Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
cinnamon (zones 10-12) does not overlap with South Carolina's zone range (7a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Cinnamon is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in South Carolina is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a South Carolina winter. To grow it here, grow cinnamon in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 10-12 (plant) against 7-9 (South Carolina). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
South Carolina 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 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
South Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 27 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 23 - Dec 1
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
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 in South Carolina
The frost window
Across South Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 256-day window you can count on — up to 277 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 South Carolina runs as cold as zone 7, 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 South Carolina — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting date.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Chester County, not the statewide average.
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 does not survive a South Carolina winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on South Carolina under protection.
Frost-free days
Cinnamon wants 300+ frost-free days; a typical South Carolina site sees ~265 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 35 days short of what it needs. A typical South Carolina 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 ~5233 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so South Carolina sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
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 South Carolina's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal) — 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 South Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Carolina site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 21.6% of South Carolina as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Cinnamon has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. South Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cinnamon in South Carolina — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 27 - Mar 12 to Nov 23 - Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 365 days
What Else to Consider for Cinnamon in South Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay requires amendment for drainage
High heat and humidity promote diseases
Hurricane risk along the coast
Growing cinnamon here specifically
Cinnamon roots run deep and prefer pH 5.0–7.0, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 21.6% of South Carolina as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant cinnamon on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Carolina grower, not just cinnamon — is covered on the South Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Carolina
South Carolina isn't one climate. In Chester County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 22 — roughly 14 days later than the recorded state median — so plant cinnamon to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Cinnamon needs about 300 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 3 of South Carolina’s 46 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Jasper County at 302 frost-free days — 2 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across South Carolina’s 46 counties the frost-free season runs from 237 days in Chester County to 320 days in Charleston County — a spread of 83 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median South Carolina county sees 265 frost-free days, which is 35 days short of what cinnamon needs — so on a typical South Carolina 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 South Carolina's frost window — roughly 265 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 27 - Mar 12) and closing at the first (Nov 23 - Dec 1), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Cinnamon
Cinnamon is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (bark) at a mild level (Pet Poison Helpline). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: cinnamon is woody and hardy only from zone 10, against a South Carolina low of zone 7, so it is overwintered under cover here rather than left standing outside — which is where it will be in reach.
Recommended Cinnamon Varieties for South Carolina
South Carolina publishes no state variety trial for cinnamon, so we won't invent a "best for South Carolina" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (7a-9b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
South Carolina Cooperative Extension
For South Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cinnamon, the canonical source is Clemson Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cinnamon native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cinnamon as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Carolina 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 South Carolina
When can I plant Cinnamon in South Carolina?
South Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cinnamon overwinters only from USDA zone 10 and warmer, and South Carolina runs as cold as zone 7, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for South Carolina growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.
What hardiness zone is Cinnamon grown in across South Carolina?
South Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (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 South Carolina site have?
A typical South Carolina site sees ~265 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. In cooler counties like Chester, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Cinnamon native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cinnamon as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Cinnamon in South Carolina?
Cinnamon prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across South Carolina 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 South Carolina?
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.
Check your specific parcel in South Carolina
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 South Carolina cinnamon averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Carolina cinnamon average
Explore More
Growing guides for cinnamon
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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