Generally — Most Areas
cumin (zones 5-10) suits most of Wisconsin (3b-6a) — zones 5-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Cumin is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Wisconsin site runs ~173 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 cumin against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Cumin Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-10
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Wisconsin Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 17 - May 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 28-34 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Sandy outwash
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-10)
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 Cumin in Wisconsin
The frost window
Across Wisconsin, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 17 and May 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 160-day window you can count on — up to 187 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
Cumin is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 48.2°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 cumin goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Wisconsin's late-side last freeze of May 2 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 120 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 40 days to spare even in Wisconsin'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 cumin survives winter in part of Wisconsin, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Cumin wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Wisconsin site sees ~173 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Cumin needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2102 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Wisconsin sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
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
Cumin tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.3) — 3.8 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Wisconsin. 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 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Wisconsin soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wisconsin 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. Wisconsin soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cumin in Wisconsin — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-10 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 17 - May 2 to Oct 9 - Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 120 days
What Else to Consider for Cumin in Wisconsin
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wisconsin growers also need to think about:
Cold winters (-30F in northern WI)
Short growing season (110-140 frost-free days)
Sandy central soils drain too quickly
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Wisconsin grower, not just cumin — is covered on the Wisconsin growing guide.
Timing shifts within Wisconsin
Cumin needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Florence County — Wisconsin’s shortest season at 140 frost-free days — clears that by 80 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Wisconsin. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Wisconsin’s 72 counties the frost-free season runs from 140 days in Florence County to 217 days in Milwaukee County — a spread of 77 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Wisconsin county sees 173 frost-free days, leaving cumin about 113 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"). Cumin's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Wisconsin Fits Best
Even within Wisconsin's zones 3b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cumin (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Cumin draws honeybees and native bees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cumin can only work that bloom inside Wisconsin's frost window — roughly 173 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 17 - May 2) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Wisconsin Cooperative Extension
For Wisconsin-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cumin, the canonical source is UW–Madison Division of Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cumin native to Wisconsin?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cumin as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wisconsin's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wisconsin natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Wisconsin 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 Cumin in Wisconsin
When can I plant Cumin in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 17 and May 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cumin is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 48.2°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 Cumin mature before first frost in Wisconsin?
Yes — Cumin matures in 120 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Wisconsin's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 160 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 40 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 Cumin grown in across Wisconsin?
Wisconsin spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cumin carries a range of zones 5-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Wisconsin site have?
A typical Wisconsin site sees ~173 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cumin needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Cumin native to Wisconsin?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cumin as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wisconsin's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wisconsin natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Cumin in Wisconsin?
Cumin tolerates pH 4.5-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.8-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Wisconsin site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Cumin actually grow on my specific land in Wisconsin?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cumin 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 Wisconsin
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cumin against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Wisconsin cumin averages can't show:
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