Generally — Most Areas
autumn sage (zones 7-9) suits most of Rhode Island (6b-7b) — zone 7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Autumn Sage in Rhode Island — the short answer
Autumn Sage in Rhode Island: hardy in zones 7–9, full sun, against a state median of ~225 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 7-9
- 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
- Rhode Island zones
- 6b-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 27 - Apr 3 – Nov 7 - Nov 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 210 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.
Rhode Island spans zones 6b-7b, 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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Where in Rhode Island Fits Best
Autumn Sage is rated for zones 7–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Against Rhode Island’s 5 counties that band holds in 3 of them, and the line runs at Bristol County (zone 7a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 7–9
3 counties
0 of 3 shown
Below the zone 7 floor
2 counties
- Kent County · zone 6b
- Providence County · zone 6b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
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 Rhode Island's zones 6b-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for autumn sage (USDA PHZM 2023):
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
Rhode Island Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 7 - Nov 21
- Annual Rainfall: 44-52 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Coastal sand
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-9)
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 Autumn Sage in Rhode Island
The frost window
Across Rhode Island, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 218-day window you can count on — up to 239 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
Rhode Island runs as cold as USDA zone 6, 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 Rhode Island; 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 autumn sage survives winter in part of Rhode Island, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Autumn Sage wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Rhode Island site sees ~225 (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
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 Rhode Island. 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 Rhode Island soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Rhode Island site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Rhode Island soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Autumn Sage in Rhode Island
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Rhode Island growers also need to think about:
Small lot sizes limit garden space in much of the state
Salt spray affects coastal plantings
Rocky glacial soils need clearing
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Rhode Island grower, not just autumn sage — is covered on the Rhode Island growing guide.
Timing shifts within Rhode Island
Autumn Sage needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Providence County — Rhode Island’s shortest season at 210 frost-free days — clears that by 90 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Rhode Island. 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 Rhode Island's frost window — roughly 225 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 3) and closing at the first (Nov 7 - Nov 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Rhode Island Cooperative Extension
For Rhode Island-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for autumn sage, the canonical source is URI Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Autumn Sage native to Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island. It can still earn a place in a Rhode Island garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
When can I plant Autumn Sage in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-7b (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 Rhode Island site have?
A typical Rhode Island site sees ~225 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 Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island. It can still earn a place in a Rhode Island garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Autumn Sage in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Autumn Sage actually grow on my specific land in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island autumn sage averages can't show:
We read public map data around Rhode Island — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Rhode Island autumn sage average
Explore More
Growing guides for autumn sage
Explore Rhode Island county by county
Rhode Island carries 5 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for autumn sage there:
Where else autumn sage grows
Autumn Sage's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island has a growing page for 889 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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