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City guide · Zone 9b

What to plant in San Jose, California

A full-sun bed in San Jose: Upright juniper 'Spartan', Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation', Bearded iris, Butterfly weed, Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'. Zone 9b, frost is rare.

Mediterranean with warm, dry summers. Water-wise and California native plants are preferred.

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.

San Jose, California at a glance

Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
9b (ZIP 95113)
Typical last spring frost
Rare
Typical first fall frost
Rare
Spring planting window
late February to mid-April
Fall planting window
late October to mid-December
Annual rainfall (approx.)
16 in

Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Dry summers and wet winters mean summer water, not winter cold, decides what thrives; many plants need irrigation to survive. Our lists for San Jose use the rules for California.

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 San Jose

6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 6+ hours of sun · Low-water

Kinds

5

Plants

34

Coverage

86%

Gravel

0.44 cu yd

Gravel or decomposed granite: 0.44 cu yd at 2 in deep (6 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

A part-shade bed in San Jose

2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

Kinds

5

Plants

33

Coverage

85%

Mulch

9 bags

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 85% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

A shady bed in San Jose

Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

Kinds

5

Plants

22

Coverage

87%

Mulch

9 bags

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 87% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

Guides for zone 9

Questions and answers

What hardiness zone is San Jose, California in?
Central San Jose (ZIP 95113) 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 San Jose?
Frost is rare in central San Jose, so planting time depends more on heat and rain than on frost.
When should I plant shrubs and perennials in San Jose?
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 San Jose?
Our full-sun bed list for San Jose uses 34 plants of 5 kinds, plus 6 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