What Grows in South Point, Texas

USDA Zones 10a · 900 acres

South Point, Texas, sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

These conditions suit okra, meyer lemon, california poppy, and artichoke — a starting list any specific site will trim or extend with its own soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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South Point — the short answer

South Point, Texas: USDA zone 10a, about 335 days between hard freezes, across 900 acres of town.

USDA zone
10a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Jan 22
Cameron County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Dec 23
Cameron County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~335
Cameron County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
900 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 Cameron County’s — the closest measured record, labelled as such rather than passed off as local.

Hardiness Zone Range

10a10a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 10a is South Point's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against South Point's 335-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in South Point

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

Season length

From county records

South Point runs about 335 days between hard freezes (read from Cameron County, the closest normal to South Point) — 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

South Point sits in USDA hardiness zone 10a.

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 South Point is in

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

What that means for soil

What Grows in South Point

Every plant below cleared South Point's own zone 10a and its 335-day season. Each card opens that plant's Texas profile. How we score.

okra, photograph
Growing okra in TexasZones 2–12South Point's 335 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Meyer lemon, photograph
Texas meyer lemon guideZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in TexasZones 6–10South Point's 10a — 4 zones of cold margin.
artichoke, photograph
Artichoke: Texas growing notesZones 7–11South Point's 10a — 3 zones of cold margin.
avocado, photograph
Growing avocado in TexasZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
basil, photograph
Texas basil guideZones 10–11South Point's 335 days clear the ~80 it needs.
cabbage, photograph
Cabbage in TexasZones 2–11South Point's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
banana, photograph
Banana: Texas growing notesZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
rosemary, photograph
Growing rosemary in TexasZones 8–10South Point's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Texas collard greens guideZones 2–11South Point's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
citrus, photograph
Citrus in TexasZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Kale: Texas growing notesZones 2–11South Point's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in TexasZones 2–11South Point's 335 days clear the ~70 it needs.
potato, photograph
Texas potato guideZones 2–11South Point's 10a — 8 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in TexasZones 3–11South Point's 335 days clear the ~40 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Texas growing notesZones 3–10South Point's 10a — 7 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in TexasZones 2–11South Point's 335 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Texas apache plume guideZones 5–11South Point's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
bougainvillea, photograph
Bougainvillea in TexasZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
lantana, photograph
Lantana: Texas growing notesZones 10–11South Point's 10a is its exact cold limit.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in TexasSouth Point's 335 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Texas holly guideZones 5–11South Point's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
jasmine, photograph
Jasmine in TexasZones 9–11South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
mountain laurel, photograph
Mountain laurel: Texas growing notesZones 5–11South Point's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
moringa, photograph
Growing moringa in TexasZones 9–12South Point's 10a — 1 zone of cold margin.
African foxtail, photograph
Texas african foxtail guideZones 8–13South Point's 335 days clear the ~120 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in TexasZones 5–11South Point's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.
palo verde, photograph
Palo verde: Texas growing notesZones 8–11South Point's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Vuda blue grass, photograph
Growing vuda blue grass in TexasZones 8–13South Point's 10a — 2 zones of cold margin.
liriope, photograph
Texas liriope guideZones 5–11South Point's 10a — 5 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in South Point?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. 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 22 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 23 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. And with a calendar this mild, the honest answer is that planting barely stops — winter opens seasons colder regions never see.

What's on the federal record near South Point

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

  1. BROWNSVILLE TERMINALUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  2. POOL TECHNOLOGIESUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.5 mi
  3. BENAVIDEZ COUNTRY STOREUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.9 mi
  4. 7-ELEVEN STORE 40766Underground Storage Tanks · 2.7 mi
  5. ROMEDU EXPRESS LLCBrownfields · 3.0 mi
  6. VALLEY INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUMBrownfields · 3.0 mi
  7. STEADFAST CARRIERSBrownfields · 3.1 mi
  8. THE VILLAGE HUTUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.2 mi
  9. GENERAL PACKAGINGToxics Release Inventory · 3.5 mi
  10. DELCO ELECTRONICS WAREHOUSE LEASEWAY TRANSFER POOLToxics Release Inventory · 3.5 mi
  11. MONTOYAS GROCERYUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.6 mi
  12. FAMILY DOLLAR #6525Brownfields · 3.6 mi

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

Measured from South Point'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 South Point.

Total Sites

323

within ~10 miles of South Point

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of South Point

High1Moderate117Low205

Highest-Severity Sites

Brownsville Public Utilities Board
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
7-Eleven Store 40728
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven Store 40731
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven Store 40733
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven Store 40734
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around South Point, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of South Point — Toxics Release Inventory (24 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (214 sites). 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.

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

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

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

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in South Point

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 South Point average

Your land is one point inside South Point

Everything above resolves to South Point as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 900 acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Cameron 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 South Point Average

South Point Average

  • USDA Zones 10a, averaged across South Point
  • One soil character for all of South Point
  • Frost dates read at South Point's scale: Jan 22 to Dec 23

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not South Point's 10a
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in South Point

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — South Point averages 335Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about South Point

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 Cameron 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 South Point

When does frost risk typically end in South Point?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in South Point typically lands around Jan 22, 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 12.

When is the first frost in South Point?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in South Point typically arrives around Dec 23, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Dec 9, so the watching starts about Nov 23 — about 335 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in South Point?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, South Point sees about 335 frost-free days — roughly Jan 22 through Dec 23, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Feb 12 to Dec 9, about 300 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in South Point?

The federal record around South Point is a meaningful one — 323 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (214), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 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 South Point?

From about Nov 23 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 23 (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 23. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at South Point's scale — its 10a band and its 335-day season. Your yard writes its own version of South Point'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 South Point’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at South Point's own scale — the 900 acres it covers and 323 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • South Point's own USDA hardiness band, zones 10aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 323 documented contamination sites on the federal record near South Point, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • South Point's boundary and the 900 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 10a and a ~335-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at South Point's own centroid, the Western Gulf Coastal PlainUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — South Point has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Cameron County
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so South Point's 900 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Cameron County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Cameron 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 Cameron County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among South Point's 900 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of South Point you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 900 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.7 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 South Point-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address