St. James County, in Louisiana, sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
Among the crops suited to this profile: satsuma orange, okra, pecan, and muscadine grape. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.
St. James County lies within the Mississippi Delta — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring
St. James County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across St. James 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Quick Facts
USDA Zones
9a
Last Frost (state avg.)
Feb 15 - Mar 15
First Frost (state avg.)
Nov 10 - Dec 10
County Area
152K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across St. James County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in St. James County
Across St. James County, the ground is predominantly Entisols, where Barbary, Schriever, and Cancienne are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally very poorly drained with a clay surface. Topsoil pH runs about 6.8–7.2, neutral. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Entisols
Drainage
Very poorly drained
Prime farmland
38%
Hydric soils
75%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in St. James County
Plants matched to St. James County's USDA zones 9a — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Louisiana
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Extreme humidity and rainfall promote rot and fungal diseases
Raised rows, morning base-watering, and generous spacing keep the wet at bay — extension's resistant-variety lists do the rest.
Poor drainage in delta and coastal areas
Where ground stays wet, grow up — mounded rows and raised beds keep roots breathing through the wettest months.
Hurricane damage risk from June through November
Wind-tough perennials, proper staking, and fall crops in movable containers take the sting out of storm season.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Louisiana, the LSU AgCenter is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across St. James County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across St. James County — 337 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 2 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
There's a meaningful federal record across St. James 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.
Sources Checked
across St. James County
Severity Distribution
across St. James County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around St. James County, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (4 sites) and Toxic Release Inventory (25 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Check your specific parcel in St. James 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
St. James County Average
- ●USDA Zones 9a
- ●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 St. James County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in St. James County, Louisiana — 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 St. James County, Louisiana
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 9a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Spring Frost (state avg.): Feb 15 - Mar 15 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Nov 10 - Dec 10 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 152K 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 St. James 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 St. James County, Louisiana?
St. James County sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
When does frost risk typically end in St. James County?
St. James County follows Louisiana's statewide frost window: last spring frost around Feb 15 - Mar 15 and first fall frost around Nov 10 - Dec 10, per NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020). Frost dates shift with elevation and local microclimate, so watch your own site's cold pockets.
What vegetables grow in St. James County?
St. James County's zone 9a supports a wide range — strong performers include Satsuma Orange, Okra, Pecan, Muscadine Grape, and Live Oak. 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 St. James County, really?
Officially, St. James County sits in USDA zone 9a (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 St. James County?
The federal record around St. James County is a meaningful one — 337 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 St. James County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. St. James County sits in USDA zone 9a, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Feb 15 - Mar 15 to Nov 10 - Dec 10 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 337 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 St. James 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 Louisiana's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.