Smith County, in Mississippi, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
The conditions favor pecan, okra, muscadine grape, and magnolia, 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
Smith County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Smith 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
8b
Last Frost (state avg.)
Feb 28 - Mar 30
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 25 - Nov 20
County Area
407K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across Smith County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Smith County
Across Smith County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Smithdale, Savannah, and Ruston are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a fine sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.0–5.1, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
31%
Hydric soils
6%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Smith County
Plants matched to Smith County's USDA zones 8b — each links to its full growing profile.
Growing Challenges in Mississippi
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Extreme summer heat and humidity
Run the garden on the generous spring and fall windows — and let summer belong to okra, peas, and sweet potatoes.
Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region
Delta clay is rich but slow to drain — raised rows get roots above the wet while keeping that fertility in reach.
Frequent severe storms and flooding
Site beds on the high ground, mound the rows, and keep water moving — drainage planning is storm insurance.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Mississippi, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Smith County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Smith County — 141 documented sites across 5 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 10 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
The federal record across Smith County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.
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.
Total Sites
141
across Smith County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
10 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Smith County
Severity Distribution
across Smith County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Smith County, two things run higher than the national average — Nitrate (60 sites) and Toxic Release Inventory (10 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Check your specific parcel in Smith 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
Smith County Average
- ●USDA Zones 8b
- ●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 Smith County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Smith County, Mississippi — 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 Smith County, Mississippi
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Spring Frost (state avg.): Feb 28 - Mar 30 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 407K 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 Smith 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 Smith County, Mississippi?
Smith County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b, 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 Smith County?
Smith County follows Mississippi's statewide frost window: last spring frost around Feb 28 - Mar 30 and first fall frost around Oct 25 - Nov 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 Smith County?
Smith County's zone 8b supports a wide range — strong performers include Pecan, Okra, Muscadine Grape, Magnolia, and Sweet Potato. 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 Smith County, really?
Officially, Smith County sits in USDA zone 8b (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 Smith County?
The federal record around Smith County shows 141 documented sites — 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.
Just moved to Smith County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Smith County sits in USDA zone 8b, which sets what survives winter; the statewide frost window runs about Feb 28 - Mar 30 to Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-year climate normals); and 141 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Smith 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 Mississippi's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.