What Grows in Cisco, Texas

USDA Zones 8a-9a · 3K acres

Cisco, Texas, sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.

These conditions suit pecan, tomato, okra, and bluebonnet — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Cisco, 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 Cisco lot. 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

8a-9a

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Jan 16

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Frost (state avg.)

Oct 15 - Dec 15

City Area

3K acres

Hardiness Zone Range

8a
9a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Growing Season (statewide frost window)

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Last frost: Feb 1 - Apr 15First frost: Oct 15 - Dec 15

Zone maps are averages across Cisco. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

Growing Challenges in Texas

What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.

Extreme heat (100F+ days) stresses many crops from June through September

Run the garden on spring and fall windows and give summer survivors afternoon shade — timing beats fighting the heat.

Rainfall varies dramatically — 8 inches in west TX to 56 inches in east TX

Your county's rainfall, not the state's, sets the watering plan — check your exact spot before designing beds.

Heavy black clay (Blackland Prairie) is difficult to work and drains poorly

A raised bed with amended soil turns Blackland clay from an obstacle into a backdrop — and that clay feeds deep roots well.

Flash drought conditions can develop rapidly even in wet years

Mulch deep and water deeply-but-rarely to grow drought-tough roots; a drip system pays for itself in the first dry summer.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Texas, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is the authoritative local source.

Environmental Intelligence

Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Total Sites

114

within ~10 miles of Cisco

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Cisco

High2Moderate21Low91

Highest-Severity Sites

Cisco Oil Spill
Superfund · Superfund (Non-NPL)
City of Cisco
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Allsups 105
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Allsups 189
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Allsups 191
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Cisco, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 106 sites nearby. 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 Cisco

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:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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

Cisco Average

  • USDA Zones 8a-9a
  • 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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Cisco

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

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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 Cisco, Texas

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8a-9a (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 16 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Fall Frost (state avg.): Oct 15 - Dec 15 (NOAA 30-Year Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 3K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)

Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardiness zone is Cisco, Texas?

Cisco sits in USDA hardiness zones 8a-9a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.

When does frost risk typically end in Cisco?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Cisco typically lands around Jan 16, 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.

What vegetables grow in Cisco?

Cisco's zones 8a-9a support a wide range — strong performers include Pecan, Tomato, Okra, Bluebonnet, and Jalapeno. 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 Cisco, really?

Officially, Cisco sits in USDA zones 8a-9a (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 Cisco?

The federal record around Cisco is a meaningful one — 114 documented sites — 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 Cisco?

As the season closes around Texas's first fall frost near Oct 15 - Dec 15 (NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020)), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.

Everything on this page is a Cisco 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.