Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
canna lily (zones 7-11) does not overlap with Wisconsin's zone range (3b-6a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Canna Lily is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in Wisconsin is zone 6 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Wisconsin winter. To grow it here, grow canna lily 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 7-11 (plant) against 3-6 (Wisconsin). 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.
Wisconsin spans zones 3b-6a, 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.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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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
Wisconsin Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 17 - May 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 28-34 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Sandy outwash
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-11)
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 Canna Lily in Wisconsin
The frost window
Across Wisconsin, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 17 and May 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 160-day window you can count on — up to 187 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
Canna Lily is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 57.2°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
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 Wisconsin's late-side last freeze of May 2 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Florence 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
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 Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wisconsin site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Whether canna lily is safe to eat from Wisconsin soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 57,912 documented contamination sites mean levels spike on some parcels and not the one next door. Canna Lily 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 and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Wisconsin soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Canna Lily in Wisconsin — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 7-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 17 - May 2 to Oct 9 - Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Canna Lily in Wisconsin
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wisconsin growers also need to think about:
Cold winters (-30F in northern WI)
Short growing season (110-140 frost-free days)
Sandy central soils drain too quickly
Growing canna lily here specifically
Because you eat the root of canna lily that sit in the soil, contamination matters more than for most crops — Wisconsin has 57,912 documented sites, and lead concentrates block by block, not town-wide.
Test your soil for lead first, and raise canna lily in clean imported soil if the reading is high. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Wisconsin grower, not just canna lily — is covered on the Wisconsin growing guide.
Timing shifts within Wisconsin
Wisconsin isn't one climate. In Florence County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 16 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant canna lily 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 Wisconsin Canna Lily Is Zone-Hardy
Canna Lily is rated for USDA zones 7–11. No Wisconsin county reaches it. Even Racine County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 6a, sits below the plant’s zone 7 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 72 counties Wisconsin’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Bayfield County to zone 6a in Racine County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band canna lily needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. 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 Wisconsin's frost window — roughly 173 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 17 - May 2) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Canna Lily Varieties for Wisconsin
Wisconsin publishes no state variety trial for canna lily, so we won't invent a "best for Wisconsin" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3b-6a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Wisconsin Cooperative Extension
For Wisconsin-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for canna lily, the canonical source is UW–Madison Division of Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Canna Lily in Wisconsin
When can I plant Canna Lily in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 17 and May 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Canna Lily is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 57.2°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.
What hardiness zone is Canna Lily grown in across Wisconsin?
Wisconsin spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6a (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 Wisconsin site have?
A typical Wisconsin site sees ~173 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. In cooler counties like Florence, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Canna Lily in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Canna Lily actually grow on my specific land in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin canna lily averages can't show:
We read public map data around Wisconsin — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Wisconsin canna lily 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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