What Grows in Deep River, Washington

USDA Zones 8b · 8K acres

Deep River, Washington, sits in USDA hardiness zone 8b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

Reliable performers under these conditions include cabbage, fig, 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 Deep River, 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 Deep River 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 Deep River — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Deep River — the short answer

Deep River, Washington: USDA zone 8b, about 249 days between hard freezes, across 8K acres of town.

USDA zone
8b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 13
Wahkiakum County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 17
Wahkiakum County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Days between freezes
~249
Wahkiakum County normal — NOAA 1991–2020, nearest to this town
Town area
8K 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 Wahkiakum 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 Deep River's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Deep River's 249-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Deep River

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

Season length

From county records

Deep River runs about 249 days between hard freezes (read from Wahkiakum County, the closest normal to Deep River) — 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

Deep River 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 Deep River is in

Deep River sits in the Coast Range — EPA Level III, inside the wider Marine West Coast Forest. That is read at Deep River's own centroid rather than borrowed from Wahkiakum County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Deep River

Every plant below cleared Deep River's own zone 8b and its 249-day season. Each card opens that plant's Washington profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in WashingtonZones 2–11Deep River's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Washington fig guideZones 6–10Deep River's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in WashingtonZones 6–10Deep River's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Washington growing notesZones 2–11Deep River's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
loquat, photograph
Growing loquat in WashingtonZones 7–10Deep River's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
rosemary, photograph
Washington rosemary guideZones 8–10Deep River's 8b is its exact cold limit.
kale, photograph
Kale in WashingtonZones 2–11Deep River's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
pomegranate, photograph
Pomegranate: Washington growing notesZones 7–10Deep River's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Growing lavender in WashingtonZones 5–8Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Washington lentil guideZones 2–11Deep River's 249 days clear the ~70 it needs.
prickly pear, photograph
Prickly pear in WashingtonZones 5–10Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Okra: Washington growing notesZones 2–12Deep River's 249 days clear the ~50 it needs.
grape, photograph
Growing grape in WashingtonZones 6–9Deep River's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
potato, photograph
Washington potato guideZones 2–11Deep River's 8b — 6 zones of cold margin.
pumpkin, photograph
Pumpkin in WashingtonZones 3–11Deep River's 249 days clear the ~40 it needs.
iris, photograph
Iris: Washington growing notesZones 3–10Deep River's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in WashingtonZones 2–11Deep River's 249 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Washington apache plume guideZones 5–11Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in WashingtonZones 3–8Deep River's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Washington growing notesZones 3–8Deep River's 8b — 5 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in WashingtonDeep River's 249 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Washington holly guideZones 5–11Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Carolina jessamine, photograph
Carolina jessamine in WashingtonZones 7–10Deep River's 8b — 1 zone of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Washington growing notesZones 6–8Deep River's 8b — 2 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Growing redbud in WashingtonZones 5–11Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
pearl millet, photograph
Washington pearl millet guideZones 5–11Deep River's 249 days clear the ~60 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Ajuga in WashingtonZones 5–11Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Washington growing notesZones 4–10Deep River's 8b — 4 zones of cold margin.
phacelia, photograph
Growing phacelia in WashingtonZones 2–11Deep River's 249 days clear the ~100 it needs.
liriope, photograph
Washington liriope guideZones 5–11Deep River's 8b — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Deep River?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 13; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 13 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 17 — 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.

What's on the federal record near Deep River

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

  1. WA DWF NASELLE HATCHERYUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.6 mi
  2. NASELLE COUNTY SHOPUnderground Storage Tanks · 2.7 mi
  3. ROAD DEPT SHOP 3Underground Storage Tanks · 3.0 mi
  4. JOHN PATZERUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.0 mi
  5. ROSBURG STOREUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.4 mi
  6. NASELLE ROCK & ASPHALT COMPANYUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.3 mi
  7. JOHNSON'S ONE STOPUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.6 mi
  8. DENNIS AUTO SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.9 mi
  9. NASELLE GRAYS RIVER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.0 mi
  10. NASELLE SUBSTATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.0 mi
  11. NASELLE AIRFORCE STATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.1 mi
  12. 11N/09W-32F01Nitrate · 6.2 mi

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

Measured from Deep River'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 Deep River.

Total Sites

19

within ~10 miles of Deep River

Risk Level

Low

Highest-severity

1 mining site (prospects, none worked)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Deep River

High0Moderate5Low14

Highest-Severity Sites

Rosburg Store
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Deep River Sort Yard
Underground Storage Tanks · Closed UST(S)
Road Dept Shop 3
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.
  • On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
  • Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Deep River

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 Deep River average

Your land is one point inside Deep River

Everything above resolves to Deep River as a whole — one PHZM band, read across 8K acres, with hard-freeze dates borrowed from Wahkiakum 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 Deep River Average

Deep River Average

  • USDA Zones 8b, averaged across Deep River
  • One soil character for all of Deep River
  • Frost dates read at Deep River's scale: Mar 13 to Nov 17

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Deep River

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Deep River averages 249Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Deep River

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 Wahkiakum 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 Deep River

When does frost risk typically end in Deep River?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Deep River typically lands around Mar 13, 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 3.

When is the first frost in Deep River?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Deep River typically arrives around Nov 17, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Nov 3, so the watching starts about Oct 18 — about 249 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Deep River?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Deep River sees about 249 frost-free days — roughly Mar 13 through Nov 17, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 3 to Nov 3, about 214 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Deep River?

The federal record around Deep River is light — 19 documented sites across the 9 federal source types we checked, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (15), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 2.6 miles out — and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. Growing food here starts from a strong position; a soil test before new food beds settles any site-specific question.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Deep River?

From about Oct 18 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 17 (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 17. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Deep River's scale — its 8b band and its 249-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Deep River'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 Deep River’s own scale

5 of the readings below were taken at Deep River's own scale — the 8,497 acres it covers and 19 documented sites around it; 5 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Deep River's own USDA hardiness band, zones 8bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • 19 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Deep River, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 2.6 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Deep River's boundary and the 8,497 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 8b and a ~249-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Deep River's own centroid, the Coast RangeUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • The 28°F hard-freeze dates — Deep River has no normal of its own, so its county's is the closest measured readfrom Wahkiakum County
  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Deep River's 8,497 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Wahkiakum County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Wahkiakum County
  • The growing challenges every Washington grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Washington
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Wahkiakum County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Deep River's 8,497 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Deep River you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 8,497 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 2.6 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 Deep River-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address