Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
autumn sage (zones 7-9) does not overlap with North Dakota's zone range (3b-4b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Autumn Sage is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in North Dakota is zone 5 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a North Dakota winter. To grow it here, grow autumn sage under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 7-9 (plant) against 3-5 (North Dakota). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
North Dakota spans zones 3b-4b, 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 autumn sage against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Autumn Sage Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-9
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
North Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-4b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 30 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 4 - Oct 9
- Annual Rainfall: 14-22 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay (Red River Valley), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-9)
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 Autumn Sage in North Dakota
The frost window
Across North Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 151-day window you can count on — up to 162 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
North Dakota runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for autumn sage, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether autumn sage is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within North Dakota; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 autumn sage does not survive a North Dakota winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on North Dakota under protection.
Frost-free days
Autumn Sage wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical North Dakota site sees ~157 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
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
Autumn Sage tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.2-8.3) — 4.1 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in North Dakota. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Dakota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Dakota 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 20.3% of North Dakota as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Autumn Sage tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — 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. North Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Autumn Sage in North Dakota — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 7-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-4b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 30 - May 6 to Oct 4 - Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Autumn Sage in North Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold (-40F) and short growing season
Persistent wind desiccates plants
Low rainfall in western ND
Growing autumn sage here specifically
Autumn Sage likes pH 4.2–8.3 and takes cold to about 41°F, yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 20.3% of North Dakota poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set autumn sage high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every North Dakota grower, not just autumn sage — is covered on the North Dakota growing guide.
Timing shifts within North Dakota
Autumn Sage needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Bottineau County — North Dakota’s shortest season at 141 frost-free days — clears that by 21 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in North Dakota. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Autumn Sage's 120-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
Autumn Sage draws honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, autumn sage can only work that bloom inside North Dakota's frost window — roughly 157 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 30 - May 6) and closing at the first (Oct 4 - Oct 9), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Autumn Sage Varieties for North Dakota
North Dakota publishes no state variety trial for autumn sage, so we won't invent a "best for North Dakota" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3b-4b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
North Dakota Cooperative Extension
For North Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for autumn sage, the canonical source is NDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Autumn Sage native to North Dakota?
Autumn Sage is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in North Dakota. It can still earn a place in a North Dakota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The North Dakota growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Autumn Sage in North Dakota
When can I plant Autumn Sage in North Dakota?
North Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Autumn Sage, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in North Dakota 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 Autumn Sage grown in across North Dakota?
North Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-4b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Autumn Sage carries a range of zones 7-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Dakota site have?
A typical North Dakota site sees ~157 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Autumn Sage needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Autumn Sage native to North Dakota?
Autumn Sage is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in North Dakota. It can still earn a place in a North Dakota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Autumn Sage in North Dakota?
Autumn Sage tolerates pH 4.2-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4.1-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a North Dakota site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Autumn Sage actually grow on my specific land in North Dakota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores autumn sage 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 North Dakota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores autumn sage against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Dakota autumn sage averages can't show:
We read public map data around North Dakota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the North Dakota autumn sage average
Explore More
Growing guides for autumn sage
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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