Planting calendar
Zone 9 Planting Calendar
In zone 9 the last spring frost typically passes late January to February and the first fall frost arrives early December. Frost is brief; the calendar flips, with fall and winter doing spring's job. The calendar below hangs every planting window on those two dates.
How this calendar is made
Derived from each plant's type, USDA hardiness zones and bloom months, crossed with zone 9's typical frost dates, as stored in the BloomsEye library, which was written with AI assistance. Of these 1,538 plants, 991 have been checked against outside sources (70 fully verified); the rest have not been checked yet, and each plant's own page says which. The cards are AI-generated illustrations. Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Prefer pictures? Browse every plant hardy in zone 9.
January in zone 9
Frost is still likely until late January to February, but the soil is opening: hardy plants can go in as soon as it is workable.
Perennials, shrubs and trees968
- Abraham Darby
- Acoma
- Adam's Needle
- Agastache 'Apricot Sprite'
- Agastache 'Firebird'
- Agave
- Alabama Jubilee Daylily
- Alaska
- Alba
- Alba Plena
- Albostriata
- Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany
- Alexandrina Magnolia
- Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea
- Alkali Sacaton
- All Gold Japanese Forest Grass
- Allegheny Spurge
- Aloe
- Amazing Daisies Spun Silk Shasta Daisy
- Amazing Grace
- American Alumroot
- American Beautyberry
- American Elderberry
- American Gold Rush
- American Goldfinch False Indigo
- American Hazelnut
- American Holly
- American Hophornbeam
- American Hornbeam
- Amethyst Falls Wisteria
Showing 30 of 968; every plant hardy here is on the zone 9 hub.
Bulbs to plant3
Cool-season annuals, before the last frost28
- Black Pansy
- Blue Pansy
- California Poppy
- California Poppy (Cream/White)
- California Poppy (Rose/Pink Mix)
- Cream Stock
- Ivory Castle
- Lavender Stock
- Mikado
- Orange Pansy
- Pansy
- Parsley
- Purple Face Pansy
- Purple Gleam
- Purple Stock
- Red Pansy
- Red Stock
- Rose Chiffon
- Rose Pansy
- Rose Stock
- Sorbet Viola
- Stock
- White Pansy
- White Stock
- Yellow Blotch Pansy
- Yellow California Poppy
- Yellow Pansy
- Yellow Viola
February in zone 9
Frost danger in zone 9 typically ends late January to February, so the tender plants below go in as that date passes where you are, not before it.
After the last frost485
- African Daisy
- African Marigold
- Agapanthus
- Ageratum
- Amaryllis Belladonna
- Angelface Blue Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface Perfectly Pink Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface Raspberry
- Angelface Super Blue Summer Snapdragon
- Angelface White Summer Snapdragon
- Angelonia
- Annual Phlox
- Apricot Calendula
- Apricot Lemonade
- Apricot Lisianthus
- Apricot Marguerite Daisy
- Apricot Statice
- Apricot Strawflower
- Apricot Sweet Alyssum
- Apricot Tuberous Begonia
- Apricot Vinca
- Arabian Night
- Australia
- Autumn Beauty
- Bachelor's Button
- Bacopa
- Bandana Cherry
- Bandana Pink
- Bandana Rose
- Basil
Showing the first 30 of 485 by name.
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in January is still open (968 plants).
The bulb window that opened in January is still open (3 plants).
The cool-season annual window that opened in January is still open (28 plants).
Start a zone 9 February planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in February in zone 9.
March in zone 9
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in January is still open (968 plants).
The tender planting window that opened in February is still open (485 plants).
Already planted? See what is in flower in March in zone 9.
April in zone 9
The big spring windows have closed in zone 9; April is for tending, and the next big planting window opens in October, ahead of the early December first frost. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in April in zone 9.
May in zone 9
The big spring windows have closed in zone 9; May is for tending, and the next big planting window opens in October, ahead of the early December first frost. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in May in zone 9.
June in zone 9
The big spring windows have closed in zone 9; June is for tending, and the next big planting window opens in October, ahead of the early December first frost. Browse the guides or see what is in flower in June in zone 9.
July in zone 9
Zone 9 sits well between frosts this month; the season runs until early December.
Perennials, shrubs and trees1
Already planted? See what is in flower in July in zone 9.
August in zone 9
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in July is still open (1 plant).
Already planted? See what is in flower in August in zone 9.
September in zone 9
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in July is still open (1 plant).
Already planted? See what is in flower in September in zone 9.
October in zone 9
The soil is still warm and the first frost (early December) is weeks away: the fall planting window opens now.
In the ground this October: start with these
Perennials, shrubs and trees968
- Abraham Darby
- Acoma
- Adam's Needle
- Agastache 'Apricot Sprite'
- Agastache 'Firebird'
- Agave
- Alabama Jubilee Daylily
- Alaska
- Alba
- Alba Plena
- Albostriata
- Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany
- Alexandrina Magnolia
- Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea
- Alkali Sacaton
- All Gold Japanese Forest Grass
- Allegheny Spurge
- Aloe
- Amazing Daisies Spun Silk Shasta Daisy
- Amazing Grace
- American Alumroot
- American Beautyberry
- American Elderberry
- American Gold Rush
- American Goldfinch False Indigo
- American Hazelnut
- American Holly
- American Hophornbeam
- American Hornbeam
- Amethyst Falls Wisteria
Showing 30 of 968; every plant hardy here is on the zone 9 hub.
Start a zone 9 October planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in October in zone 9.
November in zone 9
About a month remains before the typical first frost (early December): prime time for fall planting.
Bulbs to plant56
- Admiral
- Album
- Amaryllis
- Apple Blossom
- Apricot Ranunculus
- Arabicum
- Autumn Crocus
- Blue Freesia
- Blue Globe Onion
- Christmas Gift
- Cream Ranunculus
- Dutch Iris
- Dutch Iris Sapphire Beauty
- Freesia
- Geranium
- Golden Garlic
- Gravetye Giant
- Hollandia
- Lord Lieutenant
- Magenta Ranunculus
- Minerva
- Mr. Fokker
- Mt. Everest
- Orange Freesia
- Orange Sovereign
- Orange Star
- Oriental Lily
- Picotee
- Picotee Pink
- Pink Freesia
Showing 30 of 56; every plant hardy here is on the zone 9 hub.
The perennial, shrub and tree window that opened in October is still open (940 plants).
Start a zone 9 November planting list in the Studio
Already planted? See what is in flower in November in zone 9.
December in zone 9
The bulb window that opened in November is still open (56 plants).
Already planted? See what is in flower in December in zone 9.
Timing here is anchored to typical zone frost averages (NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, as summarized in university extension frost tables). Your local dates can differ by several weeks, so confirm the last and first frost dates for your own area.
Design your garden
Drop plants onto a 3D plan, see how they fill in, and watch the whole garden bloom across the year.