Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
candle bush (zones 10-11) does not overlap with Georgia's zone range (7a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Candle Bush is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Georgia is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Georgia winter. To grow it here, grow candle bush in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.
A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-11 (plant) against 7-9 (Georgia). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Candle Bush in Georgia — the short answer
Candle Bush in Georgia: hardy in zones 10–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 10-11
- Not verified
- Georgia zones
- 7a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 17 - Mar 10 – Nov 24 - Dec 4
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 204 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
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.
Georgia 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 candle bush 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.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Georgia is not one climate
Georgia’s winter-low ladder runs across 159 counties, from zone 7.5 in Fannin County to zone 9 in Worth County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between candle bush overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 159 counties runs 8–9 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 159 Georgia 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 Candle Bush Stands in Georgia
Candle Bush is rated for zones 10–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No Georgia county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Georgia winters, not about candle bush.
Below the zone 10 floor
159 counties
- Fannin County · zone 7b
- Gilmer County · zone 7b
- Rabun County · zone 7b
3 of 159 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
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.
Zone Comparison
Candle Bush Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Sun: Full Sun
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
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 Candle Bush in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 259-day window you can count on — up to 290 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
Georgia runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for candle bush, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether candle bush is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Georgia; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Towns 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Candle Bush tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-8) — 3.7 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Georgia. 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 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Georgia soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells). If your Georgia site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 20.4% of Georgia as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Candle Bush sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can 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. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Candle Bush in Georgia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
Growing candle bush here specifically
Candle Bush roots run medium and prefer pH 4.3–8.0, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 20.4% of Georgia as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant candle bush on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Georgia grower, not just candle bush — is covered on the Georgia growing guide.
Timing shifts within Georgia
Georgia isn't one climate. In Towns County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 7 — roughly 39 days later than the recorded state median — so plant candle bush 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 Georgia Candle Bush Is Zone-Hardy
Candle Bush is rated for USDA zones 10–11. No Georgia county reaches it. Even Worth County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 9a, sits below the plant’s zone 10 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 159 counties Georgia’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 7b in Fannin County to zone 9a in Worth County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band candle bush needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Candle Bush’s zone 10–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Candle Bush draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, candle bush can only work that bloom inside Georgia's frost window — roughly 275 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 10) and closing at the first (Nov 24 - Dec 4), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Good to Know Before You Plant Candle Bush
Candle Bush is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.) Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for candle bush, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Candle Bush in Georgia
When can I plant Candle Bush in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Candle Bush, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Georgia 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 Candle Bush grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Candle Bush is listed for zones 10-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Georgia where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~275 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Candle Bush needs 210+ 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 Towns, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Candle Bush in Georgia?
Candle Bush tolerates pH 4.3-8 and poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Georgia site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Candle Bush actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores candle bush 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores candle bush against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Georgia candle bush averages can't show:
We read public map data around Georgia — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Georgia candle bush average
Explore More
Growing guides for candle bush
Explore Georgia county by county
Georgia carries 159 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for candle bush there:
Where else candle bush grows
Candle Bush's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Georgia 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 Georgia
Georgia 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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