Baltimore County, in Maryland, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
The conditions favor tomato, peach, sweet corn, and crab apple, among others — though every individual site edits that list with its own soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Baltimore County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Baltimore 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
8a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 27
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 22
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
52K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Baltimore County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Baltimore County
Across Baltimore County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Legore, Joppa, and Sunnyside are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a variable surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.6–5.6, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
0%
Hydric soils
4%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Baltimore County
Plants matched to Baltimore County's USDA zones 8a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Baltimore County?
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 Jan 30; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 27 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 22 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
Growing Challenges in Maryland
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy Piedmont clay drains poorly
A raised bed today, compost every fall — Piedmont clay becomes an asset once the drainage is yours.
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Morning watering at the base, room to breathe between plants, resistant varieties — the humid-summer basics, per your extension.
Deer pressure in suburban areas is extreme
A tall fence is the answer that holds; for everything outside it, lean toward the plants deer reliably skip.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Maryland, the University of Maryland Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Baltimore County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Baltimore County — 2,675 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 22 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Baltimore County 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.
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 Baltimore County
Severity Distribution
across Baltimore County
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks can leak petroleum products. Soil testing near former gas stations is recommended.
- •Raised beds with imported soil can reduce exposure risk near brownfield sites.
- •Test well water for nitrates if you rely on a private well. Levels above 10 mg/L require treatment.
Check your specific parcel in Baltimore 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
Baltimore County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8a
- ●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 Baltimore County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Baltimore County, Maryland — 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 Baltimore County, Maryland
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 27 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 22 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~298 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 52K 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 Baltimore 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 Baltimore County, Maryland?
Baltimore County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, 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 Baltimore County?
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 Jan 30; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 27 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 22 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
When does frost risk typically end in Baltimore County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Baltimore County typically lands around Feb 27, 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 Baltimore County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Baltimore County sees about 298 frost-free days — roughly Feb 27 through Dec 22, 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 Baltimore County?
Baltimore County's zone 8a supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Peach, Sweet Corn, and Crab 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.
Which hardiness zone is Baltimore County, really?
Officially, Baltimore County sits in USDA zone 8a (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 Baltimore County?
The federal record around Baltimore County runs heavier than most — 2,675 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.
Just moved to Baltimore County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Baltimore County sits in USDA zone 8a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 27, with about 298 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 2,675 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 Baltimore 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 Maryland's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.