Tunica County, in Mississippi, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.
Expect pecan, okra, muscadine grape, and magnolia to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.
Tunica County lies within the Mississippi Delta — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring
Tunica County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Tunica 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.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
8a
Last Frost (state avg.)
Feb 28 - Mar 30
First Frost (state avg.)
Oct 25 - Nov 20
County Area
291K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Growing Season
Zone maps are averages across Tunica County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Tunica County
Across Tunica County, the ground is predominantly Vertisols, where Sharkey, Tensas, and Dundee are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally poorly drained with a clay surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.3–6.7, moderately acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Vertisols
Drainage
Poorly drained
Prime farmland
61%
Hydric soils
68%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Tunica County
Plants matched to Tunica County's USDA zones 8a — 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 Tunica County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Tunica County — 80 documented sites across 5 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
The federal record across Tunica 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
80
across Tunica County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Tunica County
Severity Distribution
across Tunica County
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks can leak petroleum products. Soil testing near former gas stations is recommended.
- •Test well water for nitrates if you rely on a private well. Levels above 10 mg/L require treatment.
- •Raised beds with imported soil can reduce exposure risk near brownfield sites.
Check your specific parcel in Tunica 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
Tunica 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 Tunica County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Tunica 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 Tunica County, Mississippi
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a (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: 291K 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 Tunica 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 Tunica County, Mississippi?
Tunica 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.
When does frost risk typically end in Tunica County?
Tunica 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 Tunica County?
Tunica County's zone 8a 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 Tunica County, really?
Officially, Tunica 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 Tunica County?
The federal record around Tunica County shows 80 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 Tunica County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Tunica County sits in USDA zone 8a, 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 80 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 Tunica 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.