Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ is in USDA zones 8b to 9b across its 53 ZIP codes.

Tucson on the zone map

Outlined: its 37 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zones8b–9b15 to 30 °F
ZIP codes53
Last frostrare
First frostrare
Growing seasonall year

8b 1 ZIP   9a 18 ZIPs   9b 34 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Tucson, AZ…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Tucson WFO, AZ, elevation 2,435 ft) the median growing season is 332 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 85724 came on Jan 23 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 25).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 8b in Arizona

482 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Arizona, and rated by the USDA to survive 15 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 8b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 25

Arizona cypress50 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °FArizona madrone30 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −4 °FArizona sycamore80 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to −8 °FArizona walnut50 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −33 °Fblack locust60 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −37 °Fblue spruce100 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Shrubs 105

alderleaf mountain mahogany15 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −41 °FAmerican plum24 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican tarwort3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °Fantelope bitterbrush6 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −36 °FApache plume6 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °Fbig sagebrush4 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −43 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 196

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine bistort1 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine mountainsorrel1 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °FAmerican alpine speedwell1 ft · blooms summer · medium shade tolerance · to −28 °FAmerican bistort1.5 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican century plant6 ft · blooms indeterminate · high shade tolerance · to 12 °F

Grasses 147

alkali cordgrass3 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falkali sacaton3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine timothy1.4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °Fanalogue sedge1.5 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FArizona cottontop4 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −13 °FArizona fescue2 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °F

Vines 1

western white clematis1 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Tucson, AZ.

Soil in Tucson, AZ

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 85724 is Mohave — loam, well drained.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH7.6slightly alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Mohave soils and urban land, 1 to 8 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 85724; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Tucson, AZ

Summer high101 °Faverage high, June
Winter low42 °Faverage low, January
Hot days155days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights5nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days7,843base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 16 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 02 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb
Precipitation11.9 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°32 °FJanuary: average high 66 °F, low 42 °F 66°42° JanFebruary: average high 69 °F, low 45 °F 69°45° FebMarch: average high 76 °F, low 50 °F 76°50° MarApril: average high 83 °F, low 56 °F 83°56° AprMay: average high 91 °F, low 64 °F 91°64° MayJune: average high 101 °F, low 73 °F 101°73° JunJuly: average high 100 °F, low 77 °F 100°77° JulAugust: average high 98 °F, low 76 °F 98°76° AugSeptember: average high 95 °F, low 72 °F 95°72° SepOctober: average high 86 °F, low 60 °F 86°60° OctNovember: average high 75 °F, low 50 °F 75°50° NovDecember: average high 65 °F, low 42 °F 65°42° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″January: 1.05 in precipitation 1.1 JanFebruary: 1.05 in precipitation 1.1 FebMarch: 0.69 in precipitation 0.7 MarApril: 0.26 in precipitation 0.3 AprMay: 0.17 in precipitation 0.2 MayJune: 0.33 in precipitation 0.3 JunJuly: 2.41 in precipitation 2.4 JulAugust: 2.14 in precipitation 2.1 AugSeptember: 1.30 in precipitation 1.3 SepOctober: 0.75 in precipitation 0.8 OctNovember: 0.64 in precipitation 0.6 NovDecember: 1.08 in precipitation 1.1 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Tucson WFO, AZ (within 1 mile); precipitation: Tucson 1.3 Nw, AZ (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Tucson

857019b
25 to 30 °F
857029b
25 to 30 °F
857039b
25 to 30 °F
857049a
20 to 25 °F
857059b
25 to 30 °F
857069b
25 to 30 °F
857079b
25 to 30 °F
857089b
25 to 30 °F
857099b
25 to 30 °F
857109b
25 to 30 °F
857119b
25 to 30 °F
857129b
25 to 30 °F
857139b
25 to 30 °F
857149b
25 to 30 °F
857159b
25 to 30 °F
857169b
25 to 30 °F
857179b
25 to 30 °F
857189a
20 to 25 °F
857199b
25 to 30 °F
857209b
25 to 30 °F
857229b
25 to 30 °F
857239b
25 to 30 °F
857249b
25 to 30 °F
857259b
25 to 30 °F
857269b
25 to 30 °F
857289b
25 to 30 °F
857309a
20 to 25 °F
857319b
25 to 30 °F
857329b
25 to 30 °F
857339b
25 to 30 °F
857349a
20 to 25 °F
857359a
20 to 25 °F
857368b
15 to 20 °F
857379a
20 to 25 °F
857399a
20 to 25 °F
857409a
20 to 25 °F
857419a
20 to 25 °F
857429b
25 to 30 °F
857439b
25 to 30 °F
857449a
20 to 25 °F
857459b
25 to 30 °F
857469a
20 to 25 °F
857479a
20 to 25 °F
857489a
20 to 25 °F
857499a
20 to 25 °F
857509a
20 to 25 °F
857519b
25 to 30 °F
857529b
25 to 30 °F
857549b
25 to 30 °F
857559a
20 to 25 °F
857569a
20 to 25 °F
857579a
20 to 25 °F
857759b
25 to 30 °F

Arizona planting zones →

Questions about Tucson

What planting zone is Tucson, AZ?

Tucson, AZ is in USDA hardiness zones 8b to 9b on the 2023 map (8b: 15 to 20 °F; 9a: 20 to 25 °F; 9b: 25 to 30 °F).

What kind of onions grow in Tucson, AZ?

Short-day onions: the longest day is 14 h 16 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.

How much rain and snow does Tucson, AZ get?

About 11.9 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).