Asystasia is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 13 and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Asystasia — the short answer
Asystasia: grown in zones 10–13, part sun, pH 3.5–5.
- USDA zones
- 10–13
- 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
- Soil pH
- 3.5–5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Asystasia on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether asystasia actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score asystasia against your land's real conditions.
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See Asystasia
What Asystasia is
It's also well suited to containers.
How to grow Asystasia
Asystasia grows in USDA zones 10 through 13. Asystasia does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 3.5 to 5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 42 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
10-13
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
3.5 - 5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Minimum Growing Temperature
46.4°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Frost-Free Days
42+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant asystasia in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Asystasia prefers pH 3.5 to 5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut asystasia down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Where Asystasia thrives
Asystasia is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 13. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 10–13 spans average winter lows from 30°F to 70°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 8 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 10–13·Where Asystasia growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
Where Asystasia stands, state by state
Asystasia is rated for zones 10–13 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 8 more, and 43 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
8 states
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
- Arizona · zones 5b-10b
3 of 8 shown
Asystasia’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Asystasia
Growing guides for asystasia
In rotation planning, asystasia counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — asystasia isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Asystasia offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Asystasia's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Asystasia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether asystasia actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
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.
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How we know this about Asystasia
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Asystasia in my zone?
Asystasia grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 13 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Asystasia?
Most growers plant asystasia after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 42-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Asystasia need?
Asystasia does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Asystasia need?
Asystasia prefers soil pH 3.5 to 5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Asystasia attract pollinators?
Yes — asystasia's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Is Asystasia safe for pets?
Asystasia is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)