What Grows in Cuyamungue, New Mexico

USDA Zones 7a · 746 acres

Cuyamungue, New Mexico, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

Among the crops suited to this profile: cabbage, pawpaw, california poppy, and collard greens. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.

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Even in Cuyamungue, 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 Cuyamungue lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

We read public map data around Cuyamungue — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Cuyamungue — the short answer

Cuyamungue, New Mexico: USDA zone 7a, about 194 days between hard freezes, across 746 acres of town.

USDA zone
7a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 15
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 26
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~194
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
746 acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

7a7a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 7a is Cuyamungue's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Cuyamungue's 194-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Cuyamungue

Each reading below is measured for Cuyamungue itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Season length

Measured

Cuyamungue runs about 194 days between hard freezes — a moderate growing season.

There is room for the full run of cool-season crops plus a warm-season main crop, but the calendar is tight enough that a late spring or early fall frost still decides how much finishes.

Time warm-season transplants to your last hard freeze, and a few weeks of season extension turns a near-miss harvest into a sure one.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Cuyamungue sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Cuyamungue is in

Cuyamungue sits in the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau — EPA Level III, inside the wider North American Deserts. That is read at Cuyamungue's own centroid rather than borrowed from Santa Fe County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Cuyamungue

Every plant below cleared Cuyamungue's own zone 7a and its 194-day season. Each card opens that plant's New Mexico profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in New MexicoZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
New Mexico pawpaw guideZones 5–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in New MexicoZones 6–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: New Mexico growing notesZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Growing pecan in New MexicoZones 5–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
New Mexico lavender guideZones 5–8Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in New MexicoZones 2–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
prickly pear, photograph
Prickly pear: New Mexico growing notesZones 5–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in New MexicoCuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
New Mexico kale guideZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Hazelnut in New MexicoZones 4–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: New Mexico growing notesZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~70 it needs.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in New MexicoZones 5–8Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
New Mexico okra guideZones 2–12Cuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in New MexicoZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: New Mexico growing notesZones 3–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 4 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in New MexicoZones 2–11Cuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~70 it needs.
holly, photograph
New Mexico holly guideZones 5–11Cuyamungue's 7a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in New MexicoZones 3–8Cuyamungue's 7a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: New Mexico growing notesZones 3–8Cuyamungue's 7a — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in New MexicoCuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
New Mexico lilac guideZones 4–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in New MexicoZones 3–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 4 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: New Mexico growing notesZones 6–8Cuyamungue's 7a — 1 zone of cold margin.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in New MexicoZones 3–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
New Mexico ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in New MexicoZones 2–7Cuyamungue's 7a — 5 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: New Mexico growing notesZones 4–10Cuyamungue's 7a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Japanese millet, photograph
Growing japanese millet in New MexicoZones 5–10Cuyamungue's 194 days clear the ~45 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
New Mexico indian grass guideZones 4–9Cuyamungue's 7a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Cuyamungue?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 18; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 15 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 26 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Late in the year the fall bench takes over — quick greens, radishes, and garlic that repays you next summer.

Documented around Cuyamungue

Survey cells within 31 miles of Cuyamungue checked for spotted lanternfly, none carrying a detection — a surveyed negative, not an absence of looking. Nearest documented record 432 miles off. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Cuyamungue

Closest first, within ~10 miles of Cuyamungue. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. HIGH MESA ENVIRONMENTAL, LLCBrownfields · 1.6 mi
  2. SPIRITUS TECHNOLOGIESBrownfields · 1.7 mi
  3. 19N.8E.24 BH-4Nitrate · 1.9 mi
  4. 19N.8E.24 MW-4Nitrate · 1.9 mi
  5. 19N.8E.24 BH-3Nitrate · 1.9 mi
  6. 19N.8E.24 MW-3Nitrate · 2.0 mi
  7. MINO & GREGS AUTOMOTIVEBrownfields · 2.1 mi
  8. 19N.8E.13 Windmill WellNitrate · 2.1 mi
  9. 19N.8E.13 Pow-Wow WellNitrate · 2.2 mi
  10. 19N.08E.13.133Nitrate · 2.3 mi
  11. 19N.08E.12.343Nitrate · 2.7 mi
  12. 19N.08E.12.411Nitrate · 2.7 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Cuyamungue's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Cuyamungue.

Total Sites

148

within ~10 miles of Cuyamungue

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

4 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Cuyamungue

High2Moderate106Low40

Highest-Severity Sites

Pojoaque South
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
18N.07E.01.22424 Buckman No. 7 (P.N.M.)
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
18N.07E.01.22424 Buckman No. 7 (P.N.M.)
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
18N.07E.01.414 D Rg Rr
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
18N.07E.01.414 D Rg Rr
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Cuyamungue, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Cuyamungue — Nitrate (98 sites) and Superfund (4 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

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

Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.

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

Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).

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Check your specific parcel in Cuyamungue

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Cuyamungue average

Your land is one point inside Cuyamungue

Everything above resolves to Cuyamungue as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 746 acres. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at town scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better local average.

Your Lot vs the Cuyamungue Average

Cuyamungue Average

  • USDA Zones 7a, averaged across Cuyamungue
  • One soil character for all of Cuyamungue
  • Frost dates read at Cuyamungue's scale: Apr 15 to Oct 26

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Cuyamungue's 7a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Cuyamungue

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

Three things about your lot that Cuyamungue averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Cuyamungue averages 194Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Cuyamungue — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Cuyamungue average

How we know this about Cuyamungue

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this town’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Cuyamungue’s own record; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Soil is not read at town grain anywhere on this page — there is no town-resolution survey in our data, which is why you will find no soil grid here rather than a statewide one wearing a local label. The resolution ledger below names every figure this page inherited.

Common questions about Cuyamungue

When does frost risk typically end in Cuyamungue?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Cuyamungue typically lands around Apr 15, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about May 6.

When is the first frost in Cuyamungue?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Cuyamungue typically arrives around Oct 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 12, so the watching starts about Sep 26 — about 194 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Cuyamungue?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Cuyamungue sees about 194 frost-free days — roughly Apr 15 through Oct 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 6 to Oct 12, about 159 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Cuyamungue?

The federal record around Cuyamungue is a meaningful one — 148 documented sites, mostly Nitrate entries (98), the nearest Brownfields record about 1.6 miles out — 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 Cuyamungue?

From about Sep 26 the job here turns from planting to protecting — the last start even a 30-day crop can finish. As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Oct 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), three moves buy time: row cover or an old sheet over tender plants on still, clear nights; water the soil the afternoon before a freeze, so it holds warmth overnight; and harvest tomatoes, peppers and basil before Oct 26. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Cuyamungue's scale — its 7a band and its 194-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Cuyamungue's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Cuyamungue’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Cuyamungue's own scale — its own ~194-day season between 28°F freezes, the 746 acres it covers and 148 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Cuyamungue's own USDA hardiness band, zones 7aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Cuyamungue's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 15 and Oct 26 and the ~194-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 148 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Cuyamungue, the closest Brownfields record about 1.6 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Cuyamungue's boundary and the 746 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 7a and a ~194-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Cuyamungue's own centroid, the Arizona/New Mexico PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Lanternfly survey cells around Cuyamungue checked, none carrying a detectionlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Cuyamungue's 746 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Santa Fe County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Santa Fe County
  • The growing challenges every New Mexico grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom New Mexico
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Santa Fe County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Cuyamungue's 746 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Cuyamungue you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 746 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Brownfields record about 1.6 miles out, measured from the town centrehow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — measured at your address, and averaged away by any Cuyamungue-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address