Yes — Strong Match
cup plant (zones 3-9) covers every zone Washington contains (4a-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
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 cup plant against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Cup Plant Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-9
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- 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 3-9)
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 Cup Plant 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 cup plant, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether cup plant 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.
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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Cup Plant likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.1-7.4). 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 6.5 and 7 — 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.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Washington soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cup Plant in Washington — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 3-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 16 - Apr 15 to Oct 24 - Nov 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Cup Plant 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
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Washington grower, not just cup plant — is covered on the Washington growing guide.
Where in Washington Cup Plant Is Zone-Hardy
Cup Plant is rated for USDA zones 3–9. Every one of Washington’s 39 counties sits inside that band — from Ferry County at zone 6a to San Juan County at zone 9a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 39 counties Washington’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Ferry County to zone 9a in San Juan County — 3 USDA zones of spread, which is 30°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Whatcom County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 29, while Island County is clear by Feb 8 — 110 days apart. Set cup plant out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Cup Plant’s zone 3–9 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Where in Washington Fits Best
Even within Washington's zones 4a-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cup plant (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Cup Plant draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cup plant can only work that bloom inside Washington's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 16 - Apr 15) and closing at the first (Oct 24 - Nov 18), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Washington Cooperative Extension
For Washington-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cup plant, the canonical source is WSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cup Plant native to Washington?
Cup Plant is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Washington. It can still earn a place in a Washington garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
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 Cup Plant in Washington
When can I plant Cup Plant 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 Cup Plant, 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 Cup Plant grown in across Washington?
Washington spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cup Plant carries a range of zones 3-9, 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). Cup Plant should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Cup Plant native to Washington?
Cup Plant is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Washington. It can still earn a place in a Washington garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Cup Plant in Washington?
Cup Plant prefers pH 6.1-7.4 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 Cup Plant actually grow on my specific land in Washington?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cup plant 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 cup plant against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Washington cup plant averages can't show:
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