Yes — Strong Match
Chinese chestnut (zones 4-8) covers every zone Nebraska contains (4b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska — the short answer
Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska: hardy in zones 4–8, full sun, against a state median of ~181 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 4-8
- 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
- Nebraska zones
- 4b-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 12 - Apr 26 – Oct 15 - Oct 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 134 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 1460 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Nebraska spans zones 4b-6a, 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 chinese chestnut against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Nebraska is not one climate
Nebraska’s winter-low ladder runs across 93 counties, from zone 4.5 in Sioux County to zone 6 in Thayer County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between chinese chestnut overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 93 counties runs 5–5.5 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 93 Nebraska counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. 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 Nebraska Fits Best
Even within Nebraska's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for chinese chestnut (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Chinese Chestnut Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-8
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 40 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Nebraska Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - Apr 26
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 15 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 15-34 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Sandy loam (Sandhills), Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-8)
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 Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska
The frost window
Across Nebraska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 192 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
Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for chinese chestnut, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether chinese chestnut is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nebraska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 chinese chestnut survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Chinese Chestnut wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Nebraska site sees ~181 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Growing degree days
Chinese Chestnut needs ~2200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2648 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nebraska's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Chinese Chestnut requires ~600 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Nebraska 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
Chinese Chestnut likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Nebraska's loess and sandy loam (sandhills) — 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 Nebraska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nebraska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Nebraska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant chinese chestnut for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before chinese chestnut goes in. What follows is Nebraska’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Nebraska — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Nebraska — 10,663 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 162 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Nebraska carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Nebraska
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Nebraska, two things run higher than the national average across Nebraska — CAFO (700 sites) and Nitrate (4,328 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nebraska growers also need to think about:
Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation
Extreme wind exposure on open plains
Hail damage during severe storm season
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nebraska grower, not just chinese chestnut — is covered on the Nebraska growing guide.
Timing shifts within Nebraska
Chinese Chestnut needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 92 of Nebraska’s 93 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Banner County at 157 frost-free days — 7 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Nebraska’s 93 counties the frost-free season runs from 134 days in Sioux County to 207 days in Sarpy County — a spread of 73 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nebraska county sees 181 frost-free days, leaving chinese chestnut about 31 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
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"). Chinese Chestnut'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
Chinese Chestnut draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, chinese chestnut can only work that bloom inside Nebraska's frost window — roughly 181 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 15 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Nebraska Cooperative Extension
For Nebraska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for chinese chestnut, the canonical source is Nebraska Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Chinese Chestnut native to Nebraska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Chinese Chestnut as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Nebraska 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 Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska
When can I plant Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska?
Nebraska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Chinese Chestnut, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nebraska 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 Chinese Chestnut grown in across Nebraska?
Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Chinese Chestnut carries a range of zones 4-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Nebraska site have?
A typical Nebraska site sees ~181 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Chinese Chestnut needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Chinese Chestnut native to Nebraska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Chinese Chestnut as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Chinese Chestnut in Nebraska?
Chinese Chestnut prefers pH 5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Nebraska soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Chinese Chestnut actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores chinese chestnut 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 Nebraska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores chinese chestnut against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nebraska chinese chestnut averages can't show:
We read public map data around Nebraska — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nebraska chinese chestnut average
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