Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated Oct 29, 2026

Planting zone for Brandon, FL

Brandon, FL is in USDA zones 9b to 10a across its 4 ZIP codes.

Brandon on the zone map

Outlined: its 2 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.

Zones9b–10a25 to 35 °F

ZIP codes4

Last frostrare

First frostrare

Growing seasonall year

9b 3 ZIPs 10a 1 ZIP

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

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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 Plant City, FL, elevation 112 ft) the median growing season is 335 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 33508 came on Jan 12 — 4 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 16).

average
Jan 162026
Jan 12

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 9b in Florida

477 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Florida, and rated by the USDA to survive 25 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 9b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

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 Brandon, FL.

Soil in Brandon, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 33508 is Orlando — fine sand, well drained.

TextureFine sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding

pH5.5moderately acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter3%moderate

Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Orlando fine sand, 0 to 5 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 33508; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Brandon, FL

Summer high94 °Faverage high, July

Winter low50 °Faverage low, January

Hot days111days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights3nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days8,907base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day13 h 55 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 22 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb

Precipitation55.1 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

Precipitation by month inches

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Plant City, FL (11 mi away); precipitation: Riverview 0.9 Ene, FL (4 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.