What Hardiness Zone Is Louisiana?
Louisiana spans USDA hardiness zones 8b–10a on the 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The most common zone is 9a, covering 48% of Louisiana's ZIP codes, followed by zone 8b (27%). Zone 9a means the coldest night of an average winter reaches 20°F to 25°F (−7°C to −4°C). Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.
Louisiana hardiness zones by share of ZIP codes
What the zones mean for Louisiana gardeners
- Coldest and warmest towns: among towns with NOAA weather stations, Mansfield 4 NW (322 ft) is in zone 8b, while Boothville Asos (3 ft) is in zone 10a. That is a difference of about 15°F in the coldest night of a typical winter.
- Same zone, different frost dates: within zone 9a, the median last spring frost ranges from February 9 at Carville 2 SW to March 20 at Many, 39 days apart. Your zone tells you which perennials survive winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant.
Typical frost dates in each Louisiana zone
Medians across NOAA weather stations in each zone. Colder zones usually have later spring frosts, but local terrain can shift the dates by weeks.
| Zone | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8b | March 11 | November 15 | 27 |
| 9a | March 1 | November 24 | 41 |
| 9b | February 5 | December 17 | 21 |
Hardiness zones for Louisiana cities
Zones at the National Weather Service stations, mostly city airports, with their median frost dates.
| Alexandria Esler Regional Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 112 | Mar 16 | Nov 8 |
| Alexandria Intl Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 84 | Mar 2 | Nov 17 |
| Baton Rouge Ryan Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 64 | Feb 25 | Nov 26 |
| Boothville Asos | 10a | 30°F to 35°F | 3 | Jan 23 | Jan 9 |
| Fort Polk Fullerton Lndg Strip | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 310 | Mar 1 | Nov 23 |
| Lafayette 13 SE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 35 | Feb 19 | Dec 1 |
| Lafayette Regional Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 38 | Feb 13 | Dec 4 |
| Lake Charles | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 13 | Feb 14 | Dec 7 |
| Monroe 26 N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 88 | Mar 25 | Nov 5 |
| Monroe Regional Airport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 79 | Mar 8 | Nov 15 |
| New Orleans Alvin Callender Fl | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 5 | Feb 18 | Dec 6 |
| New Orleans Audubon | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 20 | Jan 24 | Jan 2 |
| New Orleans Intl Airport | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 4 | Jan 30 | Dec 31 |
| New Orleans Lakefront Airport | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 5 |
| Shreveport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 273 | Mar 9 | Nov 18 |
| Shreveport Dwtn Airport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 179 | Feb 28 | Nov 24 |
| Slidell Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 27 | Mar 3 | Nov 21 |
Hardiness zones for 91 towns in Louisiana
Each NOAA weather station is shown with the USDA zone of the nearest ZIP code (within 8 miles). Coldest night is the zone's range for the average annual extreme minimum temperature. Click a column to sort.
| Alexandria | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 87 | Feb 27 | Nov 27 |
| Alexandria 5 SSE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 85 | Mar 3 | Nov 22 |
| Alexandria Esler Regional Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 112 | Mar 16 | Nov 8 |
| Alexandria Intl Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 84 | Mar 2 | Nov 17 |
| Amite | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 170 | Mar 7 | Nov 18 |
| Ashland | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 240 | Mar 24 | Nov 7 |
| Bastrop | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 150 | Mar 15 | Nov 12 |
| Baton Rouge Ryan Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 64 | Feb 25 | Nov 26 |
| Benton 5E | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 200 | Mar 14 | Nov 14 |
| Bienville 3 NE | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 307 | Mar 19 | Nov 9 |
| Bogalusa | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 100 | Mar 2 | Nov 23 |
| Boothville Asos | 10a | 30°F to 35°F | 3 | Jan 23 | Jan 9 |
| Boyce 3 WNW | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 110 | Mar 2 | Nov 27 |
| Brusly 2 W | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 20 | Feb 28 | Nov 24 |
| Bunkie | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 80 | Feb 28 | Nov 24 |
| Buras | 10a | 30°F to 35°F | 5 | Jan 25 | Jan 4 |
| Calhoun Rsch Station | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 120 | Mar 28 | Nov 5 |
| Carville 2 SW | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 25 | Feb 9 | Dec 13 |
| Chalmette | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 3 | Feb 10 | Dec 17 |
| Clinton 5 SE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 200 | Mar 13 | Nov 17 |
| Columbia Lock | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 82 | Mar 5 | Nov 22 |
| Covington 4 NNW | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 40 | Mar 12 | Nov 18 |
| Crowley 2 NE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 25 | Feb 20 | Dec 4 |
| De Ridder | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 190 | Mar 1 | Nov 25 |
| Donaldsonville 4 SW | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 30 | Feb 21 | Dec 5 |
| Elizabeth | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 150 | Mar 3 | Nov 25 |
| Eunice | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 50 | Feb 26 | Nov 27 |
| Farmerville | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 180 | Mar 14 | Nov 16 |
| Fort Polk Fullerton Lndg Strip | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 310 | Mar 1 | Nov 23 |
| Franklin 3 NW | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 12 | Feb 11 | Dec 8 |
| Galliano | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 5 | Feb 8 | Dec 19 |
| Grand Coteau | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 55 | Feb 28 | Nov 23 |
| Hackberry 8 SSW | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 6 | Feb 3 | Dec 24 |
| Hammond 5 E | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 35 | Mar 8 | Nov 19 |
| Hodges Gardens | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 420 | Mar 3 | Nov 27 |
| Homer 1N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 215 | Mar 30 | Nov 6 |
| Houma | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 8 | Feb 5 | Dec 17 |
| Jeanerette 5 NW | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 20 | Feb 15 | Dec 3 |
| Jena | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 143 | Mar 19 | Nov 12 |
| Jennings | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 25 | Feb 19 | Dec 4 |
| Jonesville Locks | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 70 | Mar 6 | Nov 22 |
