Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
agave (zones 8-11) does not overlap with Ohio's zone range (5b-7a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Agave is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Ohio is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Ohio winter. To grow it here, grow agave in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.
A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 8-11 (plant) against 5-7 (Ohio). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Agave in Ohio — the short answer
Agave in Ohio: hardy in zones 8–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 8-11
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Ohio zones
- 5b-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 5 - Apr 13 – Oct 31 - Nov 6
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 182 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Ohio spans zones 5b-7a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score agave against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Ohio is not one climate
Ohio’s winter-low ladder runs across 88 counties, from zone 6 in Allen County to zone 7 in Scioto County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between agave overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 88 counties runs 6–6.5 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 88 Ohio counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Agave Stands in Ohio
Agave is rated for zones 8–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. No Ohio county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Ohio winters, not about agave.
Below the zone 8 floor
88 counties
- Allen County · zone 6a
- Ashland County · zone 6a
- Auglaize County · zone 6a
3 of 88 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Agave Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-11
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Ohio Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 5 - Apr 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 6
- Annual Rainfall: 34-42 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay loam, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-11)
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Agave in Ohio
The frost window
Across Ohio, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 201-day window you can count on — up to 215 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Ohio runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for agave, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether agave is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Ohio; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Geauga County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Agave likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-8). That's the common-ground band across Ohio's glacial till and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Ohio soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Ohio site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. pH range, preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 28.6% of Ohio as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Agave tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Ohio soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Agave in Ohio
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Ohio growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
Growing agave here specifically
Agave roots run medium and prefer pH 5.5–8.0, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 28.6% of Ohio as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant agave on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Ohio grower, not just agave — is covered on the Ohio growing guide.
Timing shifts within Ohio
Ohio isn't one climate. In Geauga County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 13 days later than the recorded state median — so plant agave to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Ohio Agave Is Zone-Hardy
Agave is rated for USDA zones 8–11. No Ohio county reaches it. Even Scioto County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7a, sits below the plant’s zone 8 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 88 counties Ohio’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Allen County to zone 7a in Scioto County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band agave needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Agave’s zone 8–11 band: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Agave draws native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths (high value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, agave can only work that bloom inside Ohio's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 5 - Apr 13) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 6), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Good to Know Before You Plant Agave
Agave is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (sap) at a mild level. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Recommended Agave Varieties for Ohio
Ohio publishes no state variety trial for agave, so we won't invent a "best for Ohio" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5b-7a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Ohio Cooperative Extension
For Ohio-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for agave, the canonical source is Ohio State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Agave native to Ohio?
Agave is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) does not record it growing in Ohio. It can still earn a place in a Ohio garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Ohio growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Ohio and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Agave in Ohio
When can I plant Agave in Ohio?
Ohio's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Agave, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Ohio and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Agave grown in across Ohio?
Ohio spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Agave is listed for zones 8-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Ohio where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Ohio site have?
A typical Ohio site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Agave needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Geauga, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Agave native to Ohio?
Agave is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) does not record it growing in Ohio. It can still earn a place in a Ohio garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Agave in Ohio?
Agave prefers pH 5.5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Ohio soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Agave actually grow on my specific land in Ohio?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores agave against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Ohio
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores agave against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Ohio agave averages can't show:
We read public map data around Ohio — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Ohio agave average
Explore More
Growing guides for agave
Explore Ohio county by county
Ohio carries 88 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for agave there:
Where else agave grows
Agave's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Ohio in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Ohio
Ohio has a growing page for 889 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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