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

Planting zone for Lafayette, LA

Lafayette, LA is in USDA zone 9a across its 11 ZIP codes. The median last spring frost is February 13 and the first fall frost December 4.

Lafayette on the zone map

Outlined: its 5 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.

Zone9a20 to 25 °F
ZIP codes11
Last frostFeb 13
First frostDec 4
Growing season299 days

9a 11 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Lafayette, LA…

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 Lafayette, LA

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostFebruary 13median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMarch 10only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostDecember 4median — 10% chance by Nov 13
Growing season299 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around January 27 and returns around December 30.

From the NOAA station Lafayette Regional Airport, LA, elevation 39 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 Lafayette

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Jan 2 – Jan 16
SpinachSow outdoors · Jan 2 – Jan 23
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Dec 5 – Dec 19
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Jan 23 – Feb 6
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Jan 16 – Jan 30
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Jan 23 – Feb 6
LettuceSow outdoors · Jan 16 – Jan 30
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Jan 23 – Feb 6
TomatoesStart indoors · Dec 19 – Jan 2
TomatoesTransplant · Feb 20 – Mar 6
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Dec 5 – Dec 19
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · Feb 27 – Mar 13
BeansSow outdoors · Feb 20 – Mar 6
Sweet cornSow outdoors · Feb 20 – Mar 6
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · Feb 20 – Mar 6
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Oct 9 – Oct 23
GarlicPlant cloves · Nov 20 – Dec 25
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (Feb 13) and first fall frost (Dec 4) 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 70505 came on Jan 11 — 13 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 24).

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 9a in Louisiana

517 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Louisiana, and rated by the USDA to survive 20 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 9a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 69

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 °Fbald cypress130 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −18 °F

Shrubs 108

aloe yucca15 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −1 °FAmerican beautyberry6 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °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 168

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 150

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 14

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican 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 °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 Lafayette, LA.

Soil in Lafayette, LA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 70505 is Memphis — silt loam, well drained.

TextureSilt loama good balance for most vegetables
pH4.9strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter1.66%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately
Farmland classprime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Memphis silt loam, 0 to 1 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 70505; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Lafayette, LA

Summer high92 °Faverage high, July
Winter low44 °Faverage low, January
Hot days91days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights11nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days7,303base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 06 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 12 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb
Precipitation62.8 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 62 °F, low 44 °F 62°44° JanFebruary: average high 66 °F, low 47 °F 66°47° FebMarch: average high 73 °F, low 53 °F 73°53° MarApril: average high 79 °F, low 59 °F 79°59° AprMay: average high 86 °F, low 67 °F 86°67° MayJune: average high 90 °F, low 73 °F 90°73° JunJuly: average high 92 °F, low 75 °F 92°75° JulAugust: average high 92 °F, low 75 °F 92°75° AugSeptember: average high 89 °F, low 70 °F 89°70° SepOctober: average high 81 °F, low 60 °F 81°60° OctNovember: average high 72 °F, low 50 °F 72°50° NovDecember: average high 64 °F, low 45 °F 64°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″8″January: 5.92 in precipitation 5.9 JanFebruary: 4.07 in precipitation 4.1 FebMarch: 3.72 in precipitation 3.7 MarApril: 4.91 in precipitation 4.9 AprMay: 5.44 in precipitation 5.4 MayJune: 7.09 in precipitation 7.1 JunJuly: 6.27 in precipitation 6.3 JulAugust: 6.26 in precipitation 6.3 AugSeptember: 5.02 in precipitation 5.0 SepOctober: 4.76 in precipitation 4.8 OctNovember: 4.39 in precipitation 4.4 NovDecember: 4.96 in precipitation 5.0 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Lafayette Regional Airport, LA (2 mi away); precipitation: Lafayette Regional Airport, LA (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Lafayette

705019a
20 to 25 °F
705029a
20 to 25 °F
705039a
20 to 25 °F
705059a
20 to 25 °F
705069a
20 to 25 °F
705079a
20 to 25 °F
705089a
20 to 25 °F
705099a
20 to 25 °F
705939a
20 to 25 °F
705969a
20 to 25 °F
705989a
20 to 25 °F

Louisiana planting zones →

Questions about Lafayette

What planting zone is Lafayette, LA?

Lafayette, LA is in USDA hardiness zone 9a on the 2023 map (9a: 20 to 25 °F).

When is the last frost in Lafayette, LA?

The median last spring frost is February 13 and the median first fall frost is December 4 (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Lafayette Regional Airport station).

When can I plant a garden in Lafayette, LA?

Cool-season crops like peas and spinach go in around Jan 2 – Jan 23; tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash after about Feb 20, once frost risk has passed.

What kind of onions grow in Lafayette, LA?

Short-day onions: the longest day is 14 h 06 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.

How much rain and snow does Lafayette, LA get?

About 62.8 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).