Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
black gum (zones 6-12) does not overlap with South Dakota's zone range (4a-5b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Black Gum is hardy to zone 6, and the warmest ground in South Dakota is zone 5 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a South Dakota winter. To grow it here, grow black gum in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 6-12 (plant) against 4-5 (South Dakota). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
South Dakota spans zones 4a-5b, 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 black gum against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Black Gum Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-12
- Frost-Free Days: 140+
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 50 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
South Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-5b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 22 - Apr 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 15
- Annual Rainfall: 14-26 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-12)
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 Black Gum in South Dakota
The frost window
Across South Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 163-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.
Winter standing
South Dakota runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for black gum, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether black gum is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within South Dakota; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Lawrence 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
The zone check says black gum does not survive a South Dakota winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on South Dakota under protection.
Frost-free days
Black Gum wants 140+ frost-free days; a typical South Dakota site sees ~168 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Chill hours
Black Gum requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). South Dakota typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Black Gum likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-6). That's the common-ground band across South Dakota's prairie loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
South Dakota soil pH runs about 6.7–7.2, and that sits above black gum's tolerated 4.5–6, so the typical South Dakota parcel needs sulfur to bring it down. SSURGO maps it swinging by full points parcel to parcel, so your map unit, not the state number, decides whether black gum needs lime or sulfur.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. South Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Black Gum in South Dakota — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 6-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 22 - Apr 29 to Oct 9 - Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Black Gum in South Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold and short growing season
Low rainfall in western SD
Wind exposure on the open prairie
Growing black gum here specifically
Black Gum prefers acidic soil (pH 4.5–6.0), but South Dakota's soils trend alkaline (SSURGO dominant pH near 7.0) — above its range, iron and other micronutrients become unavailable.
Test your soil and acidify with elemental sulfur toward black gum's 4.5–6.0 range before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Dakota grower, not just black gum — is covered on the South Dakota growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Dakota
South Dakota isn't one climate. In Lawrence County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 12 — roughly 17 days later than the recorded state median — so plant black gum to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Black Gum needs about 140 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Lawrence County — South Dakota’s shortest season at 145 frost-free days — clears that by 5 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in South Dakota. 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"). Black Gum's 140-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
Black Gum draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, black gum can only work that bloom inside South Dakota's frost window — roughly 168 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 22 - Apr 29) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 15), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension
For South Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for black gum, the canonical source is SDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Black Gum native to South Dakota?
Black Gum is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in South Dakota. It can still earn a place in a South Dakota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Dakota 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 Black Gum in South Dakota
When can I plant Black Gum in South Dakota?
South Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Black Gum, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in South Dakota 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 Black Gum grown in across South Dakota?
South Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Black Gum carries a range of zones 6-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical South Dakota site have?
A typical South Dakota site sees ~168 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Black Gum needs 140+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Lawrence, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Black Gum native to South Dakota?
Black Gum is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in South Dakota. It can still earn a place in a South Dakota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Black Gum in South Dakota?
Black Gum prefers pH 4.5-6 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across South Dakota soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Black Gum actually grow on my specific land in South Dakota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores black gum 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 South Dakota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores black gum against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that South Dakota black gum averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Dakota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Dakota black gum average
Explore More
Growing guides for black gum
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
Last updated: