Stokes County, in North Carolina, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
These conditions suit sweet potato, blueberry, muscadine grape, and dogwood — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.
Stokes County lies within the Blue Ridge and Appalachia — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Stokes County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Stokes County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. 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
7b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 20
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 11
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
288K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Stokes County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Stokes County
Across Stokes County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Fairview, Poplar Forest, and Rhodhiss are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a sandy clay loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.5–5.7, moderately acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Ultisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
18%
Hydric soils
0%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Stokes County
Plants matched to Stokes County's USDA zones 7b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Stokes County?
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 23; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 20 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 11 — 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 North Carolina
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Red Piedmont clay is hard to work and drains poorly
Red clay rewards patience — compost opens it over seasons, and a raised bed gets you harvesting in the meantime.
Humidity drives significant disease pressure
Airflow, morning base-watering, and resistant varieties — the humid-South trio your extension's lists are built around.
Hurricane risk on the coastal plain
On the coastal plain, favor wind-tough perennials and stake young trees well ahead of storm season.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to North Carolina, the NC State Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Stokes County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Stokes County — 180 documented sites across 4 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 6 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
The federal record across Stokes County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Total Sites
180
across Stokes County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
6 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Stokes County
Severity Distribution
across Stokes County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Stokes County, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 156 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Stokes County
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:
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
Stokes County Average
- ●USDA Zones 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
Read your parcel in Stokes County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Stokes County, North Carolina — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
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 Stokes County, North Carolina
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 20 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 11 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~294 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 288K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Stokes County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Stokes County, North Carolina?
Stokes County sits in USDA hardiness zone 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 Stokes County?
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 23; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 20 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 11 — 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 Stokes County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Stokes County typically lands around Feb 20, 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.
How long is the growing season in Stokes County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Stokes County sees about 294 frost-free days — roughly Feb 20 through Dec 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Stokes County?
Stokes County's zone 7b supports a wide range — strong performers include Sweet Potato, Blueberry, Muscadine Grape, Dogwood, and Tomato. 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 Stokes County, really?
Officially, Stokes County sits in USDA zone 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 Stokes County?
The federal record around Stokes County shows 180 documented sites — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.
Just moved to Stokes County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Stokes County sits in USDA zone 7b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 20, with about 294 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 180 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Stokes County 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.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads North Carolina's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.