Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
coral bean (zones 10-12) does not overlap with Delaware's zone range (7a-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Coral Bean is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Delaware is zone 8 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Delaware winter. To grow it here, grow coral bean under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-12 (plant) against 7-8 (Delaware). 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.
Delaware spans zones 7a-8a, 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 coral bean against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Zone Comparison
Coral Bean Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Frost-Free Days: 365+
- Sun: Full Sun
Delaware Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 23 - Mar 23
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 17 - Nov 19
- Annual Rainfall: 42-48 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Silt loam, Tidal marsh
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 Coral Bean in Delaware
The frost window
Across Delaware, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 239-day window you can count on — up to 241 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
Delaware runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for coral bean, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether coral bean is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Delaware; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 coral bean does not survive a Delaware 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 Delaware under protection.
Frost-free days
Coral Bean wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical Delaware site sees ~241 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 124 days short of what it needs. A typical Delaware 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.
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
Coral Bean tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4-7) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Delaware. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Delaware soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Your land, not the state average
Delaware's soils run mostly sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Coral Bean needs about 59 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how coral bean performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Delaware soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Coral Bean in Delaware — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 23 - Mar 23 to Nov 17 - Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Coral Bean in Delaware
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Delaware growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils in southern DE drain too quickly
Salt spray damage near the coast
Rising water tables in low-lying areas
Growing coral bean here specifically
Delaware's soils run mostly sandy loam (Ultisols), and whether that suits coral bean's pH 4.0–7.0 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward coral bean's 4.0–7.0 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Delaware grower, not just coral bean — is covered on the Delaware growing guide.
Timing shifts within Delaware
Coral Bean needs about 365 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Delaware county gives it that outdoors: even New Castle County, the state’s longest season at 241 frost-free days, falls 124 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
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"). Coral Bean's 365-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
Coral Bean draws hummingbirds and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, coral bean can only work that bloom inside Delaware's frost window — roughly 241 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 23 - Mar 23) and closing at the first (Nov 17 - Nov 19), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Coral Bean
Coral Bean is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (seeds) at a moderate level (Cornell). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Delaware Cooperative Extension
For Delaware-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for coral bean, the canonical source is University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Coral Bean in Delaware
When can I plant Coral Bean in Delaware?
Delaware's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Coral Bean, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Delaware and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Coral Bean grown in across Delaware?
Delaware spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Coral Bean 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 Delaware site have?
A typical Delaware site sees ~241 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Coral Bean needs 365+ 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 Coral Bean in Delaware?
Coral Bean tolerates pH 4-7 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Delaware site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Coral Bean actually grow on my specific land in Delaware?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores coral bean 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 Delaware
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores coral bean against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Delaware coral bean averages can't show:
We read public map data around Delaware — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Delaware coral bean average
Explore More
Growing guides for coral bean
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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