Boneset is grown for its blooms, which open in summer. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 8 and shrugs off deer. Its summer flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Boneset — the short answer
Boneset: grown in zones 3–8.
- USDA 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
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Boneset on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether boneset actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score boneset against your land's real conditions.
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What Boneset is
Boneset reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Boneset
Boneset grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. Boneset prefers well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
3-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant boneset in full sun.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match boneset's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut boneset blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Boneset thrives
Boneset is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 3–8 spans average winter lows from -40°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 34 outright and splits 17 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 3–8·Where Boneset growsOpen map →
Where Boneset stands, state by state
Boneset is rated for zones 3–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -40 to -30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 34 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 3–8
34 states
3 of 34 shown
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Boneset’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Boneset
Growing guides for boneset
In rotation planning, boneset counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — boneset isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Boneset is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society.)
Your land is one point inside Boneset's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Boneset will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether boneset actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Boneset
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Boneset in my zone?
Boneset grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Boneset?
Time boneset to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
What soil does Boneset need?
Specific pH data for boneset is pending. It prefers well-drained ground. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Boneset attract pollinators?
Yes — boneset's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Xerces Society.)
Is Boneset safe for pets?
Boneset is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)