Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
croton (zones 11-12) does not overlap with Washington's zone range (4a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Croton is hardy to zone 11, and the warmest ground in Washington is zone 9 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Washington winter. To grow it here, grow croton in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 11-12 (plant) against 5-9 (Washington). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Croton in Washington — the short answer
Croton in Washington: hardy in zones 11–12, full sun, against a state median of ~208 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 11-12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Washington zones
- 4a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 16 - Apr 15 – Oct 24 - Nov 18
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 131 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Washington spans zones 4a-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 croton 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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Washington is not one climate
Washington’s winter-low ladder runs across 39 counties, from zone 6 in Ferry County to zone 9 in San Juan County. That is 30°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between croton overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 39 counties runs 7–8.5 zones, with a median of 7 zones — a 3-zone span end to end.
Measured across 39 Washington counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Croton Stands in Washington
Croton is rated for zones 11–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 40 to 50°F. No Washington county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Washington winters, not about croton.
Below the zone 11 floor
39 counties
- Ferry County · zone 6a
- Okanogan County · zone 6a
- Pend Oreille County · zone 6a
3 of 39 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Croton Needs
- USDA Zones: 11-12
- Frost-Free Days: 365+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 8 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Washington Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 16 - Apr 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 24 - Nov 18
- Annual Rainfall: 6-90 inches
- Common Soils: Volcanic ash, Silt loam (Palouse), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 11-12)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Croton in Washington
The frost window
Across Washington, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 16 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 192-day window you can count on — up to 247 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
Washington runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for croton, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether croton is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Washington; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Whatcom County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. 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 croton does not survive a Washington 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 Washington under protection.
Frost-free days
Croton wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical Washington site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 157 days short of what it needs. A typical Washington 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
Croton likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-6.5). That's the common-ground band across Washington's volcanic ash and silt loam (palouse) — 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 Washington soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Washington site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Washington's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for croton is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how croton performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Washington soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Croton in Washington
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Washington growers also need to think about:
Extreme rain divide: 90+ inches west, 6 inches east of Cascades
East side requires irrigation — no rain from June through September
Slug and root rot pressure on the wet west side
Short seasons at elevation in the Cascades and northeast corners
Growing croton here specifically
Washington's soils run mostly silt loam (Mollisols), and whether that suits croton's pH 5.0–6.5 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward croton's 5.0–6.5 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Washington grower, not just croton — is covered on the Washington growing guide.
Timing shifts within Washington
Washington isn't one climate. In Whatcom County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 29 — roughly 54 days later than the recorded state median — so plant croton to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Croton needs about 365 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Washington county gives it that outdoors: even San Juan County, the state’s longest season at 300 frost-free days, falls 65 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
Across Washington’s 39 counties the frost-free season runs from 131 days in Whatcom County to 300 days in San Juan County — a spread of 169 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Washington county sees 208 frost-free days, which is 157 days short of what croton needs — so on a typical Washington 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"). Croton's 365-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Good to Know Before You Plant Croton
Croton 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. Parts of croton carry minor toxicity for people, so know which parts are edible before harvest.
Washington Cooperative Extension
For Washington-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for croton, the canonical source is WSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Croton native to Washington?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Croton as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Washington's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Washington natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Washington 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 Croton in Washington
When can I plant Croton in Washington?
Washington's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 16 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Croton, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Washington 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 Croton grown in across Washington?
Washington spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Croton carries a range of zones 11-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Washington site have?
A typical Washington site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Croton needs 365+ 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 Whatcom, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Croton native to Washington?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Croton as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Washington's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Washington natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Croton in Washington?
Croton prefers pH 5-6.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Washington soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Croton actually grow on my specific land in Washington?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores croton 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 Washington
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores croton against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Washington croton averages can't show:
We read public map data around Washington — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Washington croton average
Explore More
Growing guides for croton
Explore Washington county by county
Washington carries 39 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for croton there:
Where else croton grows
Croton's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Washington in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Washington
Washington has a growing page for 1,038 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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