Yes — Strong Match
geranium is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and Minnesota's typical season runs ~174 frost-free days against the ~95 geranium needs.
Sow by about Jul 10
Geranium is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 95 days from sowing to finish and a typical Minnesota season runs ~174 frost-free days, leaving 79 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Jul 10 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Oct 13).
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
95 days to maturity against Minnesota’s ~174-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Geranium in Minnesota — the short answer
Geranium in Minnesota: hardy in zones 10–11, part sun, against a state median of ~174 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- Grown as an annual — see the growing season
- Growing season, not a hardiness zone
- Minnesota zones
- 3a-5a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 19 - Apr 30 – Oct 10 - Oct 17
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 137 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 95 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.
Geranium is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Minnesota site runs ~174 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 geranium against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Minnesota is not one climate
A single Minnesota answer averages 87 counties whose growing seasons are 62 days apart — from 137 frost-free days in Lake County to 199 in Ramsey County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what geranium can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 87 counties runs 162–181 days, with a median of 174 days — a 62-day span end to end.
Measured across 87 Minnesota 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.
Zone Comparison
Geranium Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~150 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Minnesota Has
- USDA Zones: 3a-5a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 19 - Apr 30
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 17
- Annual Rainfall: 19-34 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay, Sandy outwash
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
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 Geranium in Minnesota
The frost window
Across Minnesota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and Apr 30, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 163-day window you can count on — up to 181 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when geranium goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 14 weeks ahead, so counting back from Minnesota's late-side last freeze of Apr 30 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 95 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 68 days to spare even in Minnesota's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Lake County, not the statewide average.
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
Days to maturity
Geranium matures in ~95 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Minnesota site has ~174 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Geranium needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1920 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Minnesota'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
Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Minnesota site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Minnesota's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for geranium is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how geranium performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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. Minnesota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Geranium in Minnesota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Minnesota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold (zone 3a: -40F) limits many species
Short growing season (100-140 frost-free days)
Heavy clay soils in the Red River Valley
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Minnesota grower, not just geranium — is covered on the Minnesota growing guide.
Timing shifts within Minnesota
Minnesota isn't one climate. In Lake County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 14 — roughly 23 days later than the recorded state median — so plant geranium to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Geranium needs about 95 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Lake County — Minnesota’s shortest season at 137 frost-free days — clears that by 42 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Minnesota. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Minnesota’s 87 counties the frost-free season runs from 137 days in Lake County to 199 days in Ramsey County — a spread of 62 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Minnesota county sees 174 frost-free days, leaving geranium about 79 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"). Geranium's 95-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Geranium draws honeybees and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, geranium can only work that bloom inside Minnesota's frost window — roughly 174 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 19 - Apr 30) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Geranium
Geranium is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Minnesota this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 10 - Oct 17) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Recommended Geranium Varieties for Minnesota
Minnesota publishes no state variety trial for geranium, so we won't invent a "best for Minnesota" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3a-5a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Minnesota Cooperative Extension
For Minnesota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for geranium, