Yes — Strong Match
angelica (zones 4-9) covers every zone Illinois contains (5a-7b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Illinois spans zones 5a-7b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score angelica against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Zone Comparison
Angelica Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-9
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Illinois Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 29 - Apr 8
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 28 - Nov 5
- Annual Rainfall: 34-48 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Silt loam, Clay loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-9)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Angelica in Illinois
The frost window
Across Illinois, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 29 and Apr 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 28 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 203-day window you can count on — up to 221 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.
Frost tenderness
Angelica is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 35.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when angelica goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from Illinois's late-side last freeze of Apr 8 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 120 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 83 days to spare even in Illinois's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Jo Daviess 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
The zone check says angelica survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Angelica wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Illinois site sees ~212 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Angelica needs ~700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3352 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Illinois'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
Angelica likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7.3). That's the common-ground band across Illinois's prairie loam and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Illinois soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Illinois site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 52.0% of Illinois as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Angelica has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — 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. Illinois soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Angelica in Illinois — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 4-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 29 - Apr 8 to Oct 28 - Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 120 days
What Else to Consider for Angelica in Illinois
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Illinois growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in northern IL drain poorly
Extreme temperature swings between summer and winter
Japanese beetles are a major garden pest
Growing angelica here specifically
Angelica roots run medium and prefer pH 4.5–7.3, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 52.0% of Illinois as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant angelica 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 Illinois grower, not just angelica — is covered on the Illinois growing guide.
Timing shifts within Illinois
Illinois isn't one climate. In Jo Daviess County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 20 days later than the recorded state median — so plant angelica to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Angelica needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Jo Daviess County — Illinois’s shortest season at 177 frost-free days — clears that by 57 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Illinois. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Illinois’s 102 counties the frost-free season runs from 177 days in Jo Daviess County to 244 days in Alexander County — a spread of 67 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Illinois county sees 212 frost-free days, leaving angelica about 92 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"). Angelica's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Illinois Fits Best
Even within Illinois's zones 5a-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for angelica (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Angelica draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, angelica can only work that bloom inside Illinois's frost window — roughly 212 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 29 - Apr 8) and closing at the first (Oct 28 - Nov 5), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Angelica
Angelica is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (sap) at a mild level (Cornell). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Illinois this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 28 - Nov 5) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Recommended Angelica Varieties for Illinois
Illinois publishes no state variety trial for angelica, so we won't invent a "best for Illinois" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5a-7b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Illinois Cooperative Extension
For Illinois-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for angelica, the canonical source is University of Illinois Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Angelica in Illinois
When can I plant Angelica in Illinois?
Illinois's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 29 and Apr 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 28 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Angelica is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 35.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Angelica mature before first frost in Illinois?
Yes — Angelica matures in 120 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Illinois's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 203 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 83 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Angelica grown in across Illinois?
Illinois spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Angelica carries a range of zones 4-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Illinois site have?
A typical Illinois site sees ~212 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Angelica needs 120+ 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 Jo Daviess, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Angelica in Illinois?
Angelica prefers pH 4.5-7.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Illinois soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Angelica actually grow on my specific land in Illinois?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores angelica 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 Illinois
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores angelica against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Illinois angelica averages can't show:
We read public map data around Illinois — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Illinois angelica average
Explore More
Growing guides for angelica
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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