Conditional — Some Areas
begonia (zones 10-11) reaches only part of Nevada (4a-10a): zone 10 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Begonia in Nevada — the short answer
Begonia in Nevada: hardy in zones 10–11, part sun, against a state median of ~163 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-11
- 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
- Nevada zones
- 4a-10a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 28 - May 20 – Oct 9 - Oct 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 110 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 112 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Nevada spans zones 4a-10a, 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 begonia against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Nevada is not one climate
Nevada’s winter-low ladder runs across 17 counties, from zone 5 in Elko County to zone 9 in Clark County. That is 40°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between begonia overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 17 counties runs 6.5–7 zones, with a median of 7 zones — a 4-zone span end to end.
Measured across 17 Nevada counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. 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 Begonia Stands in Nevada
Begonia is rated for zones 10–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No Nevada 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 Nevada winters, not about begonia.
Below the zone 10 floor
17 counties
- Elko County · zone 5a
- Eureka County · zone 5b
- Humboldt County · zone 6a
3 of 17 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
Begonia Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Frost-Free Days: 80+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Nevada Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-10a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 28 - May 20
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 4-12 inches
- Common Soils: Desert sand, Caliche, Alkaline clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
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 Begonia in Nevada
The frost window
Across Nevada, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 142-day window you can count on — up to 176 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
Those dates are when begonia goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 12 weeks ahead, so counting back from Nevada's late-side last freeze of May 20 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Nevada runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for begonia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether begonia is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nevada; 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 begonia survives winter in part of Nevada, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Begonia wants 80+ frost-free days; a typical Nevada site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Begonia needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1725 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nevada'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
Begonia likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-6.5). That's the common-ground band across Nevada's desert sand and caliche — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.8 and 6.2 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Nevada soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nevada 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. Nevada soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Begonia in Nevada
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nevada growers also need to think about:
Extremely low rainfall (driest US state)
Alkaline soils (pH 8-9) limit many species
Extreme summer heat in southern valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nevada grower, not just begonia — is covered on the Nevada growing guide.
Timing shifts within Nevada
Begonia needs about 80 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Elko County — Nevada’s shortest season at 110 frost-free days — clears that by 30 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Nevada. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Nevada’s 17 counties the frost-free season runs from 110 days in Elko County to 321 days in Clark County — a spread of 211 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nevada county sees 163 frost-free days, leaving begonia about 83 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"). Begonia's 80-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
Begonia draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, begonia can only work that bloom inside Nevada's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 28 - May 20) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Nevada Cooperative Extension
For Nevada-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for begonia, the canonical source is University of Nevada, Reno Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Begonia native to Nevada?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Begonia as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Nevada 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 Begonia in Nevada
When can I plant Begonia in Nevada?
Nevada's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Begonia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nevada 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 Begonia grown in across Nevada?
Nevada spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Begonia carries a range of zones 10-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Nevada site have?
A typical Nevada site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Begonia needs 80+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Begonia native to Nevada?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Begonia as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Begonia in Nevada?
Begonia prefers pH 5.5-6.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Nevada soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Begonia actually grow on my specific land in Nevada?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores begonia 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 Nevada
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores begonia against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nevada begonia averages can't show:
We read public map data around Nevada — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nevada begonia average
Explore More
Growing guides for begonia
Explore Nevada county by county
Nevada carries 17 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for begonia there:
Where else begonia grows
Begonia's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Nevada 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 Nevada
Nevada has a growing page for 1,041 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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