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.
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.
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
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
March
Plant: cantaloupes, carrots, celery, ginger, green beans, green onions, okra, pineapples, radishes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
April
Plant: basil, ginger, green beans, mints, pineapples, sweet potatoes
May
Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes
June
Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes
July
Plant: mints, oregano, pineapples, sweet potatoes
August
Plant: eggplants, ginger, okra, peppers, pineapples, pumpkins, rosemary, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash, zucchini
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
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
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
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
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP103/VH021), Table 1 planting dates · UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS)
- Edibles to Plant in Florida: Text (month-by-month, North/Central/South) · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- South Florida Gardening Calendar (ENH1191/EP452) · UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS)
- Strawberries – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Ginger – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Dill – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Garlic – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Blueberry Gardener's Guide (CIR1192/MG359) · UF/IFAS Extension (EDIS)
- Roses – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Snapdragon – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Petunias – Gardening Solutions · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
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 code | Zone | Weather station | Typical last frost | Typical first frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33431 | 11a | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33432 | 11a | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33433 | 10b | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33434 | 10b | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33486 | 11a | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33487 | 11a | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
| 33496 | 10b | Ft Lauderdale Beach, 15.1 mi S | Rare | Rare |
Ft Lauderdale Beach also supplies the frost dates for Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek, so their planting calendars match Boca Raton's.
Nearby cities
- Deerfield Beach, FL zone 11a
- Delray Beach, FL zone 10b
- Coconut Creek, FL zone 10b
- Pompano Beach, FL zone 11a
- Boynton Beach, FL zone 10b
- Margate, FL zone 10b
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.