What Grows in Wellersburg, Pennsylvania

USDA Zones 6b · 518 acres

Wellersburg, Pennsylvania, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

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

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Wellersburg — the short answer

Wellersburg, Pennsylvania: USDA zone 6b, about 203 days between hard freezes, across 518 acres of town.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 10
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 30
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~203
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
518 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 Wellersburg's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Wellersburg's 203-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Wellersburg

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

Season length

Measured

Wellersburg runs about 203 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

Wellersburg 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 Wellersburg is in

Wellersburg sits in the Central Appalachians — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Wellersburg's own centroid rather than borrowed from Somerset County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Wellersburg

Every plant below cleared Wellersburg's own zone 6b and its 203-day season. Each card opens that plant's Pennsylvania profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Pennsylvania hazelnut guideZones 4–9Wellersburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in PennsylvaniaZones 5–8Wellersburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 2–11Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in PennsylvaniaZones 5–8Wellersburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Pennsylvania california poppy guideZones 6–10Wellersburg's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in PennsylvaniaZones 2–10Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 5–9Wellersburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in PennsylvaniaWellersburg's 203 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Pennsylvania kale guideZones 2–11Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in PennsylvaniaZones 5–9Wellersburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 4–9Wellersburg's 203 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Wellersburg's 203 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Pennsylvania okra guideZones 2–12Wellersburg's 203 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 3–10Wellersburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in PennsylvaniaZones 2–11Wellersburg's 203 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Pennsylvania lilac guideZones 4–10Wellersburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in PennsylvaniaZones 3–8Wellersburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 3–8Wellersburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in PennsylvaniaWellersburg's 203 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Oregon grape, photograph
Pennsylvania oregon grape guideZones 5–8Wellersburg's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in PennsylvaniaZones 3–9Wellersburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 6–8Wellersburg's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in PennsylvaniaZones 3–9Wellersburg's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Pennsylvania ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Wellersburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in PennsylvaniaZones 2–7Wellersburg's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Pennsylvania growing notesZones 4–10Wellersburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in PennsylvaniaZones 2–10Wellersburg's 203 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Pennsylvania indian grass guideZones 4–9Wellersburg's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Wellersburg?

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 13; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 10 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 30 — 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.

Documented around Wellersburg

Spotted lanternfly documented 1 miles from Wellersburg, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Wellersburg

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

  1. Curry Lumber Co.Underground Storage Tanks · 1.4 mi
  2. SO 103Nitrate · 1.6 mi
  3. AL Ac 55Nitrate · 2.0 mi
  4. MIKES BODY SHOPBrownfields · 2.1 mi
  5. Mt. Savage CDO (31145)Underground Storage Tanks · 2.3 mi
  6. Valley View Amoco Gas StationUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.3 mi
  7. DOLLAR GENERAL STORE #24302Brownfields · 2.4 mi
  8. WELLERSBURG MINEUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.5 mi
  9. Cumberland Valley Motors, Inc.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.6 mi
  10. Shaffer Ford, Inc.Underground Storage Tanks · 2.6 mi
  11. Rock Cut QuarryUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.6 mi
  12. Leydig Trucking IncUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.6 mi

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

Measured from Wellersburg'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 Wellersburg.

Total Sites

406

within ~10 miles of Wellersburg

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

2 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Wellersburg

High2Moderate90Low314

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Wellersburg, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Wellersburg — PFAS (6 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (251 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

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

Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.

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

Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Wellersburg

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 Wellersburg average

Your land is one point inside Wellersburg

Everything above resolves to Wellersburg as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 518 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 Wellersburg Average

Wellersburg Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Wellersburg
  • One soil character for all of Wellersburg
  • Frost dates read at Wellersburg's scale: Apr 10 to Oct 30

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Wellersburg

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Wellersburg averages 203Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Wellersburg

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 Wellersburg’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 Wellersburg

When does frost risk typically end in Wellersburg?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Wellersburg typically lands around Apr 10, 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 1.

When is the first frost in Wellersburg?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Wellersburg typically arrives around Oct 30, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 16, so the watching starts about Sep 30 — about 203 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Wellersburg?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Wellersburg sees about 203 frost-free days — roughly Apr 10 through Oct 30, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 1 to Oct 16, about 168 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Wellersburg?

The federal record around Wellersburg is a meaningful one — 406 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (251), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.4 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 Wellersburg?

From about Sep 30 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 Oct 30 (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 Oct 30. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Wellersburg's scale — its 6b band and its 203-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Wellersburg'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 Wellersburg’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Wellersburg's own scale — its own ~203-day season between 28°F freezes, the 518 acres it covers and 406 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Wellersburg's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Wellersburg's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 10 and Oct 30 and the ~203-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 406 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Wellersburg, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.4 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Wellersburg's boundary and the 518 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~203-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Wellersburg's own centroid, the Central AppalachiansUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Wellersburglydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Wellersburg's 518 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Somerset County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Somerset 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 Somerset County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Wellersburg's 518 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Wellersburg you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 518 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.4 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 Wellersburg-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address