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

Planting zone for Lake Wales, FL

Lake Wales, FL is in USDA zones 9b to 10a across its 3 ZIP codes.

Lake Wales on the zone map

Outlined: its 3 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 codes3

Last frostrare

First frostrare

Growing seasonall year

9b 2 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 Mtn Lake, FL, elevation 125 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 33853 came on Jan 12 — 3 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 15).

average
Jan 152026
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 Lake Wales, FL.

Soil in Lake Wales, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 33853 is Candler — sand, excessively drained.

TextureSanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding

pH5.7moderately acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageExcessively drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter1.25%low — add compost

Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Candler-Urban land complex, 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 33853; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Lake Wales, FL

Summer high93 °Faverage high, July

Winter low50 °Faverage low, January

Hot days129days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights4nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days8,758base 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

Precipitation52.8 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: Mtn Lake, FL (2 mi away); precipitation: Mtn Lake, FL (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.