What Grows in Pelahatchie, Mississippi

USDA Zones 8a-9a · 4K acres

Pelahatchie, Mississippi, sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

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.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Pelahatchie, 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 Pelahatchie 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.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Quick Facts

USDA Zones

8a-9a

Last Frost (state avg.)

Feb 28 - Mar 30

First Frost (state avg.)

Oct 25 - Nov 20

Town Area

4K acres

Hardiness Zone Range

8a
9a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Growing Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Last frost: Feb 28 - Mar 30First frost: Oct 25 - Nov 20

Zone maps are averages across Pelahatchie. 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.

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.

Environmental Intelligence

Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Total Sites

103

within ~10 miles of Pelahatchie

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

12 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Pelahatchie

High3Moderate41Low59

Highest-Severity Sites

City of Brandon
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Leesburg Water Association
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
121g0008 Rankin
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
121g0008 Rankin
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
121j0004 Rankin
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Pelahatchie, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (3 sites) and Toxic Release Inventory (12 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.

Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.

Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.

Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Pelahatchie

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:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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

Pelahatchie Average

  • USDA Zones 8a-9a
  • 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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Pelahatchie

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Pelahatchie, Mississippi — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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 Pelahatchie, Mississippi

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a-9a (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)
  • 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 Pelahatchie, Mississippi?

Pelahatchie sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a, 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 Pelahatchie?

Pelahatchie 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 Pelahatchie?

Pelahatchie's zones 8a-9a support 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 Pelahatchie, really?

Officially, Pelahatchie sits in USDA zones 8a-9a (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 Pelahatchie?

The federal record around Pelahatchie is a meaningful one — 103 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 Pelahatchie?

As the season closes around Mississippi's first fall frost near Oct 25 - Nov 20 (NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020)), 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 Pelahatchie 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.