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

Planting zone for Cape Coral, FL

Cape Coral, FL is in USDA zone 10b across its 8 ZIP codes.

Cape Coral on the zone map

Outlined: its 6 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.

Zone10b35 to 40 °F

ZIP codes8

Last frostrare

First frostrare

Growing seasonall year

10b 8 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Cape Coral, FL…

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 Ft Myers Page Field Airport, FL, elevation 16 ft) the median growing season is 365 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 33990 came on Jan 11 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 13).

average
Jan 132026
Jan 11

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 10b in Florida

497 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Florida, and rated by the USDA to survive 35 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 10b. 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 Cape Coral, FL.

Soil in Cape Coral, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 33990 is Matlacha — gravelly fine sand, somewhat poorly drained.

TextureGravelly fine sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding

pH7.0neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageSomewhat poorly drainedconsider raised beds

Organic matter1%low — add compost

Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Matlacha gravelly fine sand, limestone substratum-Urban land complex, 0 to 2 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 33990; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Cape Coral, FL

Summer high92 °Faverage high, July

Winter low54 °Faverage low, January

Hot days120days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights0nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days9,274base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day13 h 49 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 28 mindaylight on December 21

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

Precipitation57.4 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: Ft Myers Page Field Airport, FL (6 mi away); precipitation: Ft Myers Page Field Airport, FL (6 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.