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

Planting zone for The Villages, FL

The Villages, FL is in USDA zone 9b across its 2 ZIP codes.

The Villages 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 codes2
Last frostrare
First frostrare
Growing seasonall year

9b 2 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for The Villages, 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 Lisbon, FL, elevation 69 ft) the median growing season is 327 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 32162 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 The Villages, FL.

Soil in The Villages, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 32162 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 matter1.36%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Candler 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 32162; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in The Villages, FL

Summer high90 °Faverage high, July
Winter low46 °Faverage low, January
Hot days73days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights5nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days7,456base 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
Precipitation51.4 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

40°50°60°70°80°90°100°January: average high 67 °F, low 46 °F 67°46° JanFebruary: average high 70 °F, low 49 °F 70°49° FebMarch: average high 75 °F, low 53 °F 75°53° MarApril: average high 81 °F, low 59 °F 81°59° AprMay: average high 86 °F, low 65 °F 86°65° MayJune: average high 89 °F, low 71 °F 89°71° JunJuly: average high 90 °F, low 73 °F 90°73° JulAugust: average high 90 °F, low 73 °F 90°73° AugSeptember: average high 87 °F, low 71 °F 87°71° SepOctober: average high 81 °F, low 64 °F 81°64° OctNovember: average high 74 °F, low 54 °F 74°54° NovDecember: average high 69 °F, low 49 °F 69°49° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″8″January: 3.05 in precipitation 3.0 JanFebruary: 2.59 in precipitation 2.6 FebMarch: 3.48 in precipitation 3.5 MarApril: 2.74 in precipitation 2.7 AprMay: 3.25 in precipitation 3.3 MayJune: 7.85 in precipitation 7.8 JunJuly: 7.17 in precipitation 7.2 JulAugust: 7.36 in precipitation 7.4 AugSeptember: 5.83 in precipitation 5.8 SepOctober: 3.06 in precipitation 3.1 OctNovember: 2.28 in precipitation 2.3 NovDecember: 2.72 in precipitation 2.7 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Lisbon, FL (14 mi away); precipitation: Oxford 1.2 Ene, FL (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in The Villages

321629b
25 to 30 °F
321639b
25 to 30 °F

Florida planting zones →

Questions about The Villages

What planting zone is The Villages, FL?

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

What kind of onions grow in The Villages, 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 The Villages, FL get?

About 51.4 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).