Can I Grow Canna Lily in Wyoming?

USDA Zones 3b-6a · Plant zone range 7-11

Unlikely — Zone Mismatch

canna lily (zones 7-11) does not overlap with Wyoming'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 Wyoming is zone 6 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Wyoming 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 (Wyoming). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Wyoming 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

Wyoming Has

  • USDA Zones: 3b-6a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 4 - May 13
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 30 - Oct 7
  • Annual Rainfall: 6-20 inches
  • Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Alkaline

Plant Zone Range (zones 7-11)

7a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.08.0

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 Wyoming

The frost window

Across Wyoming, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 140-day window you can count on — up to 156 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 Wyoming's late-side last freeze of May 13 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 — Teton 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 Wyoming. 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 Wyoming soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wyoming 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 Wyoming soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 10,910 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. Wyoming soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Canna Lily in Wyoming — 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 May 4 - May 13 to Sep 30 - Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)

What Else to Consider for Canna Lily in Wyoming

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wyoming growers also need to think about:

Extremely short growing season (60-90 frost-free days)

Very low rainfall requires irrigation

Persistent high winds desiccate and damage plants

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 — Wyoming has 10,910 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 Wyoming grower, not just canna lily — is covered on the Wyoming growing guide.

Timing shifts within Wyoming

Wyoming isn't one climate. In Teton County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 16 — roughly 41 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 Wyoming Canna Lily Is Zone-Hardy

Canna Lily is rated for USDA zones 711. No Wyoming county reaches it. Even Uinta County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 5b, 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 23 counties Wyoming’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Albany County to zone 5b in Uinta County 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°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 711 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 Wyoming's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 4 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 30 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Recommended Canna Lily Varieties for Wyoming

Wyoming publishes no state variety trial for canna lily, so we won't invent a "best for Wyoming" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3b-6a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.

Wyoming Cooperative Extension

For Wyoming-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for canna lily, the canonical source is University of Wyoming Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Common Questions About Growing Canna Lily in Wyoming

When can I plant Canna Lily in Wyoming?

Wyoming's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (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 Wyoming?

Wyoming 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 Wyoming site have?

A typical Wyoming site sees ~151 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 Teton, 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 Wyoming?

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 Wyoming site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.

Will Canna Lily actually grow on my specific land in Wyoming?

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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Wyoming

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 Wyoming canna lily averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Wyoming averages 151Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Wyoming — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Wyoming 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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