Can I Grow Catmint in Missouri?

USDA Zones 5b-7a · Plant zone range 3-8

Generally — Most Areas

catmint (zones 3-8) partially overlaps with Missouri (5b-7a). It can grow in zones 5-7 within the state.

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Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Missouri spans zones 5b-7a, 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.

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Zone Comparison

Catmint Needs

  • USDA Zones: 3-8
  • Soil pH: 4.9 - 7.5
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Drainage: well (dry spells)
  • Frost-Free Days: 150+

Missouri Has

  • USDA Zones: 5b-7a
  • Last Frost: Apr 5 - Apr 25
  • First Frost: Oct 5 - Oct 30
  • Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
  • Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess

Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)

3a
8b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 4.97.5

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / plant_species_v5.csv. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Catmint in Missouri

The frost window

Across Missouri, the last spring frost clears between Apr 5 and Apr 25, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 5 and Oct 30 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last frost to the earliest first frost, that's a 163-day window you can count on — up to 208 days on a mild site in a kind year.

Frost tenderness

Catmint is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 39.2°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out after the last frost has cleared your local site, not the state's earliest date.

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

Zone compatibility says you can survive winter here. Whether the growing season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Frost-free days

Catmint wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~190 (NOAA Climate Normals). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.

Climate aggregates derive from USDA NRCS county-level hardiness data + Cornell CALS Extension GDD-by-region tables + MSU Extension chill-hours-by-zone (1991-2020 NOAA Climate Normals baseline).

Soil + Drainage Fit

Catmint likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.9-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Missouri's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Missouri site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Catmint in Missouri — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
  • Plant Zones: 3-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
  • State Zones: 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
  • Growing Season: Apr 5 - Apr 25 to Oct 5 - Oct 30 (NOAA Climate Normals)

What Else to Consider

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

Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat

Let your local frost normals call the plantings — Missouri springs punish the calendar-planters and reward the patient.

Heavy clay soils in many regions

Raised beds solve clay drainage the first weekend — and yearly compost turns the ground under them into loam.

Ozark soils are thin and rocky

One soil test shows what thin Ozark ground actually holds — then build up with compost or beds where the depth runs out.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Catmint draws pollinators (high value, USDA PLANTS Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Deer pressure is meaningful across much of Missouri; 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.

Missouri Cooperative Extension

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

Common Questions About Growing Catmint in Missouri

When can I plant Catmint in Missouri?

Missouri's last spring frost clears between Apr 5 and Apr 25, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 5 and Oct 30 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Catmint is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 39.2°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait until the last frost has cleared your specific site before planting out.

What hardiness zone is Catmint grown in across Missouri?

Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (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 Missouri site have?

A typical Missouri site sees ~190 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Climate Normals 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.

How should I amend the soil for Catmint in Missouri?

Catmint prefers pH 4.9-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Missouri 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 Missouri?

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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Missouri

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 exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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