There's a meaningful federal record across Cherokee County — worth a look before you plant food, not a reason to hold back from growing. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. A soil test before new food beds is the sensible precaution here, and the map shows exactly which sites sit where, so you can see what's actually near you.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Total Sites
248
across Cherokee County
Risk Level
Elevated
Highest-severity
9 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Cherokee County
Severity Distribution
across Cherokee County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Cherokee County, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 106 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Cherokee County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
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
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Cherokee County Average
- ●USDA Zones 5a
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Cherokee County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Cherokee County, Iowa — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
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
Key Growing Facts for Cherokee County, Iowa
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 5 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~209 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 369K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Cherokee County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Cherokee County, Iowa?
Cherokee County sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Cherokee County?
Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 8; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 31 — 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.
When does frost risk typically end in Cherokee County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Cherokee County typically lands around Apr 5, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. 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.
How long is the growing season in Cherokee County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Cherokee County sees about 209 frost-free days — roughly Apr 5 through Oct 31, per 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.
What vegetables grow in Cherokee County?
Cherokee County's zone 5a supports a wide range — strong performers include Sweet Corn, Tomato, Apple, and Hosta. 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.
Which hardiness zone is Cherokee County, really?
Officially, Cherokee County sits in USDA zone 5a (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.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Cherokee County?
The federal record around Cherokee County is a meaningful one — 248 documented sites — 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.
Just moved to Cherokee County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Cherokee County sits in USDA zone 5a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Apr 5, with about 209 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 248 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 Cherokee County 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.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Iowa's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.