10 Best Frost-Tolerant Vegetables to Grow in Winter

Winter can be a gloomy, dreary time of year for gardeners living in cold climates. You'll need a steady supply of hardy winter vegetables to keep your garden producing year-round. Even if your garden is covered with a blanket of snow, there are many winter veggies you can grow without any trouble, depending on your region and soil conditions. Some crops need cold weather to thrive, and some become even sweeter with frost, such as leafy greens, root crops, and bulbs.

Here are 10 frost-tolerant plants you can grow even if your area experiences freezing temperatures. If you live in a frost-free area, these plants can thrive and produce throughout the entire winter months. Plant these winter vegetables now for successful harvests this season.

1. Kale

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Kale is one of the best cold-hardy garden plants for your winter vegetable garden. Kale, widely regarded as a perfect healthy green or 'superfood', is also known for its cold tolerance. Kale thrives in the months after your first frost date because the bugs that like to eat its leaves have been largely killed off. Winter is Kale's time to shine.

Dinosaur kale is an excellent kale variety to grow in winter. It has rough, cabbage-like leaves that can withstand cold as low as 20°F without frost protection. These plants also grow well in hotter weather. You can harvest kale seedlings for baby greens or leave the plant to mature into full-size leaves. Add plenty of compost on top of roots to insulate them in the cold months.

Learn how to grow kale in your garden.

2. Brussels Sprouts

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

These mini-cabbage lookalikes have similar hardiness to cabbage. Although Brussels sprouts are often considered a winter vegetable in the kitchen due to their bitter and bland flavor, their flavor improves after the first frost. Frost helps to reduce the bitterness that some don't like.

Plant the 'Long Island Improved' variety to enjoy the crunchy texture and increased flavor of Brussels sprouts. This winter crop needs slightly more time to mature than other winter vegetables. Harvest when the sprouts on the stalk reach about one inch in diameter and feel firm to the touch. Harvest from the bottom up or the entire stalk, depending on your needs and the quantity required. Remove any yellowing leaves when the plant grows to keep it healthy.

3. Swiss Chard

Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Swiss chard tolerates freezing temperatures well, but it may need some protection from heavy snow to prevent any damage. The colorful stalks of this crop are ideal for adding a beautiful color to your winter vegetable garden when your flowers are scarce. Like kale, the leaves of Swiss chard leaves will taste sweeter after a frost.

Swiss chard and its cousin, spinach, are excellent winter-hardy greens to grow under cold frames or row covers in cold regions. This is a biennial vegetable, so it likes to stay in your garden as long as possible to produce seeds in its second year. This means these stunning little plants will also remain there during the hotter months.

4. Cabbage

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Cabbage is famous among frost-resistant crops. Cabbage has lovely, thick leaves that allow it to grow in colder regions for centuries. It is a family member of Kale, as both are in the Brassica family, and they both enjoy growing in cooler weather. The leaves of the cabbage plant taste sweeter after a mild frost. Also, you won't have to deal with those pesky cabbage worms in winter. Cabbage will be ready to harvest in about 80 days, depending on the variety. You can pick the cabbage heads as soon as they feel firm enough when gently squeezed.

Napa cabbage can tolerate only down to 26º F, while other cabbage varieties are more frost tolerant. If you're planting this vegetable in a colder climate, look for varieties with savoyed leaves. Savoy means bumpy or rough. The bumpier the leaves, the more tolerance for cold.

Learn more about planting and growing cabbage in your garden.

5. Broccoli

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10

Broccoli is an impressively resilient cool-season vegetable that loves sunny locations and well-drained, fertile soil. One of the most popular vegetables in American households, broccoli is quite frost-tolerant, including varieties such as Broccoli Raab and Broccolini.

Plant some broccoli in your winter garden to enjoy the delicious stir-fry in the middle of winter. This hardy crop does not mind frost. Some of the leaves might get a little frost-burnt in peak winters, but the plant will be fine. The broccoli heads taste sweeter after frost. However, you should protect seedlings and transplants from severe frosts using row covers.

