Yes — Strong Match
coleus (zones 2-11) covers every zone Michigan contains (4a-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Michigan spans zones 4a-7a, 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 coleus against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Zone Comparison
Coleus Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~150 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Michigan Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 19 - May 8
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 12 - Oct 31
- Annual Rainfall: 28-38 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay loam, Muck
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 Coleus in Michigan
The frost window
Across Michigan, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 157-day window you can count on — up to 195 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
Coleus 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 coleus goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 10 weeks ahead, so counting back from Michigan's late-side last freeze of May 8 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 70 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 87 days to spare even in Michigan's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Luce 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 coleus survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Coleus wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Michigan site sees ~186 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Coleus needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1976 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Michigan'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
Coleus likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7). That's the common-ground band across Michigan'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 Michigan soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Michigan 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 29.4% of Michigan as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Coleus 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. Michigan soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Coleus in Michigan — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 19 - May 8 to Oct 12 - Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 70 days
What Else to Consider for Coleus in Michigan
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Michigan growers also need to think about:
Lake effect weather creates highly localized microclimates
Short northern season (100-120 frost-free days in UP)
Sandy soils in western MI drain too quickly
Growing coleus here specifically
Coleus likes pH 5.0–7.0 and takes cold to about 50°F, yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 29.4% of Michigan poorly-drained, where its roots sit and rot.
Set coleus high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the roots. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Michigan grower, not just coleus — is covered on the Michigan growing guide.
Timing shifts within Michigan
Michigan isn't one climate. In Luce County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 22 — roughly 27 days later than the recorded state median — so plant coleus to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Coleus needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Iron County — Michigan’s shortest season at 126 frost-free days — clears that by 6 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Michigan. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Michigan’s 83 counties the frost-free season runs from 126 days in Iron County to 223 days in Berrien County — a spread of 97 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Michigan county sees 186 frost-free days, leaving coleus about 66 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"). Coleus's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Michigan Fits Best
Even within Michigan's zones 4a-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for coleus (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Coleus draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, coleus can only work that bloom inside Michigan's frost window — roughly 186 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 19 - May 8) and closing at the first (Oct 12 - Oct 31), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Coleus
Coleus is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Michigan this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 12 - Oct 31) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Recommended Coleus Varieties for Michigan
Michigan publishes no state variety trial for coleus, so we won't invent a "best for Michigan" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4a-7a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Michigan Cooperative Extension
For Michigan-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for coleus, the canonical source is MSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Coleus in Michigan
When can I plant Coleus in Michigan?
Michigan's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Coleus 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 Coleus mature before first frost in Michigan?
Yes — Coleus matures in 70 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Michigan's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 157 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 87 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 Coleus grown in across Michigan?
Michigan spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Coleus 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 Michigan site have?
A typical Michigan site sees ~186 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Coleus needs 120+ 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 Luce, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Coleus in Michigan?
Coleus prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Michigan soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Coleus actually grow on my specific land in Michigan?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores coleus 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 Michigan
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores coleus against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Michigan coleus averages can't show:
We read public map data around Michigan — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Michigan coleus average
Explore More
Growing guides for coleus
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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