What Grows in Carytown, Missouri

USDA Zones 7a-8b · 9K acres

Carytown, Missouri, sits in USDA hardiness zones 7a-8b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

These conditions suit tomato, peach, grape, and dogwood — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Carytown, 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 Carytown 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

7a-8b

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Feb 28

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Hard Freeze (28°F)

Dec 2

Town normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier

City Area

9K acres

Hardiness Zone Range

7a
8b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone maps are averages across Carytown. 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.

Is it too late to plant in Carytown?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 31; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 28 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 2 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.

Growing Challenges in Missouri

What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.

Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat

Let your local frost normals call the plantings — Missouri springs punish the calendar-planters and reward the patient.

Heavy clay soils in many regions

Raised beds solve clay drainage the first weekend — and yearly compost turns the ground under them into loam.

Ozark soils are thin and rocky

One soil test shows what thin Ozark ground actually holds — then build up with compost or beds where the depth runs out.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Missouri, the MU Extension is the authoritative local source.

Environmental Intelligence

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

Total Sites

420

within ~10 miles of Carytown

Risk Level

High

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Carytown

High234Moderate86Low100

Highest-Severity Sites

After Glow Mine
Mining Sites · Past Producer
Albatross Mine
Mining Sites · Past Producer
American Beauty Mine
Mining Sites · Past Producer
American Davey Mine - North
Mining Sites · Past Producer
Anna Linda Mine
Mining Sites · Past Producer

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Carytown, two things run higher than the national average — Mining (237 sites) and CAFO (8 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.

CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.

Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Carytown

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

Carytown Average

  • USDA Zones 7a-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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Carytown

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Carytown, Missouri — 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 Carytown, Missouri

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a-8b (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 28 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 2 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
  • Days Between Hard Freezes: ~277 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 9K 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 Carytown, Missouri?

Carytown sits in USDA hardiness zones 7a-8b, 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 Carytown?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 31; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 28 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 2 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.

When does frost risk typically end in Carytown?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Carytown typically lands around Feb 28, 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 Carytown?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Carytown typically arrives around Dec 2, 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 Carytown?

Carytown's zones 7a-8b support a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Peach, Grape, Dogwood, and Blackberry. 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 Carytown, really?

Officially, Carytown sits in USDA zones 7a-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 Carytown?

The federal record around Carytown runs heavier than most — 420 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.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Carytown?

As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Dec 2 (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 Carytown 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.