6. Onion

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10

Onions, like alliums, handle snow wonderfully and survive in temperatures as low as 20°F for short periods. The larger onion varieties are well-suited to winter growth. Onions need either short or long days to mature, depending on the type. Short-day onions grow well in southern regions, while long-day varieties grow better in the north. Intermediate onions thrive between the two regions.

Onions form bulbs when they mature properly. Its harvest times vary depending on the type you're growing, but it won't be quick. Your overwintered onions will be ready to harvest young onions earlier or wait until the bulbs are fully grown, depending on how you plan to use them.

7. Garlic

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Garlic is a fall-planted root crop that needs frost to thrive. However, like onions, you won't be able to harvest it until the following summer. It takes advantage of the chilly weather to split it into many portions. In the spring, the portions grow into cloves. Plant garlic in your garden this fall for harvest next summer. Hardneck varieties are best grown in the north, whereas softnecks varieties are grown in milder climates.

Fall is the best time of year to plant garlic, about four weeks before the first frost, and then they go dormant over the winter. In mid-to-late summer, you can harvest them for storage throughout the year.

8. Carrots

Sun Requirements: Full sun

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-11

Carrots prefer cool weather and are at their best after winter. They can stay in the ground under a thick layer of warm mulch even after the first snowfall. It saves space and enhances flavor.

Carrots mature in 50-60 days, making them a perfect choice for a fall or early spring garden. They can tolerate the cold and even get sweeter with a few mild frosts. They won't grow if the ground freezes completely, but they can be left dormant underground over the winter and then harvested in the coming spring. This makes them much sweeter and gives you a wonderful early spring harvest opportunity.

Learn how to plant and grow carrots.

9. Spinach

Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Spinach is one of the best hardy winter greens, growing quickly and thriving in low temperatures. It thrives in shade and can handle temperatures close to freezing, conditions that would kill most other garden plants. This makes it a perfect crop for floating row covers and the long winter nights.

It continues to produce in snow and has abundant vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy during cold seasons. You can pick mature spinach leaves in less than 50 days after sowing, but baby leaves can be removed sooner (as long as not too many). This versatile green vegetable is perfectly suited for raw or cooked use in a variety of cuisines.

Learn how to grow spinach in your home garden.

10. Beets

Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Beets are another popular winter root vegetable that loves cold weather. Both the roots and tops of beets are edible, giving you a lot of delicious food for the kitchen. You can even sow any leftover seeds indoors to grow them as microgreens.

Beets are not only excellent frost-resistant crops, but they also become sweeter with frost. They are frost-tolerant once mature and thrive in chilly conditions. 'Ruby Queen' beets are one of the best beet varieties to grow in winter, as they mature quickly and are versatile in the kitchen.

You can use this variety for cooked meals or process it into pickles, canned goods, or preserves. They hold up well for processing and retain their flavor even after long-term storage.

Winter Vegetable Gardening Tips

• Prepare your raised garden beds before the freeze and sow seeds or plant seedlings in these prepared beds.
• Grow rosemary, oregano, parsley, chives, and other hardy herbs indoors to create an herb garden or salad garden.
• Protect your winter garden vegetables and extend the growing season by using row covers, cold frames, tunnels, and greenhouses. These covers protect plants from wind and snow and insulate the garden area below.
• Use best-quality garden tools like a rake, dibbler, and durable gloves for the best gardening experience.
• Water your raised garden beds thoroughly before a freeze using a garden drip irrigation system. Wet soil retains heat better than dry soil, helping protect roots from damage.
• Keep an eye on weather conditions and inspect your vegetables frequently to harvest them at the right time. Check seed packets for estimated days to maturity.
• Harden off seedlings grown in the greenhouse before planting them outside
• Freezing winter months are perfect for snuggling up on the couch, reflecting on your 2025 garden, and planning your 2026 garden. Take note of what went well or what didn't in your garden during the previous growing season and set goals for the upcoming spring.

Enjoy Your Winter Harvests

Planting frost and snow-tolerant vegetable varieties is the best way to keep your garden alive for as long as possible in winter. Gardeners can grow them throughout the winter with row covers, greenhouses, or cold frames. Just keep them clear of snow so they have enough light to keep going. Plant your favorite winter crops, embrace the seasonal change, stay warm, and never stop growing.