What Grows in Colonial Heights County, Virginia

USDA Zones 7b · 5K acres

Colonial Heights County, in Virginia, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

Among the crops suited to this profile: tomato, grape, peanut, and dogwood. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.

Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Score your parcel · free

Colonial Heights County holds more than one microclimate.

Soils and elevations shift across Colonial Heights County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. 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.

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Quick Facts

USDA Zones

7b

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Feb 23

County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Hard Freeze (28°F)

Dec 18

County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier

County Area

5K acres

Hardiness Zone Range

7b7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

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

Soil in Colonial Heights County

Across Colonial Heights County, the ground is predominantly Ultisols, where Appling, Mattaponi, and Roanoke are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.0–6.3, moderately acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.

Soil order

Ultisols

Drainage

Well drained

Prime farmland

57%

Hydric soils

17%

Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

Is it too late to plant in Colonial Heights County?

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 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 Dec 18 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.

Growing Challenges in Virginia

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

Heavy Piedmont red clay requires amendment

Red clay turns from obstacle to asset with compost and time — and a raised bed lets you harvest while it happens.

Humidity and heat in summer promote disease

Space for airflow, water mornings at the base, and plant resistant varieties — your extension's humid-summer playbook.

Deer pressure is heavy in suburban and rural areas

A proper fence settles it; outside the fence, genuinely deer-resistant plants are the next best defense.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Virginia, the Virginia Cooperative Extension is the authoritative local source.

Safe to Grow Here?

What the federal record shows across Colonial Heights County — and how to grow with it.

Federal record: Moderate

We checked the federal record across Colonial Heights County80 documented sites across 3 of the 9 source types we track.

The most significant on record: 4 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.

The federal record across Colonial Heights County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.

Sources: EPA, USGS1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.

Environmental Intelligence

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

Total Sites

80

across Colonial Heights County

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

4 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

across Colonial Heights County

High0Moderate19Low61

Highest-Severity Sites

7 Eleven INC. 40005
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Bell Atlantic
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Benjamin Moore & CO
Toxics Release Inventory · 23834BNJMNWESTR
Boulevard Bp
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Boulevard Exxon
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Colonial Heights County, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 56 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 Colonial Heights County

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

Colonial Heights County Average

  • USDA Zones 7b
  • 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 parcel in Colonial Heights County

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Colonial Heights County, Virginia — 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 Colonial Heights County, Virginia

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 23 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 18 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
  • Days Between Hard Freezes: ~298 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
  • County Land Area: 5K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)

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

Frost dates here are the Colonial Heights County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardiness zone is Colonial Heights County, Virginia?

Colonial Heights County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.

Is it too late to plant in Colonial Heights County?

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 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 Dec 18 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.

When does frost risk typically end in Colonial Heights County?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Colonial Heights County typically lands around Feb 23, 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.

How long is the growing season in Colonial Heights County?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Colonial Heights County sees about 298 frost-free days — roughly Feb 23 through Dec 18, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.

What vegetables grow in Colonial Heights County?

Colonial Heights County's zone 7b supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Grape, Peanut, Dogwood, and Apple. 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 Colonial Heights County, really?

Officially, Colonial Heights County sits in USDA zone 7b (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 Colonial Heights County?

The federal record around Colonial Heights County shows 80 documented sites — 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.

Just moved to Colonial Heights County — what should I know before planting?

Start with three facts. Colonial Heights County sits in USDA zone 7b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 23, with about 298 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 80 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.

Everything on this page is a Colonial Heights County 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.

Will It Grow Here?

Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Virginia's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.