Conditional — Some Areas
desert zinnia (zones 6-10) reaches only part of Wyoming (3b-6a): zone 6 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Wyoming spans zones 3b-6a, 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 desert zinnia against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Desert Zinnia Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-10
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
Wyoming Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 4 - May 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 30 - Oct 7
- Annual Rainfall: 6-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Alkaline
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-10)
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 Desert Zinnia in Wyoming
The frost window
Across Wyoming, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 140-day window you can count on — up to 156 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
Wyoming runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for desert zinnia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether desert zinnia is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Wyoming; 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
Desert Zinnia likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.6-8.5). That's the common-ground band across Wyoming's sandy loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 7 and 8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Wyoming soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wyoming 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. Wyoming soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Desert Zinnia in Wyoming — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 6-10 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about May 4 - May 13 to Sep 30 - Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Desert Zinnia in Wyoming
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wyoming growers also need to think about:
Extremely short growing season (60-90 frost-free days)
Very low rainfall requires irrigation
Persistent high winds desiccate and damage plants
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Wyoming grower, not just desert zinnia — is covered on the Wyoming growing guide.
Where in Wyoming Desert Zinnia Is Zone-Hardy
Desert Zinnia is rated for USDA zones 6–10. No Wyoming county reaches it. Even Uinta County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 5b, sits below the plant’s zone 6 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 23 counties Wyoming’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Albany County to zone 5b in Uinta County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band desert zinnia needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Desert Zinnia’s zone 6–10 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Desert Zinnia draws honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, desert zinnia can only work that bloom inside Wyoming's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 4 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 30 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Wyoming Cooperative Extension
For Wyoming-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for desert zinnia, the canonical source is University of Wyoming Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Desert Zinnia native to Wyoming?
Desert Zinnia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Wyoming. It can still earn a place in a Wyoming garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Wyoming 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 Desert Zinnia in Wyoming
When can I plant Desert Zinnia in Wyoming?
Wyoming's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Desert Zinnia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Wyoming 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 Desert Zinnia grown in across Wyoming?
Wyoming spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Desert Zinnia carries a range of zones 6-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Wyoming site have?
A typical Wyoming site sees ~151 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Desert Zinnia 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 Desert Zinnia native to Wyoming?
Desert Zinnia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Wyoming. It can still earn a place in a Wyoming garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Desert Zinnia in Wyoming?
Desert Zinnia prefers pH 5.6-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Wyoming soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Desert Zinnia actually grow on my specific land in Wyoming?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores desert zinnia 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 Wyoming
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores desert zinnia against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Wyoming desert zinnia averages can't show:
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Growing guides for desert zinnia
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