Growing Calendar

MenuClose

Boca Raton, Florida planting calendar and frost dates

Boca Raton is in USDA hardiness zone 11a, and frost is rare: a 32°F night happens in fewer than 1 year in 100.

Hardiness zone
Zone 11a (parts in 10b)

Frost dates in Boca Raton

A 32°F night is not recorded here: it happens in fewer than 1 year in 100, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 miles S of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers.

What to plant each month in Boca Raton

The vegetable season is reversed from most of the U.S.: the main planting window is September through February, with tomatoes, peppers and squash growing through the mild, dry winter. By March the season winds down. Summer brings heat, heavy rain and pests, so summer planting is limited to tropical crops such as sweet potatoes, pineapple, ginger and heat-tolerant herbs. The months below follow the planting calendar for South Florida from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.

  1. January

    Plant: beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, okra, parsley, peas, peppers, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, roses, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

  2. February

    Plant: blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, ginger, green beans, green onions, lettuce, okra, peas, peppers, pineapples, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

  3. March

    Plant: cantaloupes, carrots, celery, ginger, green beans, green onions, okra, pineapples, radishes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

  4. April

    Plant: basil, ginger, green beans, mints, pineapples, sweet potatoes

  5. May

    Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes

  6. June

    Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes

  7. July

    Plant: mints, oregano, pineapples, sweet potatoes

  8. August

    Plant: eggplants, ginger, okra, peppers, pineapples, pumpkins, rosemary, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash, zucchini

  9. September

    Plant: basil, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, mints, okra, peppers, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

  10. October

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, okra, onions, parsley, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

  11. November

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, garlic, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

  12. December

    Plant: beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, garlic, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, roses, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

Sources for the South Florida calendar

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Boca Raton

All 7 of Boca Raton's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Ft Lauderdale Beach, so the dates on this page apply across the city. The hardiness zone is 10b in 33433, 33434, 33496, and 11a in 33431, 33432, 33486, 33487.

ZIP codeZoneWeather stationTypical last frostTypical first frost
3343111aFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3343211aFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3343310bFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3343410bFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3348611aFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3348711aFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare
3349610bFt Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi SRareRare

Ft Lauderdale Beach also supplies the frost dates for Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek, so their planting calendars match Boca Raton's.

Nearby cities

Planting in FloridaAbout zone 11aSouth Florida planting calendarPrintable calendar for Boca Raton

Questions

When is the last frost in Boca Raton?

Frost is rare in Boca Raton: a 32°F night happens in fewer than 1 year in 100, so planting follows the South Florida calendar on this page rather than frost dates.

What planting zone is Boca Raton in?

USDA hardiness zone 11a (2023 map), with parts of the city in zone 10b. The zone tells you which perennials survive the winter; planting times follow the regional calendar instead.