Can I Grow Cinnamon in Nevada?

USDA Zones 4a-10a · Plant zone range 10-12

Conditional — Some Areas

cinnamon (zones 10-12) reaches only part of Nevada (4a-10a): zone 10 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.

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Nevada spans zones 4a-10a, 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 against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.

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Zone Comparison

Cinnamon Needs

  • USDA Zones: 10-12
  • Frost-Free Days: 300+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 45 ft tall
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Nevada Has

  • USDA Zones: 4a-10a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 28 - May 20
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
  • Annual Rainfall: 4-12 inches
  • Common Soils: Desert sand, Caliche, Alkaline clay

Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)

10a
12b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.07.0

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Cinnamon in Nevada

The frost window

Across Nevada, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 142-day window you can count on — up to 176 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

Cinnamon overwinters from USDA zone 10 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder), and Nevada runs as cold as zone 4, so it does not survive winter in the ground here. It is a woody plant rather than a crop you resow each spring, so neither a fall establishment date nor a harvest countdown describes it in Nevada — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting 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

The zone check says cinnamon survives winter in part of Nevada, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Frost-free days

Cinnamon wants 300+ frost-free days; a typical Nevada site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 137 days short of what it needs. A typical Nevada season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.

Growing degree days

Cinnamon needs ~5000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1725 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nevada's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.

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

Cinnamon likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7). That's the common-ground band across Nevada's desert sand and caliche — 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 Nevada soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nevada 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. Nevada soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Cinnamon in Nevada — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
  • Plant Zones: 10-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
  • State Zones: 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
  • Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 28 - May 20 to Oct 9 - Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
  • Days to Maturity: 365 days

What Else to Consider for Cinnamon in Nevada

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

Extremely low rainfall (driest US state)

Alkaline soils (pH 8-9) limit many species

Extreme summer heat in southern valleys

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nevada grower, not just cinnamon — is covered on the Nevada growing guide.

Timing shifts within Nevada

Cinnamon needs about 300 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 1 of Nevada’s 17 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Clark County at 321 frost-free days — 21 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.

Across Nevada’s 17 counties the frost-free season runs from 110 days in Elko County to 321 days in Clark County — a spread of 211 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nevada county sees 163 frost-free days, which is 137 days short of what cinnamon needs — so on a typical Nevada parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.

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"). Cinnamon's 300-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

Cinnamon draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cinnamon can only work that bloom inside Nevada's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 28 - May 20) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Nevada Cooperative Extension

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

Is Cinnamon native to Nevada?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cinnamon as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Nevada 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 in Nevada

When can I plant Cinnamon in Nevada?

Nevada's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cinnamon overwinters only from USDA zone 10 and warmer, and Nevada runs as cold as zone 4, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for Nevada growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.

What hardiness zone is Cinnamon grown in across Nevada?

Nevada spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cinnamon carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Nevada site have?

A typical Nevada site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cinnamon needs 300+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.

Is Cinnamon native to Nevada?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cinnamon as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Cinnamon in Nevada?

Cinnamon prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Nevada soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Cinnamon actually grow on my specific land in Nevada?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cinnamon 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 Nevada

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cinnamon against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Nevada cinnamon averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Nevada averages 163Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Nevada — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nevada cinnamon average

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