Yes — Strong Match
Brussels sprouts is grown in zones 2-11, which covers every zone South Carolina contains (7a-9b). Whether the season is long enough is the question that remains.
Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina — the short answer
Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina: grown in zones 2–11, part sun.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- Not verified
- South Carolina zones
- 7a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 27 - Mar 12 – Nov 23 - Dec 1
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 237 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 100 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.
South Carolina spans zones 7a-9b, 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 brussels sprouts against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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South Carolina is not one climate
A single South Carolina answer averages 46 counties whose growing seasons are 83 days apart — from 237 frost-free days in Chester County to 320 in Charleston County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what brussels sprouts can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 46 counties runs 256–277 days, with a median of 264 days — a 83-day span end to end.
Measured across 46 South Carolina counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 South Carolina Fits Best
Even within South Carolina's zones 7a-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for brussels sprouts (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Brussels Sprouts Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Sun: Part SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 3 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: MediumWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
South Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 27 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 23 - Dec 1
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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 Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina
The frost window
Across South Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 256-day window you can count on — up to 277 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 brussels sprouts goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 5 weeks ahead, so counting back from South Carolina's late-side last freeze of Mar 12 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
South Carolina runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for brussels sprouts, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether brussels sprouts is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within South Carolina; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Chester 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
Brussels Sprouts is grown in zones 2–11, which covers every zone South Carolina contains (7a-9b). We have no sourced winter-survival figure for brussels sprouts, so this page does not say whether it overwinters here. South Carolina's typical season runs ~265 frost-free days against the ~60 brussels sprouts needs.
Growing degree days
Brussels Sprouts needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~5233 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so South Carolina'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
Brussels Sprouts tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5.5-8.5) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in South Carolina. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a South Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Carolina site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. pH range and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
Whether brussels sprouts is safe to eat from South Carolina soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 17,886 documented contamination sites mean levels spike on some parcels and not the one next door. Brussels Sprouts roots to about 59 inches, so it is the top 59 inches under your address that decide what it takes up, so only a test on your address settles it.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO + EPA/state contamination databases.
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. South Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant brussels sprouts 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 brussels sprouts goes in. What follows is South Carolina’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 South Carolina — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across South Carolina — 17,886 documented sites across 6 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 256 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
South Carolina 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 of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across South Carolina
Severity Distribution
across South Carolina
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •TRI facilities report what they release. Check the wind — downwind beds catch more of it.
- •Near a brownfield, a raised bed of imported, lab-tested soil lowers contact with the ground; it does not remove it.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina
The zone range tells you where brussels sprouts is grown — but South Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay requires amendment for drainage
High heat and humidity promote diseases
Hurricane risk along the coast
Growing brussels sprouts here specifically
Brussels Sprouts is a leafy crop whose edible part grows in or against the soil and can take up lead, and South Carolina carries 17,886 documented contamination sites where legacy fill and old paint push metals up parcel by parcel.
Run a parcel soil-lead test before planting, and grow brussels sprouts in raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil, which lower contact with the ground but do not remove it. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Carolina grower, not just brussels sprouts — is covered on the South Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Carolina
South Carolina isn't one climate. In Chester County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 22 — roughly 14 days later than the recorded state median — so plant brussels sprouts to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in South Carolina Brussels Sprouts Is Zone-Hardy
Brussels Sprouts is rated for USDA zones 2–11. Every one of South Carolina’s 46 counties sits inside that band — from Abbeville County at zone 8a to Jasper County at zone 9a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 46 counties South Carolina’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 8a in Abbeville County to zone 9a in Jasper County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Chester County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Mar 22, while Charleston County is clear by Feb 1 — 49 days apart. Set brussels sprouts out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Brussels Sprouts’s zone 2–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Brussels Sprouts draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, brussels sprouts can only work that bloom inside South Carolina's frost window — roughly 265 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 27 - Mar 12) and closing at the first (Nov 23 - Dec 1), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
South Carolina Cooperative Extension
For South Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for brussels sprouts, the canonical source is Clemson Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Brussels Sprouts native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Brussels Sprouts as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Carolina growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in South Carolina and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina
When can I plant Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina?
South Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Brussels Sprouts, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in South Carolina 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 Brussels Sprouts grown in across South Carolina?
South Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Brussels Sprouts 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 South Carolina site have?
A typical South Carolina site sees ~265 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Brussels Sprouts needs 60+ 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 Chester, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Brussels Sprouts native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Brussels Sprouts as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Brussels Sprouts in South Carolina?
Brussels Sprouts tolerates pH 5.5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a South Carolina site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Brussels Sprouts actually grow on my specific land in South Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores brussels sprouts against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in South Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores brussels sprouts against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that South Carolina brussels sprouts averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Carolina brussels sprouts average
Explore More
Growing guides for brussels sprouts
Explore South Carolina county by county
South Carolina carries 46 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for brussels sprouts there:
Where else brussels sprouts grows
Brussels Sprouts's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to South Carolina 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 South Carolina
South Carolina has a growing page for 1,029 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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