Yes — Strong Match
cockscomb (zones 2-11) covers every zone Colorado contains (3b-7b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Colorado spans zones 3b-7b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score cockscomb against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Zone Comparison
Cockscomb Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 30+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Colorado Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 25 - May 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 29 - Oct 16
- Annual Rainfall: 7-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay loam, Alkaline caliche
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 Cockscomb in Colorado
The frost window
Across Colorado, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 25 and May 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 29 and Oct 16 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 133-day window you can count on — up to 174 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
Cockscomb is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 68°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 cockscomb goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Colorado's late-side last freeze of May 19 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 75 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 58 days to spare even in Colorado's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 cockscomb survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Cockscomb wants 30+ frost-free days; a typical Colorado site sees ~155 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Cockscomb needs ~1500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2083 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Colorado'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
Cockscomb likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Colorado's sandy loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Colorado soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Colorado 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. Colorado soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cockscomb in Colorado — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 25 - May 19 to Sep 29 - Oct 16 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 75 days
What Else to Consider for Cockscomb in Colorado
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Colorado growers also need to think about:
Low annual rainfall (7-20 inches) means irrigation is essential nearly everywhere
High altitude UV and temperature swings stress plants
Very short growing season at elevation (60-90 frost-free days above 8,000 ft)
Alkaline soils (pH 7.5-8.5) limit acid-loving plants without amendment
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Colorado grower, not just cockscomb — is covered on the Colorado growing guide.
Timing shifts within Colorado
Cockscomb needs about 30 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Chaffee County — Colorado’s shortest season at 85 frost-free days — clears that by 55 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Colorado. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Colorado’s 64 counties the frost-free season runs from 85 days in Chaffee County to 209 days in Mesa County — a spread of 124 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Colorado county sees 155 frost-free days, leaving cockscomb about 125 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"). Cockscomb's 30-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Colorado Fits Best
Even within Colorado's zones 3b-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cockscomb (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Cockscomb draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cockscomb can only work that bloom inside Colorado's frost window — roughly 155 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 25 - May 19) and closing at the first (Sep 29 - Oct 16), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Colorado Cooperative Extension
For Colorado-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cockscomb, the canonical source is Colorado State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Cockscomb in Colorado
When can I plant Cockscomb in Colorado?
Colorado's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 25 and May 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 29 and Oct 16 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cockscomb is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 68°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 Cockscomb mature before first frost in Colorado?
Yes — Cockscomb matures in 75 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Colorado's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 133 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 58 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 Cockscomb grown in across Colorado?
Colorado spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cockscomb 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 Colorado site have?
A typical Colorado site sees ~155 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cockscomb needs 30+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Cockscomb in Colorado?
Cockscomb prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Colorado soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Cockscomb actually grow on my specific land in Colorado?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cockscomb 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 Colorado
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cockscomb against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Colorado cockscomb averages can't show:
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