What Grows in Le Roy, New York

USDA Zones 6a · 2K acres

Le Roy, New York, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

The conditions favor cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens, among others — though every individual site edits that list with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Le Roy, 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 Le Roy 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 Le Roy — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Le Roy — the short answer

Le Roy, New York: USDA zone 6a, about 189 days between hard freezes, across 2K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 21
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 27
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~189
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
2K 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

6a6a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6a is Le Roy's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Le Roy's 189-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Le Roy

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

Season length

Measured

Le Roy runs about 189 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

Le Roy sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a.

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 Le Roy is in

Le Roy sits in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Le Roy's own centroid rather than borrowed from Genesee County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Le Roy

Every plant below cleared Le Roy's own zone 6a and its 189-day season. Each card opens that plant's New York profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in New YorkZones 2–11Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
New York hazelnut guideZones 4–9Le Roy's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in New YorkZones 5–8Le Roy's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: New York growing notesZones 2–11Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in New YorkZones 5–8Le Roy's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
New York california poppy guideZones 6–10Le Roy's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in New YorkZones 2–10Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry: New York growing notesZones 2–7Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in New YorkZones 3–8Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
New York kale guideZones 2–11Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in New YorkZones 5–9Le Roy's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: New York growing notesLe Roy's 189 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in New YorkZones 2–11Le Roy's 189 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
New York okra guideZones 2–12Le Roy's 189 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in New YorkZones 2–11Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: New York growing notesZones 3–8Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in New YorkZones 2–11Le Roy's 189 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
New York azalea guideZones 4–8Le Roy's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in New YorkZones 3–8Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: New York growing notesZones 3–10Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in New YorkLe Roy's 189 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
New York lilac guideZones 4–10Le Roy's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in New YorkZones 3–8Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: New York growing notesZones 6–8Le Roy's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in New YorkZones 3–9Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
New York ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Le Roy's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in New YorkZones 2–7Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: New York growing notesZones 2–8Le Roy's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in New YorkZones 2–10Le Roy's 189 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
New York canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Le Roy's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Le Roy?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 24; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 27 — 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 Le Roy

Spotted lanternfly documented 17 miles from Le Roy, first recorded 2018. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Le Roy

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

  1. LOTUS FARMSUnderground Storage Tanks · 450 ft
  2. L P BRADY DISTRIBUTORSUnderground Storage Tanks · 500 ft
  3. CONVENIENT FOOD MART-LJG FOODSUnderground Storage Tanks · 650 ft
  4. SUGAR CREEK STORE #203Underground Storage Tanks · 650 ft
  5. LEROY CENTRAL SCHOOLSBrownfields · 1100 ft
  6. TARGET PRODUCTS INCToxics Release Inventory · 1300 ft
  7. TROY MFG NEW YORK INCBrownfields · 1400 ft
  8. PAUL A BOYLAN RESIDENCEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  9. LEROY CENTRAL SCHOOLSUnderground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  10. COMSTOCK FOODSUnderground Storage Tanks · 1800 ft
  11. RECTICEL FOAM CORPToxics Release Inventory · 1800 ft
  12. LEROY EXPRESS LLCUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi

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

Measured from Le Roy'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 Le Roy.

Total Sites

383

within ~10 miles of Le Roy

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

4 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Le Roy

High2Moderate130Low251

Highest-Severity Sites

Lehigh Valley Railroad
Superfund · Superfund NPL
48 Express Mart
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
490 Truck Stop INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven, INC #35087
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Alpina Foods INC
Toxics Release Inventory · 1402wlpnfd511ag

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Le Roy, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Le Roy — CAFO (32 sites) and Toxics Release Inventory (26 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

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

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

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

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

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Check your specific parcel in Le Roy

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 Le Roy average

Your land is one point inside Le Roy

Everything above resolves to Le Roy as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 2K 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 Le Roy Average

Le Roy Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Le Roy
  • One soil character for all of Le Roy
  • Frost dates read at Le Roy's scale: Apr 21 to Oct 27

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Le Roy's 6a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Le Roy

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Le Roy averages 189Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Le Roy

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 Le Roy’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 Le Roy

When does frost risk typically end in Le Roy?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Le Roy typically lands around Apr 21, 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 12.

When is the first frost in Le Roy?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Le Roy typically arrives around Oct 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 13, so the watching starts about Sep 27 — about 189 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Le Roy?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Le Roy sees about 189 frost-free days — roughly Apr 21 through Oct 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 12 to Oct 13, about 154 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Le Roy?

The federal record around Le Roy is a meaningful one — 383 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (176), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile 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 Le Roy?

From about Sep 27 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 27 (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 27. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Le Roy's scale — its 6a band and its 189-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Le Roy'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 Le Roy’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Le Roy's own scale — its own ~189-day season between 28°F freezes, the 1,722 acres it covers and 383 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Le Roy's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Le Roy's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 21 and Oct 27 and the ~189-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 383 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Le Roy, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Le Roy's boundary and the 1,722 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~189-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Le Roy's own centroid, the Eastern Great Lakes LowlandsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Le Roylydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Le Roy's 1,722 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Genesee County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Genesee County
  • The growing challenges every New York grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom New York
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Genesee County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Le Roy's 1,722 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Le Roy you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 1,722 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile 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 Le Roy-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in New York

Wider growing context

What grows across New York

Le Roy sits outside our named growing regions, so New York as a whole is its closest context here.