What Grows in Tuckahoe, Virginia

USDA Zones 7b · 13K acres

Tuckahoe, Virginia, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

Reliable performers under these conditions include cabbage, prickly pear, california poppy, and collard greens; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

No card required · your full report in seconds

Tuckahoe — the short answer

Tuckahoe, Virginia: USDA zone 7b, about 226 days between hard freezes, across 13K acres of town.

USDA zone
7b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 26
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 7
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~226
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
13K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

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

Zone 7b is Tuckahoe's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Tuckahoe's 226-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Tuckahoe

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

Season length

Measured

Tuckahoe runs about 226 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Tuckahoe sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b.

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 Tuckahoe is in

Tuckahoe sits in the Piedmont — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Tuckahoe's own centroid, and it is not what its county reads: Henrico County is mostly Southeastern Plains. The wider page above you is answering a different question about different ground.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Tuckahoe

Every plant below cleared Tuckahoe's own zone 7b and its 226-day season. Each card opens that plant's Virginia profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in VirginiaZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
prickly pear, photograph
Virginia prickly pear guideZones 5–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in VirginiaZones 6–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Virginia growing notesZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Growing fig in VirginiaZones 6–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Virginia lavender guideZones 5–8Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in VirginiaZones 2–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
grape, photograph
Grape: Virginia growing notesZones 6–9Tuckahoe's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in VirginiaTuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Virginia kale guideZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Hazelnut in VirginiaZones 4–9Tuckahoe's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: Virginia growing notesZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~70 it needs.
pawpaw, photograph
Growing pawpaw in VirginiaZones 5–9Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Virginia okra guideZones 2–12Tuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in VirginiaZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Virginia growing notesZones 3–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in VirginiaZones 2–11Tuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Virginia apache plume guideZones 5–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in VirginiaZones 3–8Tuckahoe's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Virginia growing notesZones 3–8Tuckahoe's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in VirginiaTuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Virginia holly guideZones 5–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in VirginiaZones 3–9Tuckahoe's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Virginia growing notesZones 6–8Tuckahoe's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Growing douglas fir in VirginiaZones 4–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Virginia ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in VirginiaZones 2–7Tuckahoe's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
western red cedar, photograph
Western red cedar: Virginia growing notesZones 4–10Tuckahoe's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Japanese millet, photograph
Growing japanese millet in VirginiaZones 5–10Tuckahoe's 226 days clear the ~45 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Virginia ajuga guideZones 5–11Tuckahoe's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Tuckahoe?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 7 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.

Documented around Tuckahoe

Spotted lanternfly documented 3 miles from Tuckahoe, first recorded 2021. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Tuckahoe

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

  1. Collegiate SchoolUnderground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  2. A Mart IncUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  3. Cabins Branch Sewage Pump StationUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  4. Westhampton Memorial ParkUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi
  5. Preston Service CorporationUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.9 mi
  6. THE LUBE CENTER INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.9 mi
  7. Bell AtlanticUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  8. CROWN STATION VA-34Brownfields · 1.0 mi
  9. Crown Gas Station VA 34Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  10. Union 56 9342 444Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  11. Mooreland Farms Sewage Pump StationUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  12. USPS - Ridge BranchUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi

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

Measured from Tuckahoe'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 Tuckahoe.

Total Sites

2,100

within ~10 miles of Tuckahoe

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Tuckahoe

High2Moderate358Low1,740

Highest-Severity Sites

50J 1 Sow 023
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
50K 1
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
51K 14 Sow 137
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
7 Eleven 23883
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Tuckahoe, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 1,469 sites within ~10 miles of Tuckahoe. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.

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 Tuckahoe

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 Tuckahoe average

Your land is one point inside Tuckahoe

Everything above resolves to Tuckahoe as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 13K acres. 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 Tuckahoe Average

Tuckahoe Average

  • USDA Zones 7b, averaged across Tuckahoe
  • One soil character for all of Tuckahoe
  • Frost dates read at Tuckahoe's scale: Mar 26 to Nov 7

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Tuckahoe's 7b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Tuckahoe

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Tuckahoe averages 226Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Tuckahoe

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 Tuckahoe’s own record; 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 Tuckahoe

When does frost risk typically end in Tuckahoe?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Tuckahoe typically lands around Mar 26, 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 Apr 16.

When is the first frost in Tuckahoe?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Tuckahoe typically arrives around Nov 7, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 24, so the watching starts about Oct 8 — about 226 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Tuckahoe?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Tuckahoe sees about 226 frost-free days — roughly Mar 26 through Nov 7, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 16 to Oct 24, about 191 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Tuckahoe?

The federal record around Tuckahoe is a meaningful one — 2,100 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (1,469), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 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 Tuckahoe?

From about Oct 8 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 7 (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 7. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Tuckahoe's scale — its 7b band and its 226-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Tuckahoe'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 Tuckahoe’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Tuckahoe's own scale — its own ~226-day season between 28°F freezes, the 13,082 acres it covers and 2,100 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Tuckahoe's own USDA hardiness band, zones 7bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Tuckahoe's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Mar 26 and Nov 7 and the ~226-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 2,100 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Tuckahoe, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Tuckahoe's boundary and the 13,082 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 7b and a ~226-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • Tuckahoe sits in the Piedmont — not the ecoregion its county mostly readsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Tuckahoelydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Tuckahoe's 13,082 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Henrico County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Henrico County
  • The growing challenges every Virginia grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Virginia
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Henrico County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Tuckahoe's 13,082 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Tuckahoe you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 13,082 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.5 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 Tuckahoe-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in Virginia

Growing region

Matched from this town’s own EPA ecoregion.