beggar's tick (Bidens pilosa), photographi

Can I Grow Beggars Tick in Oregon?

USDA Zones 5a-10a · Plant zone range 8-11

Generally — Most Areas

beggar's tick (zones 8-11) suits most of Oregon (5a-10a) — zones 8-10 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.

Beggars Tick in Oregon — the short answer

Beggars Tick in Oregon: hardy in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~213 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
Oregon zones
5a-10a
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Feb 25 - Apr 26 – Oct 19 - Nov 26
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
86 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 Oregon site runs ~213 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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Oregon is not one climate

A single Oregon answer averages 36 counties whose growing seasons are 222 days apart — from 86 frost-free days in Klamath County to 308 in Lincoln County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what beggars tick can finish before the first hard freeze.

86 daysKlamath County308 daysLincoln County

The middle half of 36 counties runs 165274 days, with a median of 212 days — a 222-day span end to end.

Measured across 36 Oregon 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 in Oregon Fits Best

Beggars Tick is rated for zones 811 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Against Oregon’s 36 counties that band holds in 18 of them, and the line runs at Clackamas County (zone 8a), the coldest county still inside it.

Inside zones 8–11

18 counties

3 of 18 shown

Below the zone 8 floor

18 counties

3 of 18 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.

Even within Oregon's zones 5a-10a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for beggars tick (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Beggars Tick Needs

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

Oregon Has

  • USDA Zones: 5a-10a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 25 - Apr 26
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 19 - Nov 26
  • Annual Rainfall: 8-90 inches
  • Common Soils: Volcanic, Silt loam (Willamette), Sandy 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 Oregon

The frost window

Across Oregon, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 176-day window you can count on — up to 274 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 — Oregon'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.

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 Oregon. 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 Oregon soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Oregon 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. Oregon 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 Oregon

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

West side: excessive rain and overcast skies reduce sun for warm-season crops

East side: arid conditions (8-15 inches rainfall) require irrigation

Slug pressure is extreme in western Oregon

Mountain areas have very short seasons (60-90 frost-free days)

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

Where in Oregon Beggars Tick Is Zone-Hardy

Beggars Tick is rated for USDA zones 811. 18 of Oregon’s 36 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Clackamas County at zone 8a. 18 counties sit below the plant’s zone 8 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in Oregon decides this one.

Across those 36 counties Oregon’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Klamath County to zone 9b in Curry County 3.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.

The planting window moves with it. Klamath County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Jun 9, while Lincoln County is clear by Feb 3 126 days apart. Set beggars tick out on your county’s date, not the state’s.

County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". 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 Oregon's frost window — roughly 213 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 25 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 19 - Nov 26), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Oregon Cooperative Extension

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

Is Beggars Tick native to Oregon?

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

Looking for plants that belong here? The Oregon 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 Oregon

When can I plant Beggars Tick in Oregon?

Oregon's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (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 Oregon?

Oregon spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-10a (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 Oregon site have?

A typical Oregon site sees ~213 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.

Is Beggars Tick native to Oregon?

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

How should I amend the soil for Beggars Tick in Oregon?

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 Oregon site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.

Will Beggars Tick actually grow on my specific land in Oregon?

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 Oregon

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 Oregon beggars tick averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Oregon averages 213Your sun & shade

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

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

Explore More

Explore Oregon county by county

Oregon carries 36 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 Oregon 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 Oregon

Oregon has a growing page for 1,038 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.

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