Deconstruct SunHardiness Zone 8a: Temperature, States & Cities
In USDA zone 8a, the coldest night of a typical winter falls between 10 and 15 °F (−12.2 to −9.4 °C).
average annual extreme minimum
Where is zone 8a?
On the 2023 USDA map, zone 8a appears in North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico, California, Washington, District of Columbia, Arizona, Oregon, New Jersey, Utah, Missouri, Alaska, Delaware.
Cities in zone 8a
- Birmingham, AL
- Huntsville, AL
- Hoover, AL
- Little Rock, AR
- Fort Smith, AR
- Jonesboro, AR
- Washington, DC
- Atlanta, GA
- Athens, GA
- Sandy Springs, GA
- Roswell, GA
- Alpharetta, GA
- Marietta, GA
- Baltimore, MD
- Annapolis, MD
- Southaven, MS
- Tupelo, MS
- Atlantic City, NJ
- Charlotte, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Greensboro, NC
- Durham, NC
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Fayetteville, NC
- Cary, NC
- High Point, NC
- Concord, NC
- Greenville, NC
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Apex, NC
- Hickory, NC
- Ashland, OR
- Greenville, SC
- Rock Hill, SC
- Spartanburg, SC
- Memphis, TN
- Chattanooga, TN
- Abilene, TX
- San Angelo, TX
- Wichita Falls, TX
- Chesapeake, VA
- Newport News, VA
- Alexandria, VA
Gardening in zone 8a
Pick perennials, shrubs and trees labeled for zone 8a or a lower number. Then match the light: every plant tag also lists full sun, part sun or shade, and that depends on the exact spot, not the zone.
Check your zone
Zone checked. Now measure the sun.
Deconstruct Sun shows how many hours of direct sun one exact spot gets, today and in every season. Free on iPhone.
Questions
What is the temperature range for zone 8a?
In zone 8a, the average coldest winter night is 10 to 15 °F (−12.2 to −9.4 °C). That is the average of each year’s lowest temperature from 1991 to 2020.
What is the difference between zone 8a and 8b?
Both are part of zone 8. The “a” half is 5 °F colder than the “b” half. Zone 8a averages 10 to 15 °F and zone 8b averages 15 to 20 °F.
Can I grow zone 8b plants in zone 8a?
A plant rated for a warmer zone may survive a mild winter, but one hard freeze can kill it. Choose plants rated for your zone or colder for permanent plantings, and treat warmer-zone plants as annuals or grow them in pots you can move.
This is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones are derived from the official 2023 dataset, resampled to about 2 km.