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

Planting zone for 96765 — Lawai, HI

ZIP code 96765 (Lawai, Kauai County) is in USDA zone 12a: the coldest winter night averages 50 to 55 °F.

Where ZIP 96765 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.

Zone12a50 to 55 °F

Coldest night10 to 12.8 °C

Last frostrare

First frostrare

2012 zone12a

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 12a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Lawai, HI…

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 Kanalohuluhulu 1075, HI — 17 miles away, elevation 3,599 ft) the median growing season is 365 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.

Native plants for zone 12a in Hawaii

37 plants native to Hawaii, recorded in Hawaii, and rated by the USDA to survive 50 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 12a. 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 Lawai, HI.

Soil in Lawai, HI

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 96765 is Puhi — silty clay loam, well drained.

TextureSilty clay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up

pH5.0strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter7%high

Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Puhi silty clay loam, 15 to 25 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 96765; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Lawai, HI

Summer high89 °Faverage high, August

Winter low65 °Faverage low, January

Longest day13 h 28 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 48 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb

Precipitation23.4 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: Mahaulepu 941.1, HI (6 mi away); precipitation: Makaweli 965, HI (8 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.