What Grows in Iberia, Ohio

USDA Zones 6a · 2K acres

Iberia, Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

Reliable performers under these conditions include cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Iberia — the short answer

Iberia, Ohio: USDA zone 6a, about 201 days between hard freezes, across 2K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 15
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 2
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~201
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 Iberia's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Iberia's 201-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Iberia

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

Season length

Measured

Iberia runs about 201 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Iberia 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 Iberia is in

Iberia sits in the Eastern Corn Belt Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Iberia's own centroid, and it is not what its county reads: Morrow County is mostly Erie Drift Plain. The wider page above you is answering a different question about different ground.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Iberia

Every plant below cleared Iberia's own zone 6a and its 201-day season. Each card opens that plant's Ohio profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OhioZones 2–11Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Ohio hazelnut guideZones 4–9Iberia's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in OhioZones 5–8Iberia's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Ohio growing notesZones 2–11Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in OhioZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Ohio california poppy guideZones 6–10Iberia's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OhioZones 2–10Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: Ohio growing notesZones 5–8Iberia's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in OhioZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Ohio kale guideZones 2–11Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry in OhioZones 2–7Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Ohio growing notesIberia's 201 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in OhioZones 2–11Iberia's 201 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Ohio okra guideZones 2–12Iberia's 201 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OhioZones 2–11Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OhioZones 2–11Iberia's 201 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Ohio azalea guideZones 4–8Iberia's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OhioZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Ohio growing notesZones 3–10Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OhioIberia's 201 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Ohio lilac guideZones 4–10Iberia's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in OhioZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Ohio growing notesZones 6–8Iberia's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in OhioZones 3–9Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Ohio ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Iberia's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OhioZones 2–7Iberia's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Ohio growing notesZones 4–10Iberia's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in OhioZones 2–10Iberia's 201 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Ohio canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Iberia's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Iberia?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. 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 Nov 2 — 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.

Documented around Iberia

Survey cells within 31 miles of Iberia checked for spotted lanternfly, none carrying a detection — a surveyed negative, not an absence of looking. Nearest documented record 47 miles off. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Iberia

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

  1. MID-WAY MART & DELIUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  2. CRAIG SMITH AUTO GROUPBrownfields · 0.7 mi
  3. THOMAS A. SMITHUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  4. AMERICAN LUMBER CO.Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  5. AT&TUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  6. IBERIA EARTHMOVING SERVICE, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  7. IBERIA FABRICATORS, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  8. IBERIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.7 mi
  9. PFLEIDERER REAL ESTATE HOLDING LLCUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.1 mi
  10. GLEN-GERY CORPToxics Release Inventory · 2.3 mi
  11. SANDUSKY TWP GARAGEUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.5 mi
  12. DEL-CO WATER COMPANY, INC.PFAS · 2.7 mi

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

Measured from Iberia'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 Iberia.

Total Sites

182

within ~10 miles of Iberia

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

4 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Iberia

High3Moderate43Low136

Highest-Severity Sites

Del-CO Water Company, INC.
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Galion City
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Mt Gilead Village Pws
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
American Polishing & Plating
Superfund · Superfund (Non-NPL)
Asphalt Materials, INC. - Edison Plant
Toxics Release Inventory · 4332wsphlt21912

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Iberia, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Iberia — PFAS (4 sites) and Superfund (4 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

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

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

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

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

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Iberia

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 Iberia average

Your land is one point inside Iberia

Everything above resolves to Iberia 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 Iberia Average

Iberia Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Iberia
  • One soil character for all of Iberia
  • Frost dates read at Iberia's scale: Apr 15 to Nov 2

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Iberia

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Iberia averages 201Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Iberia

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 Iberia’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 Iberia

When does frost risk typically end in Iberia?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Iberia 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 Iberia?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Iberia typically arrives around Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 19, so the watching starts about Oct 3 — about 201 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Iberia?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Iberia sees about 201 frost-free days — roughly Apr 15 through Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 6 to Oct 19, about 166 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Iberia?

The federal record around Iberia is a meaningful one — 182 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (92), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 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 Iberia?

From about Oct 3 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 Nov 2 (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 Nov 2. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Iberia's scale — its 6a band and its 201-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Iberia'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 Iberia’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Iberia's own scale — its own ~201-day season between 28°F freezes, the 2,467 acres it covers and 182 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Iberia's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Iberia's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 15 and Nov 2 and the ~201-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 182 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Iberia, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Iberia's boundary and the 2,467 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~201-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • Iberia sits in the Eastern Corn Belt Plains — not the ecoregion its county mostly readsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Lanternfly survey cells around Iberia 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 Iberia's 2,467 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Morrow County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Morrow County
  • The growing challenges every Ohio grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Ohio
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Morrow County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Iberia's 2,467 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Iberia you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 2,467 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 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 Iberia-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in Ohio

Wider growing context

What grows across Ohio

Iberia sits outside our named growing regions, so Ohio as a whole is its closest context here.