Conditional — Some Areas
amaranth (zones 2-11) has limited zone overlap with Arkansas (6b-8a). Only zones 6-8 in the state are suitable.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Amaranth is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is, and slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single yard. Enter your address and we'll score amaranth against your parcel's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Amaranth Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Soil pH: 4.3 - 8.5
- Sun: Full Sun
- Drainage: well (dry spells)
- Frost-Free Days: 30+
Arkansas Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-8a
- Last Frost: Mar 15 - Apr 15
- First Frost: Oct 15 - Nov 10
- Annual Rainfall: 44-56 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Sandy loam, Red clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / plant_species_v5.csv. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Amaranth in Arkansas
The frost window
Across Arkansas, the last spring frost clears between Mar 15 and Apr 15, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 15 and Nov 10 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last frost to the earliest first frost, that's a 183-day window you can count on — up to 240 days on a mild site in a kind year.
Frost tenderness
Amaranth is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 44.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out after the last frost has cleared your local site, not the state's earliest date.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 90 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), a planting right after last frost ripens with 93 days to spare even in Arkansas's tightest frost scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Fulton County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
Zone compatibility says you can survive winter here. Whether the growing season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Amaranth wants 30+ frost-free days; a typical Arkansas site sees ~220 (NOAA Climate Normals). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Amaranth needs ~1200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4200 GDD (USDA NRCS county aggregates), so Arkansas's typical season clears that easily.
Climate aggregates derive from USDA NRCS county-level hardiness data + Cornell CALS Extension GDD-by-region tables + MSU Extension chill-hours-by-zone (1991-2020 NOAA Climate Normals baseline).
Soil + Drainage Fit
Amaranth likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.3-8.5). That's the common-ground band across Arkansas's silt loam and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Arkansas site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Whether amaranth thrives in Arkansas comes down to drainage, and SSURGO drainage class flips from well-drained to poorly-drained parcel to parcel — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Arkansas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Amaranth in Arkansas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: Mar 15 - Apr 15 to Oct 15 - Nov 10 (NOAA Climate Normals)
- Days to Maturity: 90 days
What Else to Consider
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Arkansas growers also need to think about:
Hot, humid summers drive fungal and bacterial diseases
Morning base-watering, wide spacing, and resistant varieties keep disease manageable — your extension lists what holds up here.
Heavy clay soils in parts of the Ozarks
A raised bed gets you growing this season; compost worked in each fall opens the clay for the long run.
Severe spring storms and hail risk
Keep row cover staged through storm season — five minutes of shelter can save a bed of seedlings from hail.
Growing amaranth here specifically
Amaranth roots run medium and prefer pH 4.3–8.5, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 33.9% of Arkansas as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its roots before pH ever matters.
Plant amaranth on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the roots stays dry. How to handle it →
Timing shifts within Arkansas
Arkansas isn't one climate. In Fulton County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 1 — roughly 19 days later than the recorded state median — so plant amaranth to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA/PRISM Climate Normals 1991-2020, 28°F threshold (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Recommended Amaranth Varieties for Arkansas
Arkansas publishes no state variety trial for amaranth, so we won't invent a "best for Arkansas" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (6b-8a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Arkansas Cooperative Extension
For Arkansas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for amaranth, the canonical source is University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Amaranth native to Arkansas?
Amaranth is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Arkansas. It can still earn a place in a Arkansas garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Arkansas 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 Amaranth in Arkansas
When can I plant Amaranth in Arkansas?
Arkansas's last spring frost clears between Mar 15 and Apr 15, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 15 and Nov 10 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Amaranth is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 44.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait until the last frost has cleared your specific site before planting out.
Can Amaranth mature before first frost in Arkansas?
Yes — Amaranth matures in 90 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Arkansas's dependable frost-free window runs 183 days (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020), leaving 93 days of margin. Plant just after last frost and it ripens ahead of the first fall frost.
What hardiness zone is Amaranth grown in across Arkansas?
Arkansas spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Amaranth carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Arkansas site have?
A typical Arkansas site sees ~220 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Amaranth needs 30+ 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 Fulton, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Amaranth native to Arkansas?
Amaranth is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Arkansas. It can still earn a place in a Arkansas garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Amaranth in Arkansas?
Amaranth prefers pH 4.3-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Arkansas soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Amaranth actually grow on my specific land in Arkansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores amaranth 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 Arkansas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores amaranth against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Explore More
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 →