City guide · Zone 9b
What to plant in Jacksonville, Florida
A full-sun bed in Jacksonville: Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen', Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation', Daylily 'Stella de Oro', African iris, Lilyturf 'Big Blue'. Zone 9b, last frost around Feb 10.
North Florida: humid and sandy, with a few freezes most winters that limit true tropicals.
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Jacksonville, Florida at a glance
- Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
- 9b (ZIP 32202)
- Typical last spring frost
- Feb 10
- Typical first fall frost
- Dec 10
- Spring planting window
- late February to mid-April
- Fall planting window
- late October to mid-December
- Annual rainfall (approx.)
- 52 in
Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Heat, humidity and the lack of winter chill matter more than cold here; many plants rated for your zone never get the rest they need. Our lists for Jacksonville use the rules for Florida and the Gulf.
Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 (USDA Agricultural Research Service; data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University). ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.
A full-sun bed in Jacksonville
6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 6+ hours of sun · Modern
Buxus sinica var. insularis 'Wintergreen'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'.
Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation'
Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Can't find it? Use Switchgrass 'Shenandoah' or Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'.
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · May–Sep
Can't find it? Use Bulbine.
African iris
× 5
Dietes iridioides
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct
Can't find it? Use Lily of the Nile or Mexican bush sage.
Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.
Kinds
5
Plants
32
Coverage
91%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A part-shade bed in Jacksonville
2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic
Gardenia jasminoides 'Frostproof'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · May–Jun
Can't find it? Use Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond' or Reblooming azalea 'Encore Autumn Amethyst'.
Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'
Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.
Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Autumn fern.
Aspidistra elatior
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Autumn fern.
African iris
× 5
Dietes iridioides
Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct
Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Autumn fern.
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.
Kinds
5
Plants
31
Coverage
93%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 93% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
A shady bed in Jacksonville
Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.
12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic
Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 4–6 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'.
Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance' or Mondo grass.
Aspidistra elatior
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Southern shield fern.
Autumn fern
× 7
Dryopteris erythrosora
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Southern shield fern.
Liriope muscari 'Variegata'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.25 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.
Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).
Kinds
5
Plants
36
Coverage
86%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
Guides for zone 9
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Florida
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 9
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 9
Questions and answers
- What hardiness zone is Jacksonville, Florida in?
- Central Jacksonville (ZIP 32202) is in zone 9b on the 2023 USDA map: the coldest night of an average winter falls between 25°F and 30°F. Suburbs can be half a zone colder.
- When is the last frost in Jacksonville?
- Typically around Feb 10 in spring and Dec 10 in fall. These are typical dates; any one year can be two weeks earlier or later.
- When should I plant shrubs and perennials in Jacksonville?
- In spring, late February to mid-April; in fall, late October to mid-December. Fall planting gives roots a cool, moist season to settle before summer.
- How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed in Jacksonville?
- Our full-sun bed list for Jacksonville uses 32 plants of 5 kinds, plus 9 bags of mulch.
How this page was made
This page was generated from FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules: the rules engine composed each list for the city's 2023 USDA zone, its region's summers and its state's invasive lists. The frost dates and rainfall are approximate metro values. No person or chat model chose these plants, and no named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
- ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants