Yes — Strong Match
borage (zones 2-11) covers every zone Arizona contains (5b-10b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Borage is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Arizona site runs ~266 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 borage against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Borage Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Arizona Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-10b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 1 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 13 - Dec 12
- Annual Rainfall: 3-25 inches
- Common Soils: Caliche, Sandy loam, Desert pavement
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Borage in Arizona
The frost window
Across Arizona, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 1 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 13 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 225-day window you can count on — up to 314 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
Borage is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 39.2°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — 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.
When to start the seed
Borage is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Arizona'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.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 60 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 165 days to spare even in Arizona's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Coconino 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 borage survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Borage wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Arizona site sees ~266 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Borage needs ~900 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3945 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Arizona'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
Borage likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-8.3). That's the common-ground band across Arizona's caliche and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Arizona soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Arizona site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Arizona's soils run mostly sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Borage needs about 19 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how borage performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Arizona soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Borage in Arizona — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 1 - Apr 2 to Nov 13 - Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 60 days
What Else to Consider for Borage in Arizona
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Arizona growers also need to think about:
Extreme heat exceeding 110F stresses most plants
Minimal rainfall requires drip irrigation
Caliche hardpan prevents root penetration without breaking through
Growing borage here specifically
Borage's medium root system wants open ground, yet a large share of Arizona is SSURGO group-D soil — dense and slow-draining enough to stall it.
Double-dig or broadfork borage's bed to open the restrictive layer so roots can run. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Arizona grower, not just borage — is covered on the Arizona growing guide.
Timing shifts within Arizona
Arizona isn't one climate. In Coconino County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 15 — roughly 78 days later than the recorded state median — so plant borage to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Borage needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Coconino County — Arizona’s shortest season at 150 frost-free days — clears that by 0 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Arizona. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Arizona’s 15 counties the frost-free season runs from 150 days in Coconino County to 345 days in Maricopa County — a spread of 195 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Arizona county sees 266 frost-free days, leaving borage about 116 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"). Borage's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Arizona Fits Best
Even within Arizona's zones 5b-10b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for borage (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Borage draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, borage can only work that bloom inside Arizona's frost window — roughly 266 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 1 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Nov 13 - Dec 12), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Borage Varieties for Arizona
Arizona publishes no state variety trial for borage, so we won't invent a "best for Arizona" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5b-10b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
For Arizona-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for borage, the canonical source is University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Borage native to Arizona?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Borage as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Arizona's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Arizona natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Arizona 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 Borage in Arizona
When can I plant Borage in Arizona?
Arizona's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 1 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 13 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Borage is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 39.2°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Borage mature before first frost in Arizona?
Yes — Borage matures in 60 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Arizona's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 225 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 165 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Borage grown in across Arizona?
Arizona spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Borage carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Arizona site have?
A typical Arizona site sees ~266 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Borage needs 150+ 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 Coconino, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Borage native to Arizona?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Borage as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Arizona's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Arizona natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Borage in Arizona?
Borage prefers pH 6-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Arizona soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Borage actually grow on my specific land in Arizona?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores borage 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 Arizona
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores borage against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Arizona borage averages can't show:
We read public map data around Arizona — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Arizona borage average
Explore More
Growing guides for borage
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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