Yes — Strong Match
catmint (zones 3-8) covers every zone Iowa contains (4b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Catmint in Iowa — the short answer
Catmint in Iowa: hardy in zones 3–8, full sun, against a state median of ~189 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-8
- 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
- Iowa zones
- 4b-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 10 - Apr 17 – Oct 18 - Oct 23
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 168 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.
Iowa spans zones 4b-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 catmint 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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Iowa is not one climate
A single Iowa answer averages 99 counties whose growing seasons are 48 days apart — from 168 frost-free days in Howard County to 216 in Lee County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what catmint can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 99 counties runs 183–197 days, with a median of 189 days — a 48-day span end to end.
Measured across 99 Iowa 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 Iowa Fits Best
Even within Iowa's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for catmint (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Catmint Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-8
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
Iowa Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 10 - Apr 17
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 18 - Oct 23
- Annual Rainfall: 26-36 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loess, Silt loam, Clay loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)
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 Catmint in Iowa
The frost window
Across Iowa, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 10 and Apr 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Oct 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 184-day window you can count on — up to 196 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
Catmint is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — 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. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when catmint goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Iowa's late-side last freeze of Apr 17 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 — Howard 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says catmint survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Catmint wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Iowa site sees ~189 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
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
Catmint likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.9-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Iowa's prairie loess and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. 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 Iowa soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Iowa site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 42.9% of Iowa as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Catmint tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — 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. Iowa soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Catmint in Iowa
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Iowa growers also need to think about:
Cold winters reaching -20F or below
Variable spring weather delays planting
Wind exposure on open prairies desiccates plants
Growing catmint here specifically
Catmint needs sharp drainage and sends medium roots; its growing tissue takes cold to about 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), but in Iowa, about 42.9% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build catmint up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its roots never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Iowa grower, not just catmint — is covered on the Iowa growing guide.
Timing shifts within Iowa
Iowa isn't one climate. In Howard County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 24 — roughly 10 days later than the recorded state median — so plant catmint to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Catmint needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Howard County — Iowa’s shortest season at 168 frost-free days — clears that by 18 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Iowa. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Catmint's 150-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
Catmint draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, catmint can only work that bloom inside Iowa's frost window — roughly 189 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 10 - Apr 17) and closing at the first (Oct 18 - Oct 23), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Deer pressure is meaningful across much of Iowa; catmint is listed as deer-resistant (USDA PLANTS Database), which makes it a safer pick for unfenced sites. Our deer & wildlife guide carries the full deer-resistant list and how to protect the rest.
Recommended Catmint Varieties for Iowa
Iowa publishes no state variety trial for catmint, so we won't invent a "best for Iowa" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4b-6a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Iowa Cooperative Extension
For Iowa-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for catmint, the canonical source is Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Catmint in Iowa
When can I plant Catmint in Iowa?
Iowa's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 10 and Apr 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Oct 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Catmint is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — 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 Catmint grown in across Iowa?
Iowa spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Catmint carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Iowa site have?
A typical Iowa site sees ~189 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Catmint needs 150+ 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 Howard, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Catmint in Iowa?
Catmint prefers pH 4.9-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Iowa soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Catmint actually grow on my specific land in Iowa?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores catmint 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 Iowa
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores catmint against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Iowa catmint averages can't show:
We read public map data around Iowa — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Iowa catmint average
Explore More
Growing guides for catmint
Explore Iowa county by county
Iowa carries 99 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for catmint there:
Where else catmint grows
Catmint's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Iowa 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 Iowa
Iowa has a growing page for 806 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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