Upper South Gardening Guide

The region known as the Upper South is a wide ribbon stretching from Washington, D.C. to Oklahoma City. It includes most of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, southern parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, northern Arkansas and most of Oklahoma outside the panhandle.

Most of the Upper South is in USDA zones six and seven, although some mountain regions may be zone 5. The number of days over 86ºF can vary from as few as seven in the mountains to as many as 90 to 120 in parts of Oklahoma (AHS zones five to eight). Although it can get cold, most areas get little, if any, snow. Most of the precipitation comes as rain and there may be as much as 40 to 45 inches in a year. Oklahoma and other western parts of this area get less.

The growing season is very long in the warmer parts of this area. It may last from late March through November. Most of the area has had the last frost by the end of April, although mountain areas may not get it until late May.

Just about any annual flower you can name will do well in the Upper South but if you live in warmer parts of the area the hottest parts of summer can stress your plants. Look for plants marked "heat-tolerant," like bacopa  (pictured), Mexican heather,  nicotiana,  moss roses  and verbena. 

Many temperate trees and shrubs as well as a number of evergreens will do well in this zone. Perennials of all sorts will grow, but if they need a cold, snowy winter to thrive, you might want to choose a different plant. Some tender perennials might be able to make it through the winter in warmer parts of the zone, as well.

The Upper South has a bit of everything, making it a great place to raise almost anything. There are four distinct seasons, so cool-season crops can still grow but the summers are long enough to raise many hot-weather crops.  Abundant rain keeps everything nice and moist. Jicama,  sweet potato  and most melons  require a long season and will grow better here than further north. Leeks  and parsnips  will do well, too. If you want lettuces  or any of the Brassicas,  plant them early and start some in late summer for spring and fall harvests. Also consider winter squashes.  It isn't quite tropical enough for crops like okra and watermelon, however.

External Links

  • General
    • Garden.org -- National Gardening Association's description of the upper south.
  • By State
    • Maryland
      • Hglc.umd.edu -- University of Maryland's home and garden information center.
      • Mgs.md.gov -- Maryland Rose Society on growing roses in Maryland.
      • Epfl.net -- Enoch Pratt Free Library's advice on invasive and native plants in Maryland.
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
      • WVagriculture.org -- Department of Agriculture. The West Virginia DA has a number of publications available in PDF format, including ""Home Gardening is Fun," "Home Garden Pest Control," and "A General Guide to Houseplants."
      • WVU.edu -- West Virginia University. Butterfly gardening in W. Virginia.
    • Kentucky