What Grows in Missouri City, Missouri

USDA Zones 6a-7b · 701 acres

Missouri City, Missouri, sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.

Expect tomato, peach, grape, and dogwood to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Missouri City, 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 Missouri City 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

6a-7b

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Mar 12

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Hard Freeze (28°F)

Nov 22

Town normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier

City Area

701 acres

Hardiness Zone Range

6a
7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone maps are averages across Missouri City. 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 Missouri City?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 12; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 12 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 22 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

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

522

within ~10 miles of Missouri City

Risk Level

High

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Missouri City

High9Moderate292Low221

Highest-Severity Sites

Clay County Pwsd 6
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Clay County Pwsd 8
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Excelsior Springs Pws
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Kearney Pws
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Lee Chemical
Superfund · Superfund NPL

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Missouri City, two things run higher than the national average — Nitrate (210 sites) and PFAS (6 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.

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

Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).

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

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Missouri City

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

Missouri City Average

  • USDA Zones 6a-7b
  • 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 Missouri City

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

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 12 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 22 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
  • Days Between Hard Freezes: ~255 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 701 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 Missouri City, Missouri?

Missouri City sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b, 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 Missouri City?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 12; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 12 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 22 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

When does frost risk typically end in Missouri City?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Missouri City typically lands around Mar 12, 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 Missouri City?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Missouri City typically arrives around Nov 22, 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 Missouri City?

Missouri City's zones 6a-7b 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 Missouri City, really?

Officially, Missouri City sits in USDA zones 6a-7b (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 Missouri City?

The federal record around Missouri City runs heavier than most — 522 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 Missouri City?

As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Nov 22 (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 Missouri City 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.