What Grows in New Alexandria, Ohio

USDA Zones 6b · 235 acres

New Alexandria, Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.

Growers here do well with cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.

Score your parcel · free

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

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New Alexandria — the short answer

New Alexandria, Ohio: USDA zone 6b, about 220 days between hard freezes, across 235 acres of town.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 4
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 10
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~220
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
235 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

6b6b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6b is New Alexandria's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against New Alexandria's 220-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in New Alexandria

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

Season length

Measured

New Alexandria runs about 220 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

New Alexandria sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

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 New Alexandria is in

New Alexandria sits in the Western Allegheny Plateau — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at New Alexandria's own centroid rather than borrowed from Jefferson County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in New Alexandria

Every plant below cleared New Alexandria's own zone 6b and its 220-day season. Each card opens that plant's Ohio profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OhioZones 2–11New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Ohio hazelnut guideZones 4–9New Alexandria's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in OhioZones 5–8New Alexandria's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Ohio growing notesZones 2–11New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in OhioZones 5–8New Alexandria's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Ohio california poppy guideZones 6–10New Alexandria's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OhioZones 2–10New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Blueberry: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in OhioNew Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Ohio kale guideZones 2–11New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in OhioZones 5–9New Alexandria's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Ohio growing notesZones 4–9New Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in OhioZones 2–11New Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Ohio okra guideZones 2–12New Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OhioZones 2–11New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Ohio growing notesZones 3–10New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OhioZones 2–11New Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Ohio lilac guideZones 4–10New Alexandria's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OhioZones 3–8New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OhioNew Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Ohio apache plume guideZones 5–11New Alexandria's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in OhioZones 3–9New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Ohio growing notesZones 6–8New Alexandria's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in OhioZones 3–9New Alexandria's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Ohio ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10New Alexandria's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OhioZones 2–7New Alexandria's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Ohio growing notesZones 4–10New Alexandria's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in OhioZones 2–10New Alexandria's 220 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Ohio indian grass guideZones 4–9New Alexandria's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in New Alexandria?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 7; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 4 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 10 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. There is slack in a calendar like this — late plantings, second rounds of favorites, and a fall bench that keeps beds working.

Documented around New Alexandria

Spotted lanternfly documented 2 miles from New Alexandria, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near New Alexandria

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

  1. JEFFERSON PROCESSINGSuperfund · 1.3 mi
  2. SATRALLOY INCBrownfields · 1.3 mi
  3. ODOT GEORGE RUN OUTPOSTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.5 mi
  4. TRI-STATE ASPHALT CORP.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.5 mi
  5. OHIOAMERICAN ENERGY, INC.Toxics Release Inventory · 2.9 mi
  6. COEN OIL COMPANYUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi
  7. BRILLIANT FLY ASH SLURRY DISCHARGE ERSuperfund · 2.9 mi
  8. LAFARGE CORP.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi
  9. RONALD KLEINEKEUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi
  10. FRALEY & SCHILLING, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi
  11. SATRA CONCENTRATES, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi
  12. ZIMNOX COAL CO.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.9 mi

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

Measured from New Alexandria'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 New Alexandria.

Total Sites

508

within ~10 miles of New Alexandria

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

13 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of New Alexandria

High7Moderate136Low365

Highest-Severity Sites

Follansbee
Superfund · Superfund NPL
Jefferson CO W and S District- a
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
(Facility) Steubenville Smelter
Mining Sites · Plant
American Dry Cleaners-Mingo Junction
Superfund · Superfund (Non-NPL)
Ball Aerosol & Specialty Container INC
Toxics Release Inventory · 26062scncm3028b

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around New Alexandria, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of New Alexandria — Superfund (13 sites) and PFAS (8 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

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

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

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

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

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in New Alexandria

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 New Alexandria average

Your land is one point inside New Alexandria

Everything above resolves to New Alexandria as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 235 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 New Alexandria Average

New Alexandria Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across New Alexandria
  • One soil character for all of New Alexandria
  • Frost dates read at New Alexandria's scale: Apr 4 to Nov 10

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in New Alexandria

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — New Alexandria averages 220Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about New Alexandria

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 New Alexandria’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 New Alexandria

When does frost risk typically end in New Alexandria?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in New Alexandria typically lands around Apr 4, 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 Apr 25.

When is the first frost in New Alexandria?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in New Alexandria typically arrives around Nov 10, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 27, so the watching starts about Oct 11 — about 220 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in New Alexandria?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, New Alexandria sees about 220 frost-free days — roughly Apr 4 through Nov 10, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 25 to Oct 27, about 185 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in New Alexandria?

The federal record around New Alexandria is a meaningful one — 508 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (286), the nearest Superfund record about 1.3 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 New Alexandria?

From about Oct 11 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 10 (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 10. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at New Alexandria's scale — its 6b band and its 220-day season. Your yard writes its own version of New Alexandria'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 New Alexandria’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at New Alexandria's own scale — its own ~220-day season between 28°F freezes, the 235 acres it covers and 508 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • New Alexandria's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • New Alexandria's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 4 and Nov 10 and the ~220-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 508 documented contamination sites on the federal record near New Alexandria, the closest Superfund record about 1.3 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • New Alexandria's boundary and the 235 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~220-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at New Alexandria's own centroid, the Western Allegheny PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of New Alexandrialydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so New Alexandria's 235 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Jefferson County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Jefferson 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 Jefferson County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among New Alexandria's 235 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of New Alexandria you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 235 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Superfund record about 1.3 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 New Alexandria-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address