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

Planting zone for 96803 — Honolulu, HI

ZIP code 96803 (Honolulu, Honolulu County) is in USDA zone 12b: the coldest winter night averages 55 to 60 °F.

Where ZIP 96803 is

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.

Zone12b55 to 60 °F
Coldest night12.8 to 15.6 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone12b

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 12b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

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Loading the forecast for Honolulu, 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

Frost is rare or absent here: Honolulu, HI is in zone 12b, where the coldest night of a typical winter stays above freezing. Cool-season vegetables grow best from fall through spring; summer heat, not frost, is the limit.

Native plants for zone 12b in Hawaii

37 plants native to Hawaii, recorded in Hawaii, and rated by the USDA to survive 55 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 12b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 7

Chamisso's manfern10 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °Fhapu'u8 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °FHawai'i pritchardia60 ft · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °FKamalo pritchardia16 ft · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °Fkoa110 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to 31 °Fkoaoha40 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to 25 °F

Shrubs 12

'ala'a40 ft · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °F'ohi'a lehua65 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to 22 °Fbeach naupaka10 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to 31 °FGaudichaud's senna2 ft · to 40 °FHawai'i desert-thorn1 ft · blooms summer · medium shade tolerance · to 40 °FHawai'i hawthorn12 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to 35 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 8

bayhops1 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to 17 °Fbeach strawberry0.8 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Fcommon duckmeatblooms late summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Fcommon maidenhair1.7 ft · blooms summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Flongleaf pondweedblooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Fsalt heliotrope1.2 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °F

Grasses 10

blunt spikerush1.6 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to 37 °Fcosmopolitan bulrush3 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −23 °Ffragrant flatsedge2 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to 42 °Fkawelu3 ft · high shade tolerance · to 40 °Fmanyspike flatsedge1.6 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to 47 °Fovate spikerush1.5 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to 47 °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 Honolulu, HI.

Soil in Honolulu, HI

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 96803 is Makiki — clay loam, well drained.

TextureClay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH5.3strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter8.5%high
Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately
Farmland classPrime farmland if irrigatedUSDA classification

Map unit: Makiki clay loam, 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 96803; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Honolulu, HI

Summer high88 °Faverage high, August
Winter low66 °Faverage low, January
Hot days17days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights0nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days10,097base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day13 h 26 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 50 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb
Precipitation23.8 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

60°70°80°90°100°January: average high 81 °F, low 66 °F 81°66° JanFebruary: average high 81 °F, low 66 °F 81°66° FebMarch: average high 81 °F, low 68 °F 81°68° MarApril: average high 83 °F, low 70 °F 83°70° AprMay: average high 85 °F, low 71 °F 85°71° MayJune: average high 87 °F, low 73 °F 87°73° JunJuly: average high 87 °F, low 75 °F 87°75° JulAugust: average high 88 °F, low 75 °F 88°75° AugSeptember: average high 88 °F, low 74 °F 88°74° SepOctober: average high 87 °F, low 73 °F 87°73° OctNovember: average high 84 °F, low 72 °F 84°72° NovDecember: average high 82 °F, low 69 °F 82°69° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″January: 2.62 in precipitation 2.6 JanFebruary: 2.27 in precipitation 2.3 FebMarch: 3.50 in precipitation 3.5 MarApril: 1.56 in precipitation 1.6 AprMay: 1.10 in precipitation 1.1 MayJune: 0.95 in precipitation 0.9 JunJuly: 1.06 in precipitation 1.1 JulAugust: 1.09 in precipitation 1.1 AugSeptember: 1.60 in precipitation 1.6 SepOctober: 2.01 in precipitation 2.0 OctNovember: 2.78 in precipitation 2.8 NovDecember: 3.21 in precipitation 3.2 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Waikiki 717.2, HI (4 mi away); precipitation: Beretania Pump Stn 705, HI (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 12b.

9680412b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9681212b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680212b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680512b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680612b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680712b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680812b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi
9680912b
Honolulu, HI · <1 mi

All 40 ZIP codes in Honolulu → · Hawaii planting zones →

Questions about 96803

What planting zone is ZIP code 96803?

ZIP code 96803 (Honolulu, HI) is in USDA hardiness zone 12b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 55 to 60 °F (12.8 to 15.6 °C).

How much rain and snow does 96803 get?

About 23.8 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Beretania Pump Stn 705 station).

How hot do summers get in Honolulu, HI?

The average high peaks at 88 °F in August, with about 17 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 96803 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Makiki at the center of ZIP 96803: clay loam, well drained, pH about 5.3 (strongly acidic).

What kind of onions grow in Honolulu, HI?

Short-day onions: the longest day near 96803 is 13 h 26 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.