Generally — Most Areas
cleome (zones 2-11) suits most of Florida (8b-12a) — zones 8-11 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Cleome is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Florida site runs ~320 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score cleome against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Cleome Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
Florida Has
- USDA Zones: 8b-12a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 25 - Feb 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 7 - Dec 18
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy, Muck (Everglades), Shell-rock (Keys)
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Cleome in Florida
The frost window
Across Florida, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 300-day window you can count on — up to 327 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.
Frost tenderness
Cleome is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 50°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when cleome goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Florida's late-side last freeze of Feb 10 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 80 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 220 days to spare even in Florida's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Holmes 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 cleome survives winter in part of Florida, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
Cleome matures in ~80 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Florida site has ~320 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Cleome needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~7743 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Florida's typical season clears that easily.
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
Cleome likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Florida's sandy and muck (everglades) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Florida soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Florida 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 44.6% of Florida as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Cleome tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — 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. Florida soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cleome in Florida — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Jan 25 - Feb 10 to Dec 7 - Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
What Else to Consider for Cleome in Florida
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Florida growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils drain too fast and hold few nutrients — frequent fertilization needed
Humidity drives fungal diseases (powdery mildew, black spot, rust)
Hurricane season (June-November) can destroy plantings
Nematodes are a serious pest in sandy FL soils
Growing cleome here specifically
Cleome rates to USDA zones 2–11 and is hardy to about 50°F, but cold isn't the risk in Florida — wet is: with roughly 44.6% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the roots.
Give cleome a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its roots never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Florida grower, not just cleome — is covered on the Florida growing guide.
Timing shifts within Florida
Florida isn't one climate. In Holmes County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Feb 20 — roughly 16 days later than the recorded state median — so plant cleome to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Cleome needs about 80 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Holmes County — Florida’s shortest season at 281 frost-free days — clears that by 201 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Florida. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Florida’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 281 days in Holmes County to 365 days in Sarasota County — a spread of 84 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Florida county sees 320 frost-free days, leaving cleome about 240 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"). Cleome's 80-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Florida Fits Best
Even within Florida's zones 8b-12a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cleome (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Cleome draws honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cleome can only work that bloom inside Florida's frost window — roughly 320 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 25 - Feb 10) and closing at the first (Dec 7 - Dec 18), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Cleome Varieties for Florida
Florida publishes no state variety trial for cleome, so we won't invent a "best for Florida" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (8b-12a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Florida Cooperative Extension
For Florida-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cleome, the canonical source is UF/IFAS Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cleome native to Florida?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cleome as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Florida's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Florida natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Florida 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 Cleome in Florida
When can I plant Cleome in Florida?
Florida's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cleome is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 50°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Cleome mature before first frost in Florida?
Yes — Cleome matures in 80 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Florida's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 300 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 220 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Cleome grown in across Florida?
Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cleome carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Florida site have?
A typical Florida site sees ~320 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cleome 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. In cooler counties like Holmes, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Cleome native to Florida?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cleome as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Florida's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Florida natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Cleome in Florida?
Cleome prefers pH 5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Florida soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Cleome actually grow on my specific land in Florida?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cleome 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 Florida
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cleome against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Florida cleome averages can't show:
We read public map data around Florida — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Florida cleome average
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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