Yes — Strong Match
eastern red cedar (zones 3-9) covers every zone West Virginia contains (5b-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia — the short answer
Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia: hardy in zones 3–9, full sun, against a state median of ~204 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-9
- 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
- West Virginia zones
- 5b-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 4 - Apr 15 – Oct 26 - Nov 5
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 170 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
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.
West Virginia spans zones 5b-7a, 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.
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West Virginia is not one climate
West Virginia’s winter-low ladder runs across 55 counties, from zone 6 in Hardy County to zone 7 in Wyoming County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between eastern red cedar overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 55 counties runs 6.5–7 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 55 West Virginia counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. 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 West Virginia Fits Best
Even within West Virginia's zones 5b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for eastern red cedar (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Eastern Red Cedar Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-9
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 45 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
West Virginia Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 4 - Apr 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 26 - Nov 5
- Annual Rainfall: 38-56 inches
- Common Soils: Shale-derived, Sandy loam, Clay loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-9)
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 Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia
The frost window
Across West Virginia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 26 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 194-day window you can count on — up to 215 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
West Virginia runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for eastern red cedar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether eastern red cedar is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within West Virginia; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 eastern red cedar survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Chill hours
Eastern Red Cedar requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). West Virginia typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Eastern Red Cedar tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.7-8) — 3.3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in West Virginia. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant.
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. West Virginia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but West Virginia growers also need to think about:
Steep terrain limits usable growing area
Thin acidic soils over shale bedrock
Short mountain valley growing seasons
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every West Virginia grower, not just eastern red cedar — is covered on the West Virginia growing guide.
Where in West Virginia Eastern Red Cedar Is Zone-Hardy
Eastern Red Cedar is rated for USDA zones 3–9. Every one of West Virginia’s 55 counties sits inside that band — from Hardy County at zone 6a to Wyoming County at zone 7a — 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 55 counties West Virginia’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Hardy County to zone 7a in Wyoming County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°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. Pocahontas County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 30, while Logan County is clear by Mar 26 — 35 days apart. Set eastern red cedar 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". Eastern Red Cedar’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.
West Virginia Cooperative Extension
For West Virginia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for eastern red cedar, the canonical source is WVU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Eastern Red Cedar native to West Virginia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Eastern Red Cedar as native to West Virginia. 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 West Virginia
When can I plant Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia?
West Virginia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 26 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Eastern Red Cedar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in West Virginia 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 Eastern Red Cedar grown in across West Virginia?
West Virginia spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (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 West Virginia site have?
A typical West Virginia site sees ~204 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Eastern Red Cedar 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 Eastern Red Cedar native to West Virginia?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Eastern Red Cedar as native to West Virginia. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Eastern Red Cedar in West Virginia?
Eastern Red Cedar tolerates pH 4.7-8 (USDA PLANTS). That is a 3.3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a West Virginia site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Eastern Red Cedar actually grow on my specific land in West Virginia?
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 West Virginia
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 lot that West Virginia eastern red cedar averages can't show:
We read public map data around West Virginia — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the West Virginia eastern red cedar average
Explore More
Growing guides for eastern red cedar
Explore West Virginia county by county
West Virginia carries 55 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for eastern red cedar there:
Where else eastern red cedar grows
Eastern Red Cedar's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to West Virginia in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in West Virginia
West Virginia has a growing page for 893 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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