Yes — Strong Match
dill (zones 2-11) covers every zone Michigan contains (4a-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Dill in Michigan — the short answer
Dill in Michigan: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~186 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- 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
- Michigan zones
- 4a-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 19 - May 8 – Oct 12 - Oct 31
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 126 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 50 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Dill is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Michigan site runs ~186 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 dill against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Michigan is not one climate
A single Michigan answer averages 83 counties whose growing seasons are 97 days apart — from 126 frost-free days in Iron County to 223 in Berrien County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what dill can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 83 counties runs 159–191 days, with a median of 186 days — a 97-day span end to end.
Measured across 83 Michigan counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 in Michigan Fits Best
Even within Michigan's zones 4a-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for dill (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Dill Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 100+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Michigan Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 19 - May 8
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 12 - Oct 31
- Annual Rainfall: 28-38 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay loam, Muck
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Dill in Michigan
The frost window
Across Michigan, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 157-day window you can count on — up to 195 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
Dill is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — 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. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Dill is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Michigan's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 50 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 107 days to spare even in Michigan's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 dill survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Dill wants 100+ frost-free days; a typical Michigan site sees ~186 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Dill needs ~800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1976 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Michigan's typical season clears that easily.
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
Dill tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Michigan. 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 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Michigan soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Michigan site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Michigan soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant dill for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before dill goes in. What follows is Michigan’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Michigan — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Michigan — 60,035 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 711 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Michigan carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Michigan
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
- •On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Dill in Michigan
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Michigan growers also need to think about:
Lake effect weather creates highly localized microclimates
Short northern season (100-120 frost-free days in UP)
Sandy soils in western MI drain too quickly
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Michigan grower, not just dill — is covered on the Michigan growing guide.
Timing shifts within Michigan
Dill needs about 100 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Iron County — Michigan’s shortest season at 126 frost-free days — clears that by 26 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Michigan. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Michigan’s 83 counties the frost-free season runs from 126 days in Iron County to 223 days in Berrien County — a spread of 97 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Michigan county sees 186 frost-free days, leaving dill about 86 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"). Dill's 100-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
Dill 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, dill can only work that bloom inside Michigan's frost window — roughly 186 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 19 - May 8) and closing at the first (Oct 12 - Oct 31), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Deer pressure is meaningful across much of Michigan; dill is listed as deer-resistant (USDA PLANTS Database), which makes it a safer pick for unfenced sites. Our deer & wildlife guide carries the full deer-resistant list and how to protect the rest.
Michigan Cooperative Extension
For Michigan-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for dill, the canonical source is MSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Dill native to Michigan?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Dill as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Michigan's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Michigan natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Michigan 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 Dill in Michigan
When can I plant Dill in Michigan?
Michigan's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Dill is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Dill mature before first frost in Michigan?
Yes — Dill matures in 50 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Michigan's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 157 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 107 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 Dill grown in across Michigan?
Michigan spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Dill carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Michigan site have?
A typical Michigan site sees ~186 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Dill needs 100+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Dill native to Michigan?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Dill as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Michigan's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Michigan natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Dill in Michigan?
Dill tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Michigan site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Dill actually grow on my specific land in Michigan?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores dill 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 Michigan
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores dill against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Michigan dill averages can't show:
We read public map data around Michigan — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Michigan dill average
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