What Grows in New Hope, Texas

USDA Zones 8b · 918 acres

New Hope, Texas, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

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

Score your parcel · free

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

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New Hope — the short answer

New Hope, Texas: USDA zone 8b, about 276 days between hard freezes, across 918 acres of town.

USDA zone
8b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Feb 23
Collin County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 26
Collin County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~276
Collin County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
918 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 Collin County’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

8b8b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 8b is New Hope's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against New Hope's 276-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in New Hope

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

Season length

From county records

New Hope runs about 276 days between hard freezes (read from Collin County, the closest normal to New Hope) — 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

New Hope sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b.

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 New Hope is in

New Hope sits in the Texas Blackland Prairies — EPA Level III, inside the wider Great Plains. That is read at New Hope's own centroid rather than borrowed from Collin County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in New Hope

Every plant below cleared New Hope's own zone 8b and its 276-day season. Each card opens that plant's Texas profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in TexasZones 2–11New Hope's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Texas fig guideZones 6–10New Hope's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in TexasZones 6–10New Hope's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Texas growing notesZones 2–11New Hope's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
loquat, photograph
Growing loquat in TexasZones 7–10New Hope's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
rosemary, photograph
Texas rosemary guideZones 8–10New Hope's 8b is its exact cold limit.
kale, photograph
Kale in TexasZones 2–11New Hope's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
pomegranate, photograph
Pomegranate: Texas growing notesZones 7–10New Hope's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Growing lavender in TexasZones 5–8New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Texas lentil guideZones 2–11New Hope's 276 days clear the ~70 it needs.
prickly pear, photograph
Prickly pear in TexasZones 5–10New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Okra: Texas growing notesZones 2–12New Hope's 276 days clear the ~50 it needs.
almond, photograph
Growing almond in TexasZones 5–9New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
potato, photograph
Texas potato guideZones 2–11New Hope's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in TexasZones 3–11New Hope's 276 days clear the ~40 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Texas growing notesZones 3–10New Hope's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in TexasZones 2–11New Hope's 276 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Texas apache plume guideZones 5–11New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in TexasZones 3–8New Hope's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Texas growing notesZones 3–8New Hope's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in TexasNew Hope's 276 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Texas holly guideZones 5–11New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Carolina jessamine, photograph
Carolina jessamine in TexasZones 7–10New Hope's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Texas growing notesZones 6–8New Hope's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Growing redbud in TexasZones 5–11New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
pearl millet, photograph
Texas pearl millet guideZones 5–11New Hope's 276 days clear the ~60 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in TexasZones 5–11New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Texas growing notesZones 4–10New Hope's 8b — 4 zones of cold margin.
phacelia, photograph
Growing phacelia in TexasZones 2–11New Hope's 276 days clear the ~100 it needs.
liriope, photograph
Texas liriope guideZones 5–11New Hope's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in New Hope?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 23 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 26 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. In a climate this gentle, “too late” hardly applies — the question becomes which crops prefer the cooler months ahead.

What's on the federal record near New Hope

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

  1. NEW HOPE CORNER STOREUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  2. DALLAS NORTH AIRPORTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  3. COUNTRY STORE OF COPEVILLEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  4. GLENFED FINANCIALUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  5. TWO 858 JOINT VENTUREUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  6. ROBERT L CARRUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  7. COLLIN COUNTY BLUE RIDGE BARNUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  8. JERRY R STANDERFERUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  9. DONS DRIVE INUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  10. BAIT SHOP HAYS FINAUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  11. REDI MIX CONCRETEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi
  12. HILL TOP CONOCOUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.8 mi

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

Measured from New Hope'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 New Hope.

Total Sites

356

within ~10 miles of New Hope

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of New Hope

High8Moderate125Low223

Highest-Severity Sites

City of Lucas
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
City of Mckinney
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
City of Melissa
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
City of Parker
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
City of Princeton
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around New Hope, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of New Hope — PFAS (8 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (252 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

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 New Hope

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 New Hope average

Your land is one point inside New Hope

Everything above resolves to New Hope as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 918 acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Collin 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 New Hope Average

New Hope Average

  • USDA Zones 8b, averaged across New Hope
  • One soil character for all of New Hope
  • Frost dates read at New Hope's scale: Feb 23 to Nov 26

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not New Hope's 8b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in New Hope

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — New Hope averages 276Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about New Hope

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 Collin 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 New Hope

When does frost risk typically end in New Hope?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in New Hope typically lands around Feb 23, 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 Mar 16.

When is the first frost in New Hope?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in New Hope typically arrives around Nov 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Nov 12, so the watching starts about Oct 27 — about 276 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in New Hope?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, New Hope sees about 276 frost-free days — roughly Feb 23 through Nov 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Mar 16 to Nov 12, about 241 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in New Hope?

The federal record around New Hope is a meaningful one — 356 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (252), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.0 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 New Hope?

From about Oct 27 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 26 (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 26. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at New Hope's scale — its 8b band and its 276-day season. Your yard writes its own version of New Hope'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 New Hope’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at New Hope's own scale — the 918 acres it covers and 356 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • New Hope's own USDA hardiness band, zones 8bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 356 documented contamination sites on the federal record near New Hope, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.0 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • New Hope's boundary and the 918 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 8b and a ~276-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at New Hope's own centroid, the Texas Blackland PrairiesUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — New Hope has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Collin County
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so New Hope's 918 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Collin County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Collin 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 Collin County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among New Hope's 918 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of New Hope you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 918 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 1.0 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 New Hope-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address