Warmseason

Warmseason refers to conditions, organisms, or activities associated with warm temperatures. In botany and agriculture, the term primarily describes plants and crops that grow best during the warm part of the year, as well as turfgrasses that thrive in hot weather. The concept is often contrasted with cool-season, which applies to species that perform best during cooler temperatures.

In climate and ecology, warm-season periods are the portion of the year when average or daily temperatures remain high for extended stretches, typically in late spring through summer. Regions classified as warm-season zones experience long, hot summers and mild winters, and many ecosystems exhibit peak productivity during these months.

In horticulture and agronomy, warm-season crops require warm soil and air temperatures for germination and growth. They are usually planted after the danger of frost has passed and often rely on long daylength and heat to reach maturity. Common warm-season crops include corn, cotton, sorghum, millet, soybeans, peanuts, and sunflowers. Warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, and St. Augustinegrass perform best in hot weather, but typically enter dormancy or slow growth in cold weather.

Management of warm-season crops and grasses emphasizes heat-tolerant varieties, timely irrigation, pruning or mowing practices for grasses, soil warming, and protection from drought and pests. Some species are C4 plants, which provide high efficiency under high temperatures and light, while cool-season crops rely more on C3 photosynthesis. The term warmseason is used across disciplines to distinguish growing strategies and ecological responses tied to warm-temperature conditions.