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

Planting zone for Crystal River, FL

Crystal River, FL is in USDA zone 9b across its 3 ZIP codes. The median last spring frost is March 3 and the first fall frost December 5.

Crystal River 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.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F
ZIP codes3
Last frostMar 3
First frostDec 5
Growing season279 days

9b 3 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Crystal River, 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 in Crystal River, FL

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostMarch 3median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMarch 29only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostDecember 5median — 10% chance by Nov 15
Growing season279 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around February 11 and returns around December 29.

From the NOAA station Inverness 3 Se, FL, elevation 59 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in Crystal River

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Jan 20 – Feb 3
SpinachSow outdoors · Jan 20 – Feb 10
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Dec 23 – Jan 6
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Feb 10 – Feb 24
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Feb 3 – Feb 17
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Feb 10 – Feb 24
LettuceSow outdoors · Feb 3 – Feb 17
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Feb 10 – Feb 24
TomatoesStart indoors · Jan 6 – Jan 20
TomatoesTransplant · Mar 10 – Mar 24
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Dec 23 – Jan 6
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · Mar 17 – Mar 31
BeansSow outdoors · Mar 10 – Mar 24
Sweet cornSow outdoors · Mar 10 – Mar 24
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · Mar 10 – Mar 24
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Oct 10 – Oct 24
GarlicPlant cloves · Nov 21 – Dec 26
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (Mar 3) and first fall frost (Dec 5) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 34429 came on Jan 12 — 7 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 19).

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.

Trees 66

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °FAtlantic white cedar50 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −36 °F

Shrubs 114

aloe yucca15 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −1 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican beautyberry6 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °FAmerican holly40 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −20 °FAmerican hornbeam30 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −34 °FAmerican plum24 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 146

American bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican century plant6 ft · blooms indeterminate · high shade tolerance · to 12 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican spongeplant0.5 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −24 °F

Grasses 131

American cupscale3 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −18 °Fautumn bluegrass1.5 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °Fbig bluestem6 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −46 °Fbig cordgrass8 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −3 °F

Vines 12

American wisteria50 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fcatbird grape30 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −13 °Fcupseed30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °Fgraybark grape50 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °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 Crystal River, FL.

Soil in Crystal River, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 34429 is Homosassa — mucky fine sandy loam, very poorly drained.

TextureMucky fine sandy loamdrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH6.1slightly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageVery poorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter12.5%high
Hydrologic groupA/Ddrains fast once dried out; wet otherwise
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Rock outcrop-Homosassa-Lacoochee complex.

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 34429; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Crystal River, FL

Summer high91 °Faverage high, July
Winter low43 °Faverage low, January
Hot days112days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights16nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days7,343base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day13 h 59 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 18 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

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 69 °F, low 43 °F 69°43° JanFebruary: average high 72 °F, low 46 °F 72°46° FebMarch: average high 77 °F, low 49 °F 77°49° MarApril: average high 82 °F, low 55 °F 82°55° AprMay: average high 88 °F, low 62 °F 88°62° MayJune: average high 90 °F, low 69 °F 90°69° JunJuly: average high 91 °F, low 71 °F 91°71° JulAugust: average high 90 °F, low 71 °F 90°71° AugSeptember: average high 89 °F, low 69 °F 89°69° SepOctober: average high 84 °F, low 61 °F 84°61° OctNovember: average high 77 °F, low 52 °F 77°52° NovDecember: average high 72 °F, low 46 °F 72°46° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″8″January: 3.14 in precipitation 3.1 JanFebruary: 2.69 in precipitation 2.7 FebMarch: 3.43 in precipitation 3.4 MarApril: 2.78 in precipitation 2.8 AprMay: 3.55 in precipitation 3.5 MayJune: 8.28 in precipitation 8.3 JunJuly: 8.32 in precipitation 8.3 JulAugust: 7.93 in precipitation 7.9 AugSeptember: 6.66 in precipitation 6.7 SepOctober: 3.30 in precipitation 3.3 OctNovember: 2.03 in precipitation 2.0 NovDecember: 3.00 in precipitation 3.0 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Inverness 3 Se, FL (22 mi away); precipitation: Hernando 1.6 N, FL (18 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Crystal River

344239b
25 to 30 °F
344289b
25 to 30 °F
344299b
25 to 30 °F

Florida planting zones →

Questions about Crystal River

What planting zone is Crystal River, FL?

Crystal River, FL is in USDA hardiness zone 9b on the 2023 map (9b: 25 to 30 °F).

When is the last frost in Crystal River, FL?

The median last spring frost is March 3 and the median first fall frost is December 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Inverness 3 Se station).

When can I plant a garden in Crystal River, FL?

Cool-season crops like peas and spinach go in around Jan 20 – Feb 10; tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash after about Mar 10, once frost risk has passed.

What kind of onions grow in Crystal River, FL?

Short-day onions: the longest day is 13 h 59 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.

How much rain and snow does Crystal River, FL get?

About 55.1 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).