| Lafayette | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 25 | Feb 26 | Nov 28 |
| Lafayette 13 SE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 35 | Feb 19 | Dec 1 |
| Lafayette Regional Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 38 | Feb 13 | Dec 4 |
| Lake Arthur 7 SW | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 11 | Feb 10 | Dec 11 |
| Lake Charles | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 13 | Feb 14 | Dec 7 |
| Lake Providence | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 100 | Mar 5 | Nov 24 |
| Leesville | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 28 | Mar 20 | Nov 9 |
| Leland Bowman Lock | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 40 | Feb 17 | Dec 5 |
| Lsu Ben-hur Farm | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 21 | Feb 28 | Nov 26 |
| Lsu Citrus Rsch Station | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 4 | Feb 3 | Dec 28 |
| Lsu Dean Lee Rsch Station | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 70 | Mar 1 | Nov 22 |
| Mansfield 4 NW | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 322 | Mar 8 | Nov 20 |
| Many | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 255 | Mar 20 | Nov 9 |
| Marrero 9 SSW | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 3 | Feb 10 | Dec 12 |
| Minden | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 185 | Mar 17 | Nov 14 |
| Monroe 26 N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 88 | Mar 25 | Nov 5 |
| Monroe Delta Cc | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 70 | Mar 9 | Nov 14 |
| Monroe Regional Airport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 79 | Mar 8 | Nov 15 |
| Mooringsport 1 N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 200 | Mar 6 | Nov 19 |
| Morgan City | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 5 | Jan 30 | Jan 1 |
| Moss Bluff 2 NNW | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 25 | Mar 2 | Nov 25 |
| Natchitoches | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 130 | Feb 28 | Dec 1 |
| Natchitoches #2 | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 141 | Mar 5 | Nov 17 |
| New Iberia Acadiana Airport | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 24 | Feb 10 | Dec 11 |
| New Orleans Alvin Callender Fl | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 5 | Feb 18 | Dec 6 |
| New Orleans Audubon | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 20 | Jan 24 | Jan 2 |
| New Orleans Intl Airport | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 4 | Jan 30 | Dec 31 |
| New Orleans Lakefront Airport | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 5 |
| New Roads 5 NE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 45 | Feb 19 | Dec 5 |
| Oberlin Fire Tower | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 65 | Mar 1 | Nov 24 |
| Rayville | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 89 | Feb 28 | Nov 26 |
| Red River Rsch Station | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 155 | Mar 6 | Nov 18 |
| Reserve | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 15 | Feb 9 | Dec 14 |
| Rockefeller Wl Refuge | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 4 | Feb 2 | Dec 23 |
| Rosepine Rsch Station | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 238 | Mar 8 | Nov 21 |
| Ruston La Tech | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 295 | Mar 11 | Nov 16 |
| Shreveport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 273 | Mar 9 | Nov 18 |
| Shreveport Dwtn Airport | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 179 | Feb 28 | Nov 24 |
| Shreveport Sthrn Hills | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 200 | Mar 12 | Nov 15 |
| Shreveport WFO | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 274 | Mar 6 | Nov 19 |
| Slidell | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 10 | Feb 24 | Dec 1 |
| Slidell Airport | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 27 | Mar 3 | Nov 21 |
| St Bernard | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 5 | Feb 4 | Dec 15 |
| St Francisville 1 NE | 9a | 20°F to 25°F | 129 | Mar 2 | Nov 24 |
| St Joseph 3 N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 78 | Mar 13 | Nov 10 |
| Tallulah | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 85 | Mar 2 | Nov 24 |
| Terrytown 3S | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 10 | Feb 1 | Dec 31 |
| Thibodaux 4 SE | 9b | 25°F to 30°F | 15 | Feb 5 | Dec 14 |
| Winnfield 3 N | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 160 | Mar 13 | Nov 10 |
| Winnsboro 2 SE | 8b | 15°F to 20°F | 74 | Mar 7 | Nov 13 |
Frequently asked questions
What hardiness zone is Louisiana?
Louisiana is in USDA hardiness zones 8b–10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 9a is the most common, covering 48% of Louisiana's ZIP codes, and zone 8b covers 27%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.
What does zone 9a mean?
Zone 9a means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is 20°F to 25°F (−7°C to −4°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 9a or colder should survive winter there.
What is the coldest hardiness zone in Louisiana?
Zone 8b is the coldest zone mapped in Louisiana, found around Mansfield 4 NW, and zone 10a is the warmest, found around Boothville Asos.
Did Louisiana's hardiness zones change in 2023?
The USDA released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map in November 2023, based on 1991–2020 temperatures instead of 1976–2005. About half of the United States shifted half a zone warmer. Check your ZIP code here, because plant tags and older books may still list your 2012 zone.
When should I plant in zone 9a?
Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 9a in Louisiana, the median last spring frost varies from February 9 to March 20. Look up your local frost dates and plant tender crops such as tomatoes after the 10%-risk last-frost date.
Zone and frost dates: use both
Your hardiness zone answers one question: will this plant survive the winter here? Choose perennials, shrubs, trees and bulbs rated for your zone or a colder one. For vegetables and annuals, what matters is the length of the frost-free season. See Louisiana frost dates by town, or get a planting calendar for your ZIP code with start-indoors, transplant and sowing dates for 30 crops.
Sources and method
Zones are from the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP-code files published by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, based on 1991–2020 minimum temperatures. ZIP codes are assigned to states by USPS prefix. Town zones use the ZIP code nearest each NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals station. This is an independent tool, not an official USDA site. Full methodology.
Hardiness zones in other states
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- District of Columbia
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