Generally — Most Areas
eastern red cedar (zones 3-9) partially overlaps with Georgia (6b-9a). It can grow in zones 6-9 within the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Georgia spans zones 6b-9a, 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 eastern red cedar 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Eastern Red Cedar Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-9
- Soil pH: 4.7 - 8
- Sun: Full Sun
- Frost-Free Days: 0+
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-9a
- Last Frost: Mar 1 - Apr 15
- First Frost: Oct 15 - Nov 30
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-9)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / plant_species_v5.csv. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Eastern Red Cedar in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring frost clears between Mar 1 and Apr 15, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 15 and Nov 30 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last frost to the earliest first frost, that's a 183-day window you can count on — up to 274 days on a mild site in a kind year.
Frost hardiness
Eastern Red Cedar is cold-hardy to -43°F (USDA PLANTS Database), so you can plant on the early side of Georgia's window — even a few weeks before the final frost date.
Establishment timing
As a long-lived plant, eastern red cedar isn't racing the calendar to a harvest date. Plant it in spring once the last-frost window passes so roots settle in through the full season, or in early fall while the soil still holds summer warmth.
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
Zone compatibility says you can survive winter here. Whether the growing season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Eastern Red Cedar wants 0+ frost-free days; a typical Georgia site sees ~220 (NOAA Climate Normals). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Chill hours
Eastern Red Cedar requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Georgia typically banks ~600 chill hours per winter, short of this plant's requirement — fruit set may suffer in mild years without a low-chill cultivar.
Climate aggregates derive from USDA NRCS county-level hardiness data + Cornell CALS Extension GDD-by-region tables + MSU Extension chill-hours-by-zone (1991-2020 NOAA Climate Normals baseline).
Soil + Drainage Fit
Eastern Red Cedar likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.7-8). That's the common-ground band across Georgia's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal plain) — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Eastern Red Cedar in Georgia — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 3-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6b-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: Mar 1 - Apr 15 to Oct 15 - Nov 30 (NOAA Climate Normals)
What Else to Consider
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
Compost and patience open red clay up — or a raised bed gets you growing today while the ground improves underneath.
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Morning watering at the base, generous spacing, and resistant varieties — the humid-South disease playbook, straight from your extension.
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Bait mounds early in the season and keep bed edges mulched — your extension office runs the current two-step control program.
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
Run cool-season crops in the fall-through-spring windows and let summer belong to the heat-lovers.
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for eastern red cedar, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Eastern Red Cedar native to Georgia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Eastern Red Cedar as native to Georgia. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Eastern Red Cedar in Georgia
When can I plant Eastern Red Cedar in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring frost clears between Mar 1 and Apr 15, and the first fall frost lands between Oct 15 and Nov 30 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Eastern Red Cedar is a long-lived planting, so target spring just after your local last frost — or early fall while the soil holds warmth — and let it establish through the season.
What hardiness zone is Eastern Red Cedar grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Eastern Red Cedar 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 Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~220 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Eastern Red Cedar needs 0+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Eastern Red Cedar native to Georgia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Eastern Red Cedar as native to Georgia. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Eastern Red Cedar in Georgia?
Eastern Red Cedar prefers pH 4.7-8 (USDA PLANTS Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Georgia soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Eastern Red Cedar actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores eastern red cedar 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores eastern red cedar against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds