Yes — Strong Match
canna lily (zones 7-11) covers every zone Mississippi contains (7b-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Canna Lily in Mississippi — the short answer
Canna Lily in Mississippi: hardy in zones 7–11, full sun, against a state median of ~273 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 7-11
- 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
- Mississippi zones
- 7b-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 17 - Mar 3 – Nov 21 - Nov 30
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 232 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.
Mississippi spans zones 7b-9b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score canna lily against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Mississippi is not one climate
A single Mississippi answer averages 82 counties whose growing seasons are 77 days apart — from 232 frost-free days in Tishomingo County to 309 in Harrison County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what canna lily can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 82 counties runs 262–286 days, with a median of 272 days — a 77-day span end to end.
Measured across 82 Mississippi 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 Mississippi Fits Best
Even within Mississippi's zones 7b-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for canna lily (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Canna Lily Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-11
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Mississippi Has
- USDA Zones: 7b-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 - Nov 30
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Alluvial clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-11)
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 Canna Lily in Mississippi
The frost window
Across Mississippi, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 263-day window you can count on — up to 286 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 canna lily goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Mississippi's late-side last freeze of Mar 3 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
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
Canna Lily tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Mississippi. 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 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Mississippi soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Mississippi site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Mississippi soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Canna Lily in Mississippi
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Mississippi growers also need to think about:
Extreme summer heat and humidity
Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region
Frequent severe storms and flooding
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Mississippi grower, not just canna lily — is covered on the Mississippi growing guide.
Where in Mississippi Canna Lily Is Zone-Hardy
Canna Lily is rated for USDA zones 7–11. Every one of Mississippi’s 82 counties sits inside that band — from Benton County at zone 7b to Wilkinson 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 82 counties Mississippi’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 7b in Benton County to zone 9a in Wilkinson County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°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. Tishomingo County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Mar 23, while Harrison County is clear by Feb 4 — 47 days apart. Set canna lily 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". Canna Lily’s zone 7–11 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Canna Lily draws hummingbirds and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, canna lily can only work that bloom inside Mississippi's frost window — roughly 273 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 3) and closing at the first (Nov 21 - Nov 30), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Mississippi Cooperative Extension
For Mississippi-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for canna lily, the canonical source is Mississippi State University Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Canna Lily in Mississippi
When can I plant Canna Lily in Mississippi?
Mississippi's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
What hardiness zone is Canna Lily grown in across Mississippi?
Mississippi spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Canna Lily carries a range of zones 7-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Mississippi site have?
A typical Mississippi site sees ~273 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Canna Lily 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.
How should I amend the soil for Canna Lily in Mississippi?
Canna Lily tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Mississippi site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Canna Lily actually grow on my specific land in Mississippi?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores canna lily 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 Mississippi
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores canna lily against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Mississippi canna lily averages can't show:
We read public map data around Mississippi — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Explore More
Growing guides for canna lily
Explore Mississippi county by county
Mississippi carries 82 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for canna lily there:
Where else canna lily grows
Canna Lily's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Mississippi 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 Mississippi
Mississippi has a growing page for 1,034 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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