Ottawa County, in Oklahoma, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
A short list that earns its place here — pecan, tomato, okra, and redbud — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Ottawa County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Ottawa 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Quick Facts
USDA Zones
7a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 24
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 5
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
301K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Ottawa County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Ottawa County
Across Ottawa County, the ground is predominantly Mollisols, where Clarksville, Taloka, and Dennis are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally somewhat poorly drained with a silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.8–6.1, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Mollisols
Drainage
Somewhat poorly drained
Prime farmland
54%
Hydric soils
5%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Ottawa County
Plants matched to Ottawa County's USDA zones 7a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Ottawa County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 5 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With almost year-round growing weather, timing is about heat and rainfall more than frost — some bench is always in play.
Growing Challenges in Oklahoma
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Extreme weather variability (tornadoes, ice storms, drought)
Flexible beats fortified here: row covers staged, storm-tough perennials, and quick-replant annual beds.
Red clay soils drain poorly in central OK
A raised bed ends the standing-water fight in a weekend, and fall compost keeps opening the clay below.
Low western rainfall requires irrigation
Western plots run on drip and mulch — plan the water before the planting and the dry years lose their teeth.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State University Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Ottawa County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Ottawa County — 343 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 6 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Ottawa County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
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.
Sources Checked
across Ottawa County
Severity Distribution
across Ottawa County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Ottawa County, two things run higher than the national average — Mining (118 sites) and Superfund (6 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Check your specific parcel in Ottawa 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
Ottawa County Average
- ●USDA Zones 7a
- ●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 Ottawa County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Ottawa County, Oklahoma — 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 Ottawa County, Oklahoma
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 24 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 5 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~284 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 301K 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa County, Oklahoma?
Ottawa County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, 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 Ottawa County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 27; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 5 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With almost year-round growing weather, timing is about heat and rainfall more than frost — some bench is always in play.
When does frost risk typically end in Ottawa County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Ottawa County typically lands around Feb 24, 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 Ottawa County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Ottawa County sees about 284 frost-free days — roughly Feb 24 through Dec 5, 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 Ottawa County?
Ottawa County's zone 7a supports a wide range — strong performers include Pecan, Tomato, Okra, Redbud, and Blackberry. 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 Ottawa County, really?
Officially, Ottawa County sits in USDA zone 7a (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 Ottawa County?
The federal record around Ottawa County runs heavier than most — 343 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Ottawa County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Ottawa County sits in USDA zone 7a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 24, with about 284 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 343 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Ottawa 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 Oklahoma's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.