Centro is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 13. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees. A nitrogen-fixer, it draws nitrogen from the air and feeds it back to the soil — turn it under or leave the roots in place, and the next planting inherits a richer bed.
Zones
10-13
pH Range
4-7
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
90
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What Centro is
Centro grows as a perennial and reaches around a foot and a half at maturity. It blooms in summer.
How to grow Centro
Centro grows in USDA zones 10 through 13. Centro does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4 to 7, on well-drained ground. It needs around 3,000 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
10-13
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4 - 7
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
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Drainage
well (dry spells)
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Frost Tolerance
55.4°F
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Days to Maturity
90 days
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GDD Required
3000+
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Mature Height
1.5 ft
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Frost-Free Days
120+
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Start the season right
Plant centro in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Centro prefers pH 4 to 7 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band. It fixes its own nitrogen, so skip the high-nitrogen feed and instead dust the seed with a matching rhizobium inoculant at sowing.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut centro down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — centro isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Centro offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Centro thrives
Centro is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 13. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 10–13·Where Centro growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Centro can grow in these states:
See if Centro will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether centro actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Centro in my zone?
Centro grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 13 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Centro?
Most growers plant centro after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 120-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Centro need?
Centro needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Centro need?
Centro prefers soil pH 4 to 7, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Centro attract pollinators?
Yes — centro's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Centro safe for pets?
Centro is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.