beggar's tick (Bidens pilosa), photographi

Can I Grow Beggars Tick in New York?

USDA Zones 4a-7b · Plant zone range 8-11

Unlikely — Zone Mismatch

beggar's tick (zones 8-11) does not overlap with New York's zone range (4a-7b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.

One zone short — what would close it

Beggars Tick is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in New York is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a New York winter. To grow it here, grow beggars tick in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.

A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →

Zone math from 8-11 (plant) against 3-7 (New York). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.

Beggars Tick in New York — the short answer

Beggars Tick in New York: hardy in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~185 frost-free days.

Plant zones
8-11
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
New York zones
4a-7b
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Apr 13 - Apr 29 – Oct 18 - Nov 5
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
136 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.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Beggars Tick is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical New York site runs ~185 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 beggars tick 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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New York is not one climate

A single New York answer averages 62 counties whose growing seasons are 122 days apart — from 136 frost-free days in Hamilton County to 258 in New York County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what beggars tick can finish before the first hard freeze.

136 daysHamilton County258 daysNew York County

The middle half of 62 counties runs 173204 days, with a median of 184 days — a 122-day span end to end.

Measured across 62 New York counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 Beggars Tick Stands in New York

Beggars Tick is rated for zones 811 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. No New York county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about New York winters, not about beggars tick.

Below the zone 8 floor

62 counties

3 of 62 shown

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.

Zone Comparison

Beggars Tick Needs

  • USDA Zones: 8-11
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Picking window: ~90 days of harvest

New York Has

  • USDA Zones: 4a-7b
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 13 - Apr 29
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 18 - Nov 5
  • Annual Rainfall: 30-50 inches
  • Common Soils: Glacial till, Silt loam, Clay loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 8-11)

8a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 3.58.5

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 Beggars Tick in New York

The frost window

Across New York, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 206 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.

Frost tenderness

Beggars Tick is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.

When to start the seed

Beggars Tick is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — New York'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.

Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Hamilton County, not the statewide average.

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.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Beggars Tick tolerates a wide pH range (pH 3.5-8.5) — 5 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in New York. 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 4.5 and 8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a New York soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your New York 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 22.3% of New York as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Beggars Tick sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.

Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.

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. New York soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Beggars Tick in New York

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New York growers also need to think about:

Short upstate growing season (100-140 frost-free days in Adirondacks)

Heavy clay soils in western NY require drainage improvement

Late spring frosts through May in higher elevations

Deer browse pressure is heavy in suburban and rural areas

Growing beggars tick here specifically

Beggars Tick needs sharp drainage and sends medium roots; its growing tissue takes cold to about 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), but in New York, about 22.3% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.

Build beggars tick up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its roots never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New York grower, not just beggars tick — is covered on the New York growing guide.

Timing shifts within New York

New York isn't one climate. In Hamilton County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 19 — roughly 27 days later than the recorded state median — so plant beggars tick to your county's window, not the statewide date.

County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Where in New York Beggars Tick Is Zone-Hardy

Beggars Tick is rated for USDA zones 811. No New York county reaches it. Even Richmond County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7b, sits below the plant’s zone 8 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.

Across those 62 counties New York’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Essex County to zone 7b in Richmond County 3.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band beggars tick needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.

County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Beggars Tick’s zone 811 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Beggars Tick draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, beggars tick can only work that bloom inside New York's frost window — roughly 185 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 13 - Apr 29) and closing at the first (Oct 18 - Nov 5), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Recommended Beggars Tick Varieties for New York

New York publishes no state variety trial for beggars tick, so we won't invent a "best for New York" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4a-7b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.

New York Cooperative Extension

For New York-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for beggars tick, the canonical source is Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Beggars Tick native to New York?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Beggars Tick as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The New York 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 Beggars Tick in New York

When can I plant Beggars Tick in New York?

New York's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Beggars Tick is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.

What hardiness zone is Beggars Tick grown in across New York?

New York spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Beggars Tick carries a range of zones 8-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical New York site have?

A typical New York site sees ~185 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Beggars Tick 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 Hamilton, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.

Is Beggars Tick native to New York?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Beggars Tick as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Beggars Tick in New York?

Beggars Tick tolerates pH 3.5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 5-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a New York site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.

Will Beggars Tick actually grow on my specific land in New York?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores beggars tick against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in New York

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores beggars tick against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that New York beggars tick averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — New York averages 185Your sun & shade

We read public map data around New York — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the New York beggars tick average

Explore More

Explore New York county by county

New York carries 62 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for beggars tick there:

Where else beggars tick grows

Beggars Tick's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to New York 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 New York

New York has a growing page for 893 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.

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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