What Grows in West Danby, New York

USDA Zones 6a · 874 acres

West Danby, 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.

On paper, cabbage, blackberry, california poppy, and collard greens all suit these conditions — on the ground, soil, sun, and drainage make the final call.

Score your parcel · free

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

No card required · your full report in seconds

West Danby — the short answer

West Danby, New York: USDA zone 6a, about 178 days between hard freezes, across 874 acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 27
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 22
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~178
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
874 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)
Your USDA zone 6aSee the zone map →

Zone 6a is West Danby's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against West Danby's 178-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in West Danby

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

Season length

Measured

West Danby runs about 178 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.

Buying weeks at each end

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

West Danby 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.

How hardiness zones work

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country West Danby is in

West Danby sits in the Northern Allegheny Plateau — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at West Danby's own centroid rather than borrowed from Tompkins County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in West Danby

Every plant below cleared West Danby's own zone 6a and its 178-day season. Each card opens that plant's New York profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in New YorkZones 2–11West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
New York blackberry guideZones 5–8West Danby's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in New YorkZones 6–10West Danby's 6a is its exact cold limit.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: New York growing notesZones 2–11West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Growing cranberry in New YorkZones 2–7West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
New York lavender guideZones 5–8West Danby's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in New YorkZones 2–10West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: New York growing notesZones 5–9West Danby's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in New YorkZones 3–8West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
New York kale guideZones 2–11West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in New YorkZones 5–9West Danby's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: New York growing notesWest Danby's 178 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in New YorkZones 2–11West Danby's 178 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
New York okra guideZones 2–12West Danby's 178 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in New YorkZones 2–11West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: New York growing notesZones 3–8West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in New YorkZones 2–11West Danby's 178 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
New York azalea guideZones 4–8West Danby's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in New YorkZones 3–8West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: New York growing notesZones 3–10West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in New YorkWest Danby's 178 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
New York lilac guideZones 4–10West Danby's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in New YorkZones 3–8West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: New York growing notesZones 6–8West Danby's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in New YorkZones 3–9West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
New York ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10West Danby's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in New YorkZones 2–7West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: New York growing notesZones 2–8West Danby's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in New YorkZones 2–10West Danby's 178 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
New York canada wild rye guideZones 3–8West Danby's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in West Danby?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 30; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 27 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 22 — 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 West Danby

Spotted lanternfly documented 8 miles from West Danby, first recorded 2020. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near West Danby

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

  1. CHARLES FAIRCHILDUnderground Storage Tanks · 1500 ft
  2. TM 20Nitrate · 0.7 mi
  3. CHAUTAUQUA RADIO TOWERUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  4. OMNI ELECTRO MOTIVE INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.1 mi
  5. OMNIBrownfields · 2.1 mi
  6. TM 44Nitrate · 2.3 mi
  7. TM 2Nitrate · 3.0 mi
  8. TOWN OF DANBYUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.1 mi
  9. TM 47Nitrate · 3.2 mi
  10. DANBYUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.2 mi
  11. BENJAMIN'S ONE STOP, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 3.3 mi
  12. TM1018Nitrate · 3.3 mi

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

Measured from West Danby'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 West Danby.

Total Sites

340

within ~10 miles of West Danby

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

2 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Explore the live map
Underground Storage Tanks130Nitrate124Brownfields78CAFO2PFAS2

Sources Checked

within ~10 miles of West Danby

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of West Danby

High0Moderate156Low184

Highest-Severity Sites

7-Eleven #40191
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Chuck'S Gas Mart INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
City of Ithaca Dpw
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Cornell University
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Covered Bridge Market
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around West Danby, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 124 sites within ~10 miles of West Danby. 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.

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

read your soil before you plantbuild soil that holds onto nitrogenSee what's flagged near West Danby
Explore the contamination map around West Danby·New York Growing Guide
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in West Danby

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 West Danby average

Your land is one point inside West Danby

Everything above resolves to West Danby as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 874 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 West Danby Average

West Danby Average

  • ●USDA Zones 6a, averaged across West Danby
  • ●One soil character for all of West Danby
  • ●Frost dates read at West Danby's scale: Apr 27 to Oct 22

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in West Danby

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — West Danby averages 178Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about West Danby

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 West Danby’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 West Danby

When does frost risk typically end in West Danby?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in West Danby typically lands around Apr 27, 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 18.

When is the first frost in West Danby?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in West Danby typically arrives around Oct 22, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 8, so the watching starts about Sep 22 — about 178 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in West Danby?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, West Danby sees about 178 frost-free days — roughly Apr 27 through Oct 22, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 18 to Oct 8, about 143 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in West Danby?

The federal record around West Danby is a meaningful one — 340 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (130), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 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 West Danby?

From about Sep 22 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 22 (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 22. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at West Danby's scale — its 6a band and its 178-day season. Your yard writes its own version of West Danby'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 West Danby’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at West Danby's own scale — its own ~178-day season between 28°F freezes, the 874 acres it covers and 340 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • West Danby's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • West Danby's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 27 and Oct 22 and the ~178-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 340 documented contamination sites on the federal record near West Danby, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • West Danby's boundary and the 874 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~178-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at West Danby's own centroid, the Northern Allegheny PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of West Danbylydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so West Danby's 874 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Tompkins County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Tompkins 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 Tompkins County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among West Danby's 874 acreswhy one lot differs from the next →
  • Which side of West Danby you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 874 acresreading your own microclimate →
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 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 West Danby-wide figureread your own land →
The next step finer is your own address

More in New York

Tompkins County Growing Guide·New York Growing Guide
USDA PHZM•NOAA Climate Normals•US Census TIGER•PRISM Climate•EPA FRS