Yes — Strong Match
cinnamon fern (zones 4-9) covers every zone Georgia contains (7a-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Georgia spans zones 7a-9b, 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 cinnamon fern against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Cinnamon Fern Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-9
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-9)
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 Cinnamon Fern in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 259-day window you can count on — up to 290 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
Georgia runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for cinnamon fern, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether cinnamon fern is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Georgia; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Cinnamon Fern likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-6.9). That's the common-ground band across Georgia's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal plain) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Georgia soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cinnamon Fern in Georgia — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 4-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 17 - Mar 10 to Nov 24 - Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Cinnamon Fern in Georgia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Georgia grower, not just cinnamon fern — is covered on the Georgia growing guide.
Where in Georgia Cinnamon Fern Is Zone-Hardy
Cinnamon Fern is rated for USDA zones 4–9. Every one of Georgia’s 159 counties sits inside that band — from Fannin County at zone 7b to Worth County at zone 9a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 159 counties Georgia’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 7b in Fannin County to zone 9a in Worth County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Union County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 7, while Worth County is clear by Feb 7 — 59 days apart. Set cinnamon fern out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Cinnamon Fern’s zone 4–9 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Where in Georgia Fits Best
Even within Georgia's zones 7a-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cinnamon fern (USDA PHZM 2023):
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cinnamon fern, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cinnamon Fern native to Georgia?
Cinnamon Fern is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Georgia. It can still earn a place in a Georgia garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Georgia 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 Cinnamon Fern in Georgia
When can I plant Cinnamon Fern in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Cinnamon Fern, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Georgia 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 Cinnamon Fern grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cinnamon Fern carries a range of zones 4-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~275 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cinnamon Fern should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Cinnamon Fern native to Georgia?
Cinnamon Fern is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Georgia. It can still earn a place in a Georgia garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Cinnamon Fern in Georgia?
Cinnamon Fern prefers pH 4.5-6.9 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Georgia soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Cinnamon Fern actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cinnamon fern 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cinnamon fern against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Georgia cinnamon fern averages can't show:
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Growing guides for cinnamon fern
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