Generally — Most Areas
Atlantic white cedar (zones 4-8) suits most of Georgia (7a-9b) — zones 7-8 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia — the short answer
Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia: hardy in zones 4–8, part sun, against a state median of ~275 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 4-8
- 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
- Georgia zones
- 7a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 17 - Mar 10 – Nov 24 - Dec 4
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 204 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.
Georgia spans zones 7a-9b, 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 atlantic white cedar 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Georgia is not one climate
Georgia’s winter-low ladder runs across 159 counties, from zone 7.5 in Fannin County to zone 9 in Worth County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between atlantic white cedar overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 159 counties runs 8–9 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 159 Georgia 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 Georgia Fits Best
Atlantic White Cedar is rated for zones 4–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Against Georgia’s 159 counties that band holds in 44 of them, and the line runs at Fannin County (zone 7b), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 4–8
44 counties
- Gilmer County · zone 7b
- Rabun County · zone 7b
- Towns County · zone 7b
3 of 44 shown
Above the zone 8 ceiling
115 counties
- Appling County · zone 8b
- Baker County · zone 8b
- Baldwin County · zone 8b
3 of 115 shown
Too little winter chill rather than too much cold — a low-chill selection is what changes it.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Even within Georgia's zones 7a-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for atlantic white cedar (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Atlantic White Cedar Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-8
- Frost-Free Days: 140+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 50 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-8)
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 Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 259-day window you can count on — up to 290 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
Georgia runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for atlantic white cedar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether atlantic white cedar is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Georgia; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 atlantic white cedar survives winter in part of Georgia, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Atlantic White Cedar wants 140+ frost-free days; a typical Georgia site sees ~275 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
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
Atlantic White Cedar prefers acidic soil (pH 3.5-5.5). Georgia's red clay (piedmont) can run on the acidic side, which often aligns well — confirm with a soil test before planting. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4 and 5.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Georgia soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
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. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Georgia grower, not just atlantic white cedar — is covered on the Georgia growing guide.
Timing shifts within Georgia
Atlantic White Cedar needs about 140 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Towns County — Georgia’s shortest season at 204 frost-free days — clears that by 64 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Georgia. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Georgia’s 159 counties the frost-free season runs from 204 days in Towns County to 305 days in Colquitt County — a spread of 101 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Georgia county sees 275 frost-free days, leaving atlantic white cedar about 135 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"). Atlantic White Cedar's 140-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for atlantic white cedar, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Atlantic White Cedar native to Georgia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Atlantic White Cedar as native to Georgia. 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 Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia
When can I plant Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Atlantic White Cedar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Georgia 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 Atlantic White Cedar grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Atlantic White Cedar carries a range of zones 4-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~275 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Atlantic White Cedar needs 140+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Atlantic White Cedar native to Georgia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Atlantic White Cedar as native to Georgia. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Atlantic White Cedar in Georgia?
Atlantic White Cedar prefers pH 3.5-5.5 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). Most Georgia soils run mildly acidic to neutral; many sites land near this band naturally, and a soil test plus targeted sulfur or organic amendment closes any gap.
Will Atlantic White Cedar actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores atlantic white cedar 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores atlantic white cedar against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Georgia atlantic white cedar averages can't show:
We read public map data around Georgia — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Georgia atlantic white cedar average
Explore More
Growing guides for atlantic white cedar
Explore Georgia county by county
Georgia carries 159 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for atlantic white cedar there:
Where else atlantic white cedar grows
Atlantic White Cedar's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Georgia in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Georgia
Georgia has a growing page for 1,034 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Last updated: