Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
calathea (zones 11-12) does not overlap with Texas's zone range (6b-10b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Calathea is hardy to zone 11, and the warmest ground in Texas is zone 10 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Texas winter. To grow it here, grow calathea 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 11-12 (plant) against 6-10 (Texas). 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.
Texas spans zones 6b-10b, 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 calathea against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Calathea Needs
- USDA Zones: 11-12
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Texas Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-10b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 10 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 18 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 8-56 inches
- Common Soils: Black clay (Blackland Prairie), Sandy loam, Caliche
Plant Zone Range (zones 11-12)
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 Calathea in Texas
The frost window
Across Texas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 10 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 18 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 251-day window you can count on — up to 297 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
Texas runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for calathea, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether calathea is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Texas; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Dallam 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Calathea likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Texas's black clay (blackland prairie) 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 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Texas soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Texas site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Texas's soils run mostly fine sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for calathea is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how calathea performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Texas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Calathea in Texas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 11-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 10 - Mar 12 to Nov 18 - Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Calathea in Texas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Texas growers also need to think about:
Extreme heat (100F+ days) stresses many crops from June through September
Rainfall varies dramatically — 8 inches in west TX to 56 inches in east TX
Heavy black clay (Blackland Prairie) is difficult to work and drains poorly
Flash drought conditions can develop rapidly even in wet years
Growing calathea here specifically
Texas's soils run mostly fine sandy loam (Alfisols), and whether that suits calathea's pH 5.5–7.0 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward calathea's 5.5–7.0 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Texas grower, not just calathea — is covered on the Texas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Texas
Texas isn't one climate. In Dallam County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 12 — roughly 46 days later than the recorded state median — so plant calathea 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 Texas Calathea Is Zone-Hardy
Calathea is rated for USDA zones 11–12. No Texas county reaches it. Even Willacy County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 10a, sits below the plant’s zone 11 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 254 counties Texas’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6b in Dallam County to zone 10a in Willacy County — 3.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band calathea needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Calathea’s zone 11–12 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Texas Cooperative Extension
For Texas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for calathea, the canonical source is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Calathea native to Texas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Calathea as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Texas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Texas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Texas 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 Calathea in Texas
When can I plant Calathea in Texas?
Texas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 10 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 18 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Calathea, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Texas 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 Calathea grown in across Texas?
Texas spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Calathea carries a range of zones 11-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Texas site have?
A typical Texas site sees ~274 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Calathea should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Dallam, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Calathea native to Texas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Calathea as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Texas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Texas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Calathea in Texas?
Calathea prefers pH 5.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Texas soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Calathea actually grow on my specific land in Texas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores calathea 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 Texas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores calathea against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Texas calathea averages can't show:
We read public map data around Texas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Texas calathea average
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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