Conditional — Some Areas
Alexandria laurel (zones 10-12) reaches only part of California (4b-11a): zones 10-11 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Alexandria Laurel in California — the short answer
Alexandria Laurel in California: hardy in zones 10–12, full sun, against a state median of ~317 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- California zones
- 4b-11a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Jan 19 - Mar 19 – Nov 29 - Dec 12
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 108 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.
California spans zones 4b-11a, 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 alexandria laurel 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.
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California is not one climate
California’s winter-low ladder runs across 58 counties, from zone 6 in Mono County to zone 10.5 in San Francisco County. That is 45°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between alexandria laurel overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 58 counties runs 9–9.5 zones, with a median of 9.5 zones — a 4.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 58 California 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 in California Fits Best
Alexandria Laurel is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Against California’s 58 counties that band holds in 7 of them, and the line runs at Los Angeles County (zone 10a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 10–12
7 counties
- San Mateo County · zone 10a
- Santa Barbara County · zone 10a
- Ventura County · zone 10a
3 of 7 shown
Below the zone 10 floor
51 counties
- Mono County · zone 6a
- Alpine County · zone 6b
- Lassen County · zone 7a
3 of 51 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.
Even within California's zones 4b-11a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for alexandria laurel (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Alexandria Laurel Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Frost-Free Days: 365+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 40 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
California Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-11a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 19 - Mar 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 29 - Dec 12
- Annual Rainfall: 5-80 inches
- Common Soils: Alluvial clay, Sandy loam, Adobe clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
Preferred Soil pH
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 Alexandria Laurel in California
The frost window
Across California, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 19 and Mar 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 29 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 255-day window you can count on — up to 327 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
California runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for alexandria laurel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether alexandria laurel is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within California; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Mono 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says alexandria laurel survives winter in part of California, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Alexandria Laurel wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical California site sees ~317 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 48 days short of what it needs. A typical California season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Alexandria Laurel tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in California. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a California soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Your land, not the state average
California's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Alexandria Laurel needs about 7 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how alexandria laurel performs.
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. California soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant alexandria laurel for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before alexandria laurel goes in. What follows is California’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across California — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across California — 254,277 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 1073 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
California carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across California
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around California, Brownfields runs higher than the national average — 196,551 sites across California. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Brownfields: Brownfield sites are former commercial or industrial properties where legacy soil contamination (heavy metals, PAHs, petroleum compounds) may persist.
Check EPA brownfield remediation status — many sites have completed cleanup with institutional controls.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Alexandria Laurel in California
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but California growers also need to think about:
Drought is a persistent challenge — irrigation is essential in most regions
Wildfire risk affects rural and foothill properties
Adobe clay soils in valleys drain poorly without amendment
Wide climate variation means plant selection is highly location-specific
Growing alexandria laurel here specifically
California's soils run mostly loam (Alfisols), and whether that suits alexandria laurel's pH 5.0–8.0 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward alexandria laurel's 5.0–8.0 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every California grower, not just alexandria laurel — is covered on the California growing guide.
Timing shifts within California
California isn't one climate. In Mono County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 4 — roughly 120 days later than the recorded state median — so plant alexandria laurel to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Alexandria Laurel needs about 365 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 5 of California’s 57 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Los Angeles County at 365 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across California’s 57 counties the frost-free season runs from 108 days in Mono County to 365 days in Ventura County — a spread of 257 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median California county sees 317 frost-free days, which is 48 days short of what alexandria laurel needs — so on a typical California parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Alexandria Laurel's 365-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Alexandria Laurel draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, alexandria laurel can only work that bloom inside California's frost window — roughly 317 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 19 - Mar 19) and closing at the first (Nov 29 - Dec 12), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Alexandria Laurel
Alexandria Laurel is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (seeds) at a moderate level (Cornell). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Parts of alexandria laurel carry slight for people, so know which parts are edible before harvest.
California Cooperative Extension
For California-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for alexandria laurel, the canonical source is UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Alexandria Laurel native to California?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Alexandria Laurel as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of California's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few California natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The California growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Alexandria Laurel in California
When can I plant Alexandria Laurel in California?
California's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 19 and Mar 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 29 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Alexandria Laurel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in California 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 Alexandria Laurel grown in across California?
California spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-11a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Alexandria Laurel carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical California site have?
A typical California site sees ~317 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Alexandria Laurel needs 365+ 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 Mono, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Alexandria Laurel native to California?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Alexandria Laurel as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of California's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few California natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Alexandria Laurel in California?
Alexandria Laurel tolerates pH 5-8 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a California site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Alexandria Laurel actually grow on my specific land in California?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores alexandria laurel against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in California
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores alexandria laurel against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that California alexandria laurel averages can't show:
We read public map data around California — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the California alexandria laurel average
Explore More
Growing guides for alexandria laurel
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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