Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
fancy yam (zones 10-12) does not overlap with Delaware's zone range (7a-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Fancy Yam is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Delaware is zone 8 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Delaware winter. To grow it here, grow fancy yam under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-12 (plant) against 7-8 (Delaware). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Delaware spans zones 7a-8a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score fancy yam against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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
Fancy Yam Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Frost-Free Days: 200+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
Delaware Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 23 - Mar 23
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 17 - Nov 19
- Annual Rainfall: 42-48 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Silt loam, Tidal marsh
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
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 Fancy Yam in Delaware
The frost window
Across Delaware, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 239-day window you can count on — up to 241 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
Fancy Yam is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 62.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — 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.
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
The zone check says fancy yam does not survive a Delaware winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Delaware under protection.
Frost-free days
Fancy Yam wants 200+ frost-free days; a typical Delaware site sees ~241 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
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
Fancy Yam tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.5) — 4 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Delaware. 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 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Delaware soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Delaware site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 19.8% of Delaware as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Fancy Yam sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Delaware soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Fancy Yam in Delaware — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 23 - Mar 23 to Nov 17 - Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Fancy Yam in Delaware
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Delaware growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils in southern DE drain too quickly
Salt spray damage near the coast
Rising water tables in low-lying areas
Growing fancy yam here specifically
Fancy Yam rates to USDA zones 10–12 and is hardy to about 62°F, but cold isn't the risk in Delaware — wet is: with roughly 19.8% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the roots.
Give fancy yam a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its roots never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Delaware grower, not just fancy yam — is covered on the Delaware growing guide.
Timing shifts within Delaware
Fancy Yam needs about 200 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Sussex County — Delaware’s shortest season at 238 frost-free days — clears that by 38 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Delaware. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Fancy Yam's 200-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
Fancy Yam draws native bees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, fancy yam can only work that bloom inside Delaware's frost window — roughly 241 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 23 - Mar 23) and closing at the first (Nov 17 - Nov 19), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Fancy Yam
Fancy Yam is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level (Cornell). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Delaware this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Nov 17 - Nov 19) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Delaware Cooperative Extension
For Delaware-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for fancy yam, the canonical source is University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Fancy Yam in Delaware
When can I plant Fancy Yam in Delaware?
Delaware's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Fancy Yam is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 62.6°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
What hardiness zone is Fancy Yam grown in across Delaware?
Delaware spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Fancy Yam carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Delaware site have?
A typical Delaware site sees ~241 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Fancy Yam needs 200+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Fancy Yam in Delaware?
Fancy Yam tolerates pH 4.5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Delaware site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Fancy Yam actually grow on my specific land in Delaware?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores fancy yam 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 Delaware
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores fancy yam against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Delaware fancy yam averages can't show:
We read public map data around Delaware — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Delaware fancy yam average
Explore More
Growing guides for fancy yam
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Last updated: