Leelanau County, in Michigan, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.
On paper, cherry, blueberry, apple, and asparagus all suit these conditions — on the ground, soil, sun, and drainage make the final call.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring
Leelanau County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Leelanau 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
6b
Last Frost (state avg.)
Apr 20 - May 30
First Frost (state avg.)
Sep 15 - Oct 20
County Area
222K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across Leelanau County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Leelanau County
Across Leelanau County, the ground is predominantly Spodosols, where Leelanau, Kaleva, and East Lake are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a loamy sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.8–6.5, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group A soils.
Soil order
Spodosols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
5%
Hydric soils
9%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Leelanau County
Plants matched to Leelanau County's USDA zones 6b — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Michigan
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Lake effect weather creates highly localized microclimates
Lake effect rewrites the map mile by mile — check your exact site, not your region, before you commit a planting plan.
Short northern season (100-120 frost-free days in UP)
Up north, fast-maturing varieties plus a hoop house or cold frame turn a tight season into a dependable one.
Sandy soils in western MI drain too quickly
Compost and cover crops, applied annually, teach sandy ground to hold water — the west-side fix is organic matter.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Michigan, the MSU Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Leelanau County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Leelanau County — 160 documented sites across 5 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 4 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Leelanau 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 Leelanau County
Severity Distribution
across Leelanau County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Leelanau County, two things run higher than the national average — Superfund (4 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (108 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Leelanau 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
Leelanau County Average
- ●USDA Zones 6b
- ●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 Leelanau County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Leelanau County, Michigan — 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 Leelanau County, Michigan
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Spring Frost (state avg.): Apr 20 - May 30 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Sep 15 - Oct 20 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 222K 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 Leelanau 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 Leelanau County, Michigan?
Leelanau County sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b, 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 Leelanau County?
Leelanau County follows Michigan's statewide frost window: last spring frost around Apr 20 - May 30 and first fall frost around Sep 15 - Oct 20, 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 Leelanau County?
Leelanau County's zone 6b supports a wide range — strong performers include Cherry, Blueberry, Apple, Asparagus, and White Pine. 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 Leelanau County, really?
Officially, Leelanau County sits in USDA zone 6b (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 Leelanau County?
The federal record around Leelanau County runs heavier than most — 160 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 Leelanau County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Leelanau County sits in USDA zone 6b, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Apr 20 - May 30 to Sep 15 - Oct 20 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 160 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 Leelanau 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 Michigan's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.