Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
carob (zones 9-11) does not overlap with Kansas's zone range (5b-7a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Carob is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in Kansas is zone 7 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Kansas winter. To grow it here, grow carob under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 9-11 (plant) against 5-7 (Kansas). 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.
Kansas spans zones 5b-7a, 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 carob against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Carob Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-11
- Frost-Free Days: 210+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 35 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Kansas Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 1 - Apr 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 16-42 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Silt loam, Clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-11)
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 Carob in Kansas
The frost window
Across Kansas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 1 and Apr 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 196-day window you can count on — up to 216 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
Kansas runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for carob, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether carob is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Kansas; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Greeley 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says carob does not survive a Kansas winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Kansas under protection.
Frost-free days
Carob wants 210+ frost-free days; a typical Kansas site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 2 days short of what it needs. A typical Kansas season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
Growing degree days
Carob needs ~3500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3821 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Kansas sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
Chill hours
Carob requires ~200 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Kansas typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Carob tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-9) — 4 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Kansas. 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 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Kansas soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Kansas site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Kansas's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Carob needs about 7 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how carob performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Kansas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Carob in Kansas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 9-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 1 - Apr 12 to Oct 25 - Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Carob in Kansas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Kansas growers also need to think about:
Low rainfall in western KS requires irrigation
Extreme wind and hail during severe storm season
Hot dry summers with 100F+ days
Growing carob here specifically
Carob needs pH 5.0–9.0; Kansas's dominant silt loam soils may or may not deliver that, so your parcel's SSURGO map unit is the real test.
Start with a soil test on your own ground and adjust pH and texture to fit carob's 5.0–9.0 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Kansas grower, not just carob — is covered on the Kansas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Kansas
Kansas isn't one climate. In Greeley County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 23 — roughly 18 days later than the recorded state median — so plant carob to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Carob needs about 210 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 48 of Kansas’s 105 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Geary County at 210 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Carob's 210-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Carob draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, carob can only work that bloom inside Kansas's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 1 - Apr 12) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Kansas Cooperative Extension
For Kansas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for carob, the canonical source is K-State Research and Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Carob native to Kansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Carob as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Kansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Kansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Kansas 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 Carob in Kansas
When can I plant Carob in Kansas?
Kansas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 1 and Apr 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Carob, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Kansas 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 Carob grown in across Kansas?
Kansas spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Carob carries a range of zones 9-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Kansas site have?
A typical Kansas site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Carob 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 Greeley, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Carob native to Kansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Carob as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Kansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Kansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Carob in Kansas?
Carob tolerates pH 5-9 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Kansas site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Carob actually grow on my specific land in Kansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores carob 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 Kansas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores carob against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Kansas carob averages can't show:
We read public map data around Kansas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Kansas carob average
Explore More
Growing guides for carob
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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