Yes — Strong Match
American bittersweet (zones 3-8) covers every zone Missouri contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
American Bittersweet in Missouri — the short answer
American Bittersweet in Missouri: hardy in zones 3–8, full sun, against a state median of ~219 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-8
- 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
- Missouri zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 27 - Apr 2 – Oct 31 - Nov 7
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 192 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.
Missouri spans zones 5b-8a, 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 american bittersweet 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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Missouri is not one climate
Missouri’s winter-low ladder runs across 115 counties, from zone 5.5 in Atchison County to zone 7.5 in Pemiscot County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between american bittersweet overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 115 counties runs 6–7 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 115 Missouri 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 Missouri Fits Best
Even within Missouri's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for american bittersweet (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
American Bittersweet Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-8
- Frost-Free Days: 100+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 25 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Missouri Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 7
- Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)
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 American Bittersweet in Missouri
The frost window
Across Missouri, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 212-day window you can count on — up to 225 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
Missouri runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for american bittersweet, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether american bittersweet is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Missouri; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Crawford 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 american bittersweet survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
American Bittersweet wants 100+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~219 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
American Bittersweet needs ~1500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3770 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Missouri's typical season clears that easily.
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
American Bittersweet likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Missouri's silt loam 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 7.2 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Missouri soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Missouri site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Missouri's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for american bittersweet is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how american bittersweet 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. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for American Bittersweet in Missouri
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Missouri growers also need to think about:
Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat
Heavy clay soils in many regions
Ozark soils are thin and rocky
Growing american bittersweet here specifically
American Bittersweet needs pH 5.5–7.5; Missouri's dominant silt loam soils may or may not deliver that, so your parcel's SSURGO map unit is the real test.
Start with a soil test on your own ground and adjust pH and texture to fit american bittersweet's 5.5–7.5 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Missouri grower, not just american bittersweet — is covered on the Missouri growing guide.
Timing shifts within Missouri
Missouri isn't one climate. In Crawford County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 10 — roughly 12 days later than the recorded state median — so plant american bittersweet to your county's window, not the statewide date.
American Bittersweet needs about 100 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Crawford County — Missouri’s shortest season at 192 frost-free days — clears that by 92 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Missouri. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Missouri’s 115 counties the frost-free season runs from 192 days in Crawford County to 258 days in Pemiscot County — a spread of 66 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Missouri county sees 219 frost-free days, leaving american bittersweet about 119 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
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"). American Bittersweet's 100-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
American Bittersweet draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, american bittersweet can only work that bloom inside Missouri's frost window — roughly 219 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant American Bittersweet
American Bittersweet is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (berries) at a moderate level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Missouri Cooperative Extension
For Missouri-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for american bittersweet, the canonical source is MU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is American Bittersweet native to Missouri?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents American Bittersweet as native to Missouri. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing American Bittersweet in Missouri
When can I plant American Bittersweet in Missouri?
Missouri's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for American Bittersweet, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Missouri 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 American Bittersweet grown in across Missouri?
Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). American Bittersweet carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Missouri site have?
A typical Missouri site sees ~219 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). American Bittersweet needs 100+ 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 Crawford, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is American Bittersweet native to Missouri?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents American Bittersweet as native to Missouri. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for American Bittersweet in Missouri?
American Bittersweet prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Missouri soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will American Bittersweet actually grow on my specific land in Missouri?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores american bittersweet 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 Missouri
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores american bittersweet against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Missouri american bittersweet averages can't show:
We read public map data around Missouri — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Missouri american bittersweet average
Explore More
Growing guides for american bittersweet
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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