Major Cities: Brownsville TX, Daytona Beach FL, Ft.Lauderdale FL, Key
West FL, Laredo TX, Miami FL, Monterrey MEX, Orlando FL, Sarasota FL, Tampa FL,
West Palm Beach FL
The Region.
The northern boundary of the Tropical South region in Florida follows a line
running from east to west running through Tampa, Orlando, and to Daytona Beach.
All the cities in coastal and inland Central and South Florida and the Keys are
included in this region. The southern-most counties in Texas which includes
Brownsville and Laredo are also included in this Tropical South region.
The Climate.
Central and South Florida have a distinct wet and dry climate typical of many
tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The summer wet season is hot and
humid. It usually begins in early June and ends around mid-October. The winter
dry season starts in mid-October and continues until the beginning of June. We
receive at least 2/3rds of our 50 to 65 inches a year average annual rainfall
during the wet season with southeast, interior Florida experiencing the
heaviest rains. Tropical rainfall can be intense with high winds and flooding a
real problem in low lying coastal and southern areas. This is especially true
during hurricane season from August to November. Central Florida and the
southern tip of Texas generally falls into USDA plant hardiness zone 9 with
frosts possible each December and January especially in inland areas. Coastal
areas are always warmer and some rarely receive frost. Southern Florida rarely
experience frosts (Ft. Lauderdale hasn't had a frost since 1989), while the
Keys are true tropics and are frost-free.
The Growing Season.
Our planting season in central and south Florida is opposite from the rest of
the country. We plant annual flowers and vegetables primarily in the dry season
starting in October and finish harvesting in April or May. The dry season
permits virtually any annual flower or vegetable to be grown with concerns
about the frosts dependent on where in the area you're located. Most of the
common annual flowers and vegetables are grown during the dry season. It's also
possible to grow a broad range of temperate and tropical fruits such as citrus,
strawberries, and avocado. The lack of a prolonged winter and intense summer
heat often limits the type of ornamental trees and shrubs that can survive and
flourish in this climate to subtropical ones. The wet season has high heat and
humidity making it hard for most vegetables to make it through the summer.
Summer weather features temperatures along the coast in the 80Fs and low 90Fs
and inland in the mid to upper 90Fs. Frequent thunderstorms often temporarily
lower the heat.
USDA Hardiness
Zones: 9 to 11
Published by the National Gardening Association