Yes — Strong Match
blueberry (zones 3-8) covers every zone Arkansas contains (6b-8b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Blueberry in Arkansas — the short answer
Blueberry in Arkansas: hardy in zones 3–8, full sun, against a state median of ~254 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-8
- 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
- Arkansas zones
- 6b-8b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 2 - Mar 20 – Nov 15 - Nov 23
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 226 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 730 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.
Arkansas spans zones 6b-8b, 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 blueberry 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.
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Arkansas is not one climate
Arkansas’s winter-low ladder runs across 75 counties, from zone 7 in Benton County to zone 8.5 in Union County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between blueberry overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 75 counties runs 7.5–8 zones, with a median of 8 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 75 Arkansas 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 in Arkansas Fits Best
Blueberry is rated for zones 3–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -40 to -30°F. Against Arkansas’s 75 counties that band holds in 62 of them, and the line runs at Benton County (zone 7a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 3–8
62 counties
- Carroll County · zone 7a
- Fulton County · zone 7a
- Madison County · zone 7a
3 of 62 shown
Above the zone 8 ceiling
13 counties
- Arkansas County · zone 8b
- Ashley County · zone 8b
- Bradley County · zone 8b
3 of 13 shown
Too little winter chill rather than too much cold — a low-chill selection is what changes it.
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 Arkansas's zones 6b-8b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for blueberry (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Blueberry Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-8
- Frost-Free Days: 160+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Arkansas Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-8b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 2 - Mar 20
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 15 - Nov 23
- Annual Rainfall: 44-56 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Sandy loam, Red clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)
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 Blueberry in Arkansas
The frost window
Across Arkansas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 2 and Mar 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 240-day window you can count on — up to 266 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
Arkansas runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for blueberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether blueberry is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Arkansas; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Carroll 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says blueberry survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Blueberry wants 160+ frost-free days; a typical Arkansas site sees ~254 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Blueberry needs ~1500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4819 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Arkansas's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Blueberry requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Arkansas typically banks ~1780 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
Blueberry prefers acidic soil (pH 3-5.5). Arkansas's silt loam can run on the acidic side, which often aligns well — confirm with a soil test before planting. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4 and 5.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Arkansas soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Arkansas 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 33.9% of Arkansas as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Blueberry has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will 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. Arkansas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant blueberry for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before blueberry goes in. What follows is Arkansas’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Arkansas — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Arkansas — 21,012 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 88 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Arkansas carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Arkansas
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Arkansas, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 5,938 sites across Arkansas. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Blueberry in Arkansas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Arkansas growers also need to think about:
Hot, humid summers drive fungal and bacterial diseases
Heavy clay soils in parts of the Ozarks
Severe spring storms and hail risk
Growing blueberry here specifically
Blueberry likes pH 3.0–5.5 and its growing tissue burns around 30°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 33.9% of Arkansas poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set blueberry high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Arkansas grower, not just blueberry — is covered on the Arkansas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Arkansas
Arkansas isn't one climate. In Carroll County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 26 — roughly 16 days later than the recorded state median — so plant blueberry to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Blueberry needs about 160 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Benton County — Arkansas’s shortest season at 226 frost-free days — clears that by 66 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Arkansas. 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"). Blueberry's 160-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
Blueberry draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, blueberry can only work that bloom inside Arkansas's frost window — roughly 254 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 2 - Mar 20) and closing at the first (Nov 15 - Nov 23), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Arkansas Cooperative Extension
For Arkansas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for blueberry, the canonical source is University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Blueberry native to Arkansas?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Blueberry as native to Arkansas. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Blueberry in Arkansas
When can I plant Blueberry in Arkansas?
Arkansas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 2 and Mar 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Blueberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Arkansas 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 Blueberry grown in across Arkansas?
Arkansas spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-8b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Blueberry carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Arkansas site have?
A typical Arkansas site sees ~254 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Blueberry needs 160+ 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 Carroll, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Blueberry native to Arkansas?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Blueberry as native to Arkansas. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Blueberry in Arkansas?
Blueberry prefers pH 3-5.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). Most Arkansas soils run mildly acidic to neutral; many sites land near this band naturally, and a soil test plus targeted sulfur or organic amendment closes any gap.
Will Blueberry actually grow on my specific land in Arkansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores blueberry 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 Arkansas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores blueberry against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Arkansas blueberry averages can't show:
We read public map data around Arkansas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Arkansas blueberry average
Explore More
Growing guides for blueberry
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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