What Grows in Nada, Texas

USDA Zones 9a · 4K acres

Nada, Texas, sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

A short list that earns its place here — artichoke, fig, california poppy, and cabbage — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

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

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Nada — the short answer

Nada, Texas: USDA zone 9a, about 314 days between hard freezes, across 4K acres of town.

USDA zone
9a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Jan 29
Colorado County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Dec 9
Colorado County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~314
Colorado County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
4K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. No 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid, so the hard-freeze dates are Colorado County’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

9a9a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 9a is Nada's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Nada's 314-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Nada

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

Season length

From county records

Nada runs about 314 days between hard freezes (read from Colorado County, the closest normal to Nada) — close to year-round growing.

Frost is rarely the limit here; winter plantings are as real as summer ones, and the harder question is which crops shrug off the summer heat.

Grow cool-season crops through the mild winter, and choose heat-tolerant varieties for the summer beds.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Nada sits in USDA hardiness zone 9a.

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 Nada is in

Nada sits in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain — EPA Level III, inside the wider Great Plains. That is read at Nada's own centroid rather than borrowed from Colorado County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Nada

Every plant below cleared Nada's own zone 9a and its 314-day season. Each card opens that plant's Texas profile. How we score.

artichoke, photograph
Growing artichoke in TexasZones 7–11Nada's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Texas fig guideZones 6–10Nada's 9a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in TexasZones 6–10Nada's 9a — 3 zones of cold margin.
cabbage, photograph
Cabbage: Texas growing notesZones 2–11Nada's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
Meyer lemon, photograph
Growing meyer lemon in TexasZones 9–11Nada's 9a is its exact cold limit.
rosemary, photograph
Texas rosemary guideZones 8–10Nada's 9a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens in TexasZones 2–11Nada's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
avocado, photograph
Avocado: Texas growing notesZones 9–11Nada's 9a is its exact cold limit.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in TexasNada's 314 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Texas kale guideZones 2–11Nada's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil in TexasZones 2–11Nada's 314 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Okra: Texas growing notesZones 2–12Nada's 314 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Growing potato in TexasZones 2–11Nada's 9a — 7 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Texas pumpkin guideZones 3–11Nada's 314 days clear the ~40 it needs.
sweet corn, photograph
Sweet corn in TexasZones 2–11Nada's 314 days clear the ~65 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Texas growing notesZones 3–10Nada's 9a — 6 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in TexasZones 2–11Nada's 314 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Texas apache plume guideZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
scarlet runner bean, photograph
Scarlet runner bean in TexasZones 7–11Nada's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
barrel cactus, photograph
Barrel cactus: Texas growing notesZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in TexasNada's 314 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Texas holly guideZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Carolina jessamine, photograph
Carolina jessamine in TexasZones 7–10Nada's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
mountain laurel, photograph
Mountain laurel: Texas growing notesZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Growing redbud in TexasZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
crab grass, photograph
Texas crab grass guideZones 7–11Nada's 9a — 2 zones of cold margin.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in TexasZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Texas growing notesZones 4–10Nada's 9a — 5 zones of cold margin.
feather top Rhodes grass, photograph
Growing feather top rhodes grass in TexasZones 7–11Nada's 314 days clear the ~90 it needs.
liriope, photograph
Texas liriope guideZones 5–11Nada's 9a — 4 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Nada?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 1; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Jan 29 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 9 — 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.

What's on the federal record near Nada

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

  1. NADA GARAGEUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.9 mi
  2. GARWOOD FARMERS COOPUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.0 mi
  3. GRAB N GO 2Underground Storage Tanks · 2.4 mi
  4. LARRYS SUPER SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.4 mi
  5. AERO AG SERVICESUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.3 mi
  6. TPGS - M&R 40321 40322 ENTERPRISEBrownfields · 5.5 mi
  7. ARENA PLANTBrownfields · 7.2 mi
  8. FRANK W MAREK TRUCKINGUnderground Storage Tanks · 7.6 mi
  9. MUSTANG TRACTOR & EQUIPMENTUnderground Storage Tanks · 7.6 mi
  10. OLD EGYPT SUBDIVISIONPFAS · 8.3 mi

Measured from Nada'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 Nada.

Total Sites

10

within ~10 miles of Nada

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

2 brownfield sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Nada

High1Moderate2Low7

Highest-Severity Sites

Garwood Farmers Coop
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Grab N Go 2
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Aero Ag Services
Underground Storage Tanks · Closed UST(S)
Arena Plant
Brownfields · Vsqg
Larrys Super Service
Underground Storage Tanks · Closed UST(S)

Know Before You Grow

  • Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
  • Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
  • PFAS do not break down in groundwater. Irrigate from a tested source.
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Nada

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 Nada average

Your land is one point inside Nada

Everything above resolves to Nada as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 4K acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Colorado County’s record because no 30-year normal resolves at this town’s own centroid. 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 Nada Average

Nada Average

  • USDA Zones 9a, averaged across Nada
  • One soil character for all of Nada
  • Frost dates read at Nada's scale: Jan 29 to Dec 9

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Nada's 9a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Nada

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Nada averages 314Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Nada

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 Colorado County’s record, because none resolves here; 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 Nada

When does frost risk typically end in Nada?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Nada typically lands around Jan 29, 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 Feb 19.

When is the first frost in Nada?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Nada typically arrives around Dec 9, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Nov 25, so the watching starts about Nov 9 — about 314 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Nada?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Nada sees about 314 frost-free days — roughly Jan 29 through Dec 9, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Feb 19 to Nov 25, about 279 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Nada?

The federal record around Nada shows 10 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (7), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.9 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 Nada?

From about Nov 9 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 Dec 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 Dec 9. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Nada's scale — its 9a band and its 314-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Nada'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 Nada’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at Nada's own scale — the 4,271 acres it covers and 10 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Nada's own USDA hardiness band, zones 9aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 10 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Nada, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.9 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Nada's boundary and the 4,271 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 9a and a ~314-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Nada's own centroid, the Western Gulf Coastal PlainUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — Nada has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Colorado County
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Nada's 4,271 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Colorado County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Colorado County
  • The growing challenges every Texas grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Texas
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Colorado County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Nada's 4,271 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Nada you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 4,271 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.9 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 Nada-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in Texas

Wider growing context

What grows across Texas

Nada sits outside our named growing regions, so Texas as a whole is its closest context here.