Generally — Most Areas
angelica (zones 4-9) suits most of Montana (3a-6b) — zones 4-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Montana spans zones 3a-6b, 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
Montana Has
- USDA Zones: 3a-6b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 2 - May 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 28 - Oct 7
- Annual Rainfall: 10-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Glacial till
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 Montana
The frost window
Across Montana, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 138-day window you can count on — up to 158 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 Montana's late-side last freeze of May 13 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), one crop fits Montana's 138-day dependable window with 18 days of margin — plant at the front of the window to keep that cushion.
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 in part of Montana, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Angelica wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Montana site sees ~151 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Growing degree days
Angelica needs ~700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1769 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Montana'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 Montana's sandy loam and clay — 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 Montana soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Montana site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Montana soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Angelica in Montana — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 4-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3a-6b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about May 2 - May 13 to Sep 28 - Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 120 days
What Else to Consider for Angelica in Montana
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Montana growers also need to think about:
Very short growing season (60-100 frost-free days)
Low rainfall requires irrigation in most areas
Extreme winter cold (-40F possible)
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Montana grower, not just angelica — is covered on the Montana growing guide.
Timing shifts within Montana
Angelica needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 50 of Montana’s 56 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Jefferson County at 123 frost-free days — 3 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Montana’s 56 counties the frost-free season runs from 59 days in Deer Lodge County to 170 days in Petroleum County — a spread of 111 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Montana county sees 151 frost-free days, leaving angelica about 31 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 Montana Fits Best
Even within Montana's zones 3a-6b, 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 Montana's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 2 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 28 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Montana Cooperative Extension
For Montana-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for angelica, the canonical source is Montana State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Angelica in Montana
When can I plant Angelica in Montana?
Montana's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (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 Montana?
Yes — Angelica matures in 120 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Montana's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 138 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 18 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 Montana?
Montana spans USDA hardiness zones 3a-6b (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 Montana site have?
A typical Montana site sees ~151 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.
How should I amend the soil for Angelica in Montana?
Angelica prefers pH 4.5-7.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Montana 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 Montana?
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 Montana
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 Montana angelica averages can't show:
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