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

Planting zone for 33983 — Punta Gorda, FL

ZIP code 33983 (Punta Gorda, Charlotte County) is in USDA zone 10a: the coldest winter night averages 30 to 35 °F.

Where ZIP 33983 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · 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.

Zone10a30 to 35 °F
Coldest night−1.1 to 1.7 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone10a

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 10a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Punta Gorda, 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 Punta Gorda Charlotte Co. Airport, FL — 6 miles away, elevation 26 ft) the median growing season is 364 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 33983 came on Jan 12 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 14).

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 10a in Florida

480 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Florida, and rated by the USDA to survive 30 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 10a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 67

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 116

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 Punta Gorda, FL.

Soil in Punta Gorda, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 33983 is Oldsmar — sand, poorly drained.

TextureSanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH5.3strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainagePoorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter1.5%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupA/Ddrains fast once dried out; wet otherwise
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Oldsmar sand-Urban land, 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 33983; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Punta Gorda, FL

Summer high93 °Faverage high, July
Winter low51 °Faverage low, January
Hot days124days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights2nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days8,903base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day13 h 51 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 26 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb
Precipitation53 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

40°50°60°70°80°90°100°January: average high 75 °F, low 51 °F 75°51° JanFebruary: average high 78 °F, low 53 °F 78°53° FebMarch: average high 81 °F, low 56 °F 81°56° MarApril: average high 86 °F, low 61 °F 86°61° AprMay: average high 90 °F, low 66 °F 90°66° MayJune: average high 92 °F, low 72 °F 92°72° JunJuly: average high 93 °F, low 74 °F 93°74° JulAugust: average high 93 °F, low 75 °F 93°75° AugSeptember: average high 91 °F, low 73 °F 91°73° SepOctober: average high 87 °F, low 67 °F 87°67° OctNovember: average high 82 °F, low 59 °F 82°59° NovDecember: average high 78 °F, low 54 °F 78°54° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″8″10″January: 2.32 in precipitation 2.3 JanFebruary: 2.47 in precipitation 2.5 FebMarch: 2.28 in precipitation 2.3 MarApril: 2.23 in precipitation 2.2 AprMay: 3.26 in precipitation 3.3 MayJune: 9.24 in precipitation 9.2 JunJuly: 8.06 in precipitation 8.1 JulAugust: 9.11 in precipitation 9.1 AugSeptember: 6.87 in precipitation 6.9 SepOctober: 3.02 in precipitation 3.0 OctNovember: 2.12 in precipitation 2.1 NovDecember: 1.99 in precipitation 2.0 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Punta Gorda Charlotte Co. Airport, FL (6 mi away); precipitation: Punta Gorda Charlotte Co. Airport, FL (6 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

2 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

3398010a
Punta Gorda, FL · 3 mi
3395110a
Punta Gorda, FL · 3 mi
3394910a
Port Charlotte, FL · 5 mi
3395210a
Port Charlotte, FL · 5 mi
3395010a
Punta Gorda, FL · 7 mi
342699b
Arcadia, FL · 7 mi
3395410a
Port Charlotte, FL · 7 mi
342679b
Fort Ogden, FL · 7 mi

All 6 ZIP codes in Punta Gorda → · Florida planting zones →

Questions about 33983

What planting zone is ZIP code 33983?

ZIP code 33983 (Punta Gorda, FL) is in USDA hardiness zone 10a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 30 to 35 °F (−1.1 to 1.7 °C).

How much rain and snow does 33983 get?

About 53 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Punta Gorda Charlotte Co. Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Punta Gorda, FL?

The average high peaks at 93 °F in July, with about 124 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 33983 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Oldsmar at the center of ZIP 33983: sand, poorly drained, pH about 5.3 (strongly acidic).

Did spring come early in Punta Gorda, FL in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 33983 came on Jan 12 in 2026, about the same as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 14), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Punta Gorda, FL?

Short-day onions: the longest day near 33983 is 13 h 51 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.