What Grows in Heavener, Oklahoma

USDA Zones 7b · 3K acres

Heavener, Oklahoma, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.

Crops well matched to these conditions include cabbage, prickly pear, california poppy, and collard greens — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Heavener — the short answer

Heavener, Oklahoma: USDA zone 7b, about 232 days between hard freezes, across 3K acres of city.

USDA zone
7b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 22
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 9
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~232
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
City area
3K 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

7b7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 7b is Heavener's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Heavener's 232-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Heavener

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

Season length

Measured

Heavener runs about 232 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

Heavener sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b.

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 Heavener is in

Heavener sits in the Arkansas Valley — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Heavener's own centroid rather than borrowed from Le Flore County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Heavener

Every plant below cleared Heavener's own zone 7b and its 232-day season. Each card opens that plant's Oklahoma profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OklahomaZones 2–11Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
prickly pear, photograph
Oklahoma prickly pear guideZones 5–10Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in OklahomaZones 6–10Heavener's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Oklahoma growing notesZones 2–11Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Growing fig in OklahomaZones 6–10Heavener's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Oklahoma lavender guideZones 5–8Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OklahomaZones 2–10Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
grape, photograph
Grape: Oklahoma growing notesZones 6–9Heavener's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in OklahomaHeavener's 232 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Oklahoma kale guideZones 2–11Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Hazelnut in OklahomaZones 4–9Heavener's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: Oklahoma growing notesZones 2–11Heavener's 232 days clear the ~70 it needs.
pawpaw, photograph
Growing pawpaw in OklahomaZones 5–9Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Oklahoma okra guideZones 2–12Heavener's 232 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OklahomaZones 2–11Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Oklahoma growing notesZones 3–10Heavener's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OklahomaZones 2–11Heavener's 232 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Oklahoma apache plume guideZones 5–11Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OklahomaZones 3–8Heavener's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Oklahoma growing notesZones 3–8Heavener's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OklahomaHeavener's 232 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Oklahoma holly guideZones 5–11Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in OklahomaZones 3–9Heavener's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Oklahoma growing notesZones 6–8Heavener's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Growing douglas fir in OklahomaZones 4–10Heavener's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Oklahoma ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Heavener's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OklahomaZones 2–7Heavener's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Redbud: Oklahoma growing notesZones 5–11Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Japanese millet, photograph
Growing japanese millet in OklahomaZones 5–10Heavener's 232 days clear the ~45 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Oklahoma ajuga guideZones 5–11Heavener's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Heavener?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 22; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 22 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 9 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.

What's on the federal record near Heavener

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

  1. Tote-A-Poke #3Underground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  2. Heavener 66 ServiceUnderground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  3. Harold ShupertUnderground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  4. Marvin's Foods #208Underground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  5. Heavener Kerr-McgeeUnderground Storage Tanks · 1700 ft
  6. Kp's Quik MartUnderground Storage Tanks · 2100 ft
  7. Kcs Heavener YardUnderground Storage Tanks · 2300 ft
  8. Johns SupermktUnderground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  9. Green Country SuperetteUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.6 mi
  10. Hembree ChevroletUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  11. FAMILY DOLLAR #6783Brownfields · 0.7 mi
  12. Heavener Public SchoolUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi

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

Measured from Heavener'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 Heavener.

Total Sites

54

within ~10 miles of Heavener

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Heavener

High1Moderate17Low36

Highest-Severity Sites

Heavener Utility Auth - Psg
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
B N B Mart
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
E-Z Mart #4423
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Fisherman'S Net LLC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Heavener Public School
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Heavener, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 47 sites within ~10 miles of Heavener. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Heavener

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 Heavener average

Your land is one point inside Heavener

Everything above resolves to Heavener as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 3K 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 city 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 Heavener Average

Heavener Average

  • USDA Zones 7b, averaged across Heavener
  • One soil character for all of Heavener
  • Frost dates read at Heavener's scale: Mar 22 to Nov 9

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Heavener's 7b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Heavener

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Heavener averages 232Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Heavener

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this city’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Heavener’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 city grain anywhere on this page — there is no city-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 Heavener

When does frost risk typically end in Heavener?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Heavener typically lands around Mar 22, 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 12.

When is the first frost in Heavener?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Heavener typically arrives around Nov 9, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 26, so the watching starts about Oct 10 — about 232 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Heavener?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Heavener sees about 232 frost-free days — roughly Mar 22 through Nov 9, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 12 to Oct 26, about 197 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Heavener?

The federal record around Heavener shows 54 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (47), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 miles out — 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.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Heavener?

From about Oct 10 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 9 (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 9. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Heavener's scale — its 7b band and its 232-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Heavener'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 Heavener’s own scale

6 of the readings below were taken at Heavener's own scale — its own ~232-day season between 28°F freezes, the 3,144 acres it covers and 54 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Heavener's own USDA hardiness band, zones 7bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Heavener's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Mar 22 and Nov 9 and the ~232-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 54 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Heavener, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Heavener's boundary and the 3,144 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 7b and a ~232-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Heavener's own centroid, the Arkansas ValleyUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Heavener's 3,144 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Le Flore County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Le Flore County
  • The growing challenges every Oklahoma grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Oklahoma
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Le Flore County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Heavener's 3,144 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Heavener you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 3,144 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 Heavener-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address