What Grows in Springdale, Pennsylvania

USDA Zones 6b · 598 acres

Springdale, Pennsylvania, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — a band that supports both cool-season staples and warm-season crops chosen to fit the local frost window.

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 Springdale, 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 Springdale 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 Springdale — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Springdale — the short answer

Springdale, Pennsylvania: USDA zone 6b, about 215 days between hard freezes, across 598 acres of town.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 6
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 7
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~215
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
598 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 Springdale's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Springdale's 215-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Springdale

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

Season length

Measured

Springdale runs about 215 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

Springdale 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 Springdale is in

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

What that means for soil

What Grows in Springdale

Every plant below cleared Springdale's own zone 6b and its 215-day season. Each card opens that plant's Pennsylvania profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Pennsylvania hazelnut guideZones 4–9Springdale's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in PennsylvaniaZones 5–8Springdale's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 2–11Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in PennsylvaniaZones 5–8Springdale's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Pennsylvania california poppy guideZones 6–10Springdale's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in PennsylvaniaZones 2–10Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Blueberry: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 3–8Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in PennsylvaniaSpringdale's 215 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Pennsylvania kale guideZones 2–11Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in PennsylvaniaZones 5–9Springdale's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 4–9Springdale's 215 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Springdale's 215 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Pennsylvania okra guideZones 2–12Springdale's 215 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 3–10Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Springdale's 215 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Pennsylvania lilac guideZones 4–10Springdale's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in PennsylvaniaZones 3–8Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 3–8Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in PennsylvaniaSpringdale's 215 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Pennsylvania apache plume guideZones 5–11Springdale's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in PennsylvaniaZones 3–9Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 6–8Springdale's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in PennsylvaniaZones 3–9Springdale's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Pennsylvania ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Springdale's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in PennsylvaniaZones 2–7Springdale's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 4–10Springdale's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in PennsylvaniaZones 2–10Springdale's 215 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Pennsylvania indian grass guideZones 4–9Springdale's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Springdale?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 9; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 6 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 7 — 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 Springdale

Spotted lanternfly documented 1 miles from Springdale, first recorded 2019. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Springdale

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

  1. GLASSMART FOOD MART 255Underground Storage Tanks · 600 ft
  2. COLFAX PUMP STAUnderground Storage Tanks · 1100 ft
  3. PPG INDUSTRIES INCToxics Release Inventory · 1500 ft
  4. PPG INDUSTRIES INCBrownfields · 1500 ft
  5. DOREN TRUCKINGUnderground Storage Tanks · 1500 ft
  6. PPG INDUnderground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  7. THRIFTY DRY CLEANERSBrownfields · 1600 ft
  8. COCO TRUCKINGUnderground Storage Tanks · 1700 ft
  9. RI LAMPUS MFGBrownfields · 1700 ft
  10. HI TECH FURNISHINGSBrownfields · 1800 ft
  11. PPG IND INC/SPRINGDALEToxics Release Inventory · 1900 ft
  12. PPG IND INC/SPRINGDALEBrownfields · 1900 ft

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

Measured from Springdale'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 Springdale.

Total Sites

1,594

within ~10 miles of Springdale

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

4 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Springdale

High5Moderate324Low1,265

Highest-Severity Sites

Hampton Shaler Water Authority
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Lindane Dump
Superfund · Superfund NPL
Monroeville Municipal Auth
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Springdale Boro Water Dept
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
1003 Freeport Rd Cheswick
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Springdale, Toxics Release Inventory runs higher than the national average — 99 sites within ~10 miles of Springdale. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

Toxics Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.

Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Springdale

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 Springdale average

Your land is one point inside Springdale

Everything above resolves to Springdale as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 598 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 Springdale Average

Springdale Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Springdale
  • One soil character for all of Springdale
  • Frost dates read at Springdale's scale: Apr 6 to Nov 7

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Springdale

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Springdale averages 215Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Springdale

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 Springdale’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 Springdale

When does frost risk typically end in Springdale?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Springdale typically lands around Apr 6, 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 27.

When is the first frost in Springdale?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Springdale typically arrives around Nov 7, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 24, so the watching starts about Oct 8 — about 215 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Springdale?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Springdale sees about 215 frost-free days — roughly Apr 6 through Nov 7, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 27 to Oct 24, about 180 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Springdale?

The federal record around Springdale is a meaningful one — 1,594 documented sites, mostly Brownfields entries (740), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Springdale?

From about Oct 8 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 7 (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 7. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Springdale's scale — its 6b band and its 215-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Springdale'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 Springdale’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Springdale's own scale — its own ~215-day season between 28°F freezes, the 598 acres it covers and 1,594 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Springdale's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Springdale's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 6 and Nov 7 and the ~215-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 1,594 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Springdale, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Springdale's boundary and the 598 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~215-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Springdale's own centroid, the Western Allegheny PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Springdalelydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Springdale's 598 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Allegheny County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Allegheny County
  • The growing challenges every Pennsylvania grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Pennsylvania
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Allegheny County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Springdale's 598 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Springdale you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 598 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Springdale-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address