What Grows in Tangipahoa, Louisiana

USDA Zones 9a · 643 acres

Tangipahoa, Louisiana, sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

A short list that earns its place here — artichoke, fig, california poppy, and cabbage — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Tangipahoa — the short answer

Tangipahoa, Louisiana: USDA zone 9a, about 291 days between hard freezes, across 643 acres of town.

USDA zone
9a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Feb 15
Tangipahoa Parish normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Dec 3
Tangipahoa Parish normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~291
Tangipahoa Parish normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
643 acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. No 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid, so the hard-freeze dates are Tangipahoa Parish’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

9a9a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 9a is Tangipahoa's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Tangipahoa's 291-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Tangipahoa

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

Season length

From county records

Tangipahoa runs about 291 days between hard freezes (read from Tangipahoa Parish, the closest normal to Tangipahoa) — close to year-round growing.

Frost is rarely the limit here; winter plantings are as real as summer ones, and the harder question is which crops shrug off the summer heat.

Grow cool-season crops through the mild winter, and choose heat-tolerant varieties for the summer beds.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Tangipahoa sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a.

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 Tangipahoa is in

Tangipahoa sits in the Southeastern Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Tangipahoa's own centroid rather than borrowed from Tangipahoa Parish.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Tangipahoa

Every plant below cleared Tangipahoa's own zone 9a and its 291-day season. Each card opens that plant's Louisiana profile. How we score.

artichoke, photograph
Growing artichoke in LouisianaZones 7–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Louisiana fig guideZones 6–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in LouisianaZones 6–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 3 zones of cold margin.
cabbage, photograph
Cabbage: Louisiana growing notesZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
Meyer lemon, photograph
Growing meyer lemon in LouisianaZones 9–11Tangipahoa's 9a is its exact cold limit.
rosemary, photograph
Louisiana rosemary guideZones 8–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens in LouisianaZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
avocado, photograph
Avocado: Louisiana growing notesZones 9–11Tangipahoa's 9a is its exact cold limit.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in LouisianaTangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Louisiana kale guideZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil in LouisianaZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Okra: Louisiana growing notesZones 2–12Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Growing potato in LouisianaZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Louisiana pumpkin guideZones 3–11Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~40 it needs.
sweet corn, photograph
Sweet corn in LouisianaZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~65 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Louisiana growing notesZones 3–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 6 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in LouisianaZones 2–11Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Louisiana apache plume guideZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
scarlet runner bean, photograph
Scarlet runner bean in LouisianaZones 7–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
barrel cactus, photograph
Barrel cactus: Louisiana growing notesZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in LouisianaTangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Louisiana holly guideZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Carolina jessamine, photograph
Carolina jessamine in LouisianaZones 7–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
mountain laurel, photograph
Mountain laurel: Louisiana growing notesZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Growing redbud in LouisianaZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
crab grass, photograph
Louisiana crab grass guideZones 7–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in LouisianaZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Louisiana growing notesZones 4–10Tangipahoa's 9a — 5 zones of cold margin.
feather top Rhodes grass, photograph
Growing feather top rhodes grass in LouisianaZones 7–11Tangipahoa's 291 days clear the ~90 it needs.
liriope, photograph
Louisiana liriope guideZones 5–11Tangipahoa's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Tangipahoa?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 18; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 15 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 3 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. In a climate this gentle, “too late” hardly applies — the question becomes which crops prefer the cooler months ahead.

What's on the federal record near Tangipahoa

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

  1. TANGIPAHOA (SECOND WARD) WATER DISTRICTPFAS · 25 ft
  2. Ta-283Nitrate · 500 ft
  3. T G Mini Mart IncUnderground Storage Tanks · 700 ft
  4. Ta-380Nitrate · 800 ft
  5. DOLLAR GENERAL #15386Brownfields · 0.5 mi
  6. Ballards Trading PostUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  7. KENTWOOD BRICK & TILE MFG CO INCToxics Release Inventory · 1.9 mi
  8. MID-AMERICAN DAIRYMENToxics Release Inventory · 2.4 mi
  9. JEWEL SUMNER HIGH SCHOOLBrownfields · 2.7 mi
  10. LAB PACK SVCSBrownfields · 3.2 mi
  11. RAY WHITE BODY SHOPBrownfields · 3.6 mi
  12. Ta-452Nitrate · 3.7 mi

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

Measured from Tangipahoa'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 Tangipahoa.

Total Sites

191

within ~10 miles of Tangipahoa

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

9 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Tangipahoa

High1Moderate80Low110

Highest-Severity Sites

Tangipahoa (Second Ward) Water District
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
4-Way Quick Stop
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
At&T Kentwood Main J2851
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Arcola Chevron
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Bradken - Amite - Foundry
Toxics Release Inventory · 70422mtfnd13040

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Tangipahoa, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Tangipahoa — CAFO (7 sites) and PFAS (3 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.

PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Tangipahoa

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 Tangipahoa average

Your land is one point inside Tangipahoa

Everything above resolves to Tangipahoa as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 643 acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Tangipahoa Parish’s record because no 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid. 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 Tangipahoa Average

Tangipahoa Average

  • USDA Zones 9a, averaged across Tangipahoa
  • One soil character for all of Tangipahoa
  • Frost dates read at Tangipahoa's scale: Feb 15 to Dec 3

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Tangipahoa's 9a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Tangipahoa

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Tangipahoa averages 291Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Tangipahoa

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 Tangipahoa Parish’s record, because none resolves here; 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 Tangipahoa

When does frost risk typically end in Tangipahoa?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Tangipahoa typically lands around Feb 15, 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 Mar 8.

When is the first frost in Tangipahoa?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Tangipahoa typically arrives around Dec 3, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Nov 19, so the watching starts about Nov 3 — about 291 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Tangipahoa?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Tangipahoa sees about 291 frost-free days — roughly Feb 15 through Dec 3, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Mar 8 to Nov 19, about 256 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Tangipahoa?

The federal record around Tangipahoa shows 191 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (79), the nearest PFAS record under a tenth of a mile 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 Tangipahoa?

From about Nov 3 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 Dec 3 (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 Dec 3. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Tangipahoa's scale — its 9a band and its 291-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Tangipahoa'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 Tangipahoa’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at Tangipahoa's own scale — the 643 acres it covers and 191 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Tangipahoa's own USDA hardiness band, zones 9aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 191 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Tangipahoa, the closest PFAS record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Tangipahoa's boundary and the 643 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 9a and a ~291-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Tangipahoa's own centroid, the Southeastern PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — Tangipahoa has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Tangipahoa Parish
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Tangipahoa's 643 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Tangipahoa County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Tangipahoa County
  • The growing challenges every Louisiana grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Louisiana
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Tangipahoa County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Tangipahoa's 643 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Tangipahoa you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 643 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest PFAS record under a tenth of a mile 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 Tangipahoa-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address