Yes — Strong Match
bachelor button is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and North Carolina's typical season runs ~245 frost-free days against the ~65 bachelor button needs.
Sow by about Sep 13
Bachelor Button is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 65 days from sowing to finish and a typical North Carolina season runs ~245 frost-free days, leaving 180 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Sep 13 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Nov 17), or to run a second succession.
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
65 days to maturity against North Carolina’s ~245-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Bachelor Button is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical North Carolina site runs ~245 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score bachelor button against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Zone Comparison
Bachelor Button Needs
- USDA Zones: Data pending
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
North Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 11 - Mar 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 10 - Nov 25
- Annual Rainfall: 40-60 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Mountain loam
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 Bachelor Button in North Carolina
The frost window
Across North Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 231-day window you can count on — up to 259 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.
When to start the seed
Bachelor Button is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — North Carolina's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 65 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 166 days to spare even in North Carolina's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Swain County, not the statewide average.
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
Days to maturity
Bachelor Button matures in ~65 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical North Carolina site has ~245 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Bachelor Button needs ~700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4537 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so North Carolina'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
Bachelor Button likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across North Carolina's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Carolina site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
North Carolina's soils run mostly fine sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for bachelor button is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how bachelor button performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. North Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Bachelor Button in North Carolina — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: Data pending (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 11 - Mar 24 to Nov 10 - Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 65 days
What Else to Consider for Bachelor Button in North Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay is hard to work and drains poorly
Humidity drives significant disease pressure
Hurricane risk on the coastal plain
Growing bachelor button here specifically
North Carolina's soils run mostly fine sandy loam (Ultisols), and whether that suits bachelor button's pH 6.0–7.5 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward bachelor button's 6.0–7.5 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every North Carolina grower, not just bachelor button — is covered on the North Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within North Carolina
North Carolina isn't one climate. In Swain County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 27 — roughly 41 days later than the recorded state median — so plant bachelor button to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Bachelor Button needs about 65 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Swain County — North Carolina’s shortest season at 178 frost-free days — clears that by 113 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in North Carolina. What varies is your own parcel.
Across North Carolina’s 100 counties the frost-free season runs from 178 days in Swain County to 303 days in Dare County — a spread of 125 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median North Carolina county sees 245 frost-free days, leaving bachelor button about 180 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"). Bachelor Button's 65-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Bachelor Button draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, bachelor button can only work that bloom inside North Carolina's frost window — roughly 245 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 11 - Mar 24) and closing at the first (Nov 10 - Nov 25), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Bachelor Button Varieties for North Carolina
North Carolina publishes no state variety trial for bachelor button, so we won't invent a "best for North Carolina" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (6a-9a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
For North Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for bachelor button, the canonical source is NC State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Bachelor Button native to North Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Bachelor Button as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The North Carolina 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 Bachelor Button in North Carolina
When can I plant Bachelor Button in North Carolina?
North Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Bachelor Button mature before first frost in North Carolina?
Yes — Bachelor Button matures in 65 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and North Carolina's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 231 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 166 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 Bachelor Button grown in across North Carolina?
North Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Bachelor Button carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Carolina site have?
A typical North Carolina site sees ~245 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Bachelor Button should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Swain, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Bachelor Button native to North Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Bachelor Button as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Bachelor Button in North Carolina?
Bachelor Button prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across North Carolina soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Bachelor Button actually grow on my specific land in North Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores bachelor button 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 Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores bachelor button against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Carolina bachelor button averages can't show:
We read public map data around North Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the North Carolina bachelor button average
Explore More
Growing guides for bachelor button
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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