Ocean Pines, Maryland, sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.
Growers here do well with tomato, black-eyed susan, peach, and sweet corn — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.
Even in Ocean Pines, 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 Ocean Pines lot. 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
6a-7b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 24
Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 26
Town normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
Town Area
4K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Ocean Pines. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Ocean Pines
Plants matched to Ocean Pines's USDA zones 6a-7b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Ocean Pines?
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 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 26 — 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.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
within ~10 miles of Ocean Pines
Severity Distribution
within ~10 miles of Ocean Pines
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Ocean Pines, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (38 sites) and PFAS (7 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.
Check your specific parcel in Ocean Pines
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
Ocean Pines Average
- ●USDA Zones 6a-7b
- ●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 specific parcel in Ocean Pines
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Ocean Pines, 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 Ocean Pines, Maryland
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 24 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 26 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~305 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- Land Area: 4K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Ocean Pines, Maryland?
Ocean Pines sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b, 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 Ocean Pines?
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 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 26 — 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 Ocean Pines?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Ocean Pines typically lands around Feb 24, 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.
When is the first frost in Ocean Pines?
The first hard freeze (28°F) in Ocean Pines typically arrives around Dec 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point most tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts usually reach a couple of weeks earlier, so watch the forecast from late summer on and harvest or cover tender plants before the first cold night.
What vegetables grow in Ocean Pines?
Ocean Pines's zones 6a-7b support a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Black-eyed Susan, 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 Ocean Pines, really?
Officially, Ocean Pines sits in USDA zones 6a-7b (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 Ocean Pines?
The federal record around Ocean Pines is a meaningful one — 548 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.
How do I protect my plants from frost in Ocean Pines?
As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Dec 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.
Everything on this page is a Ocean Pines 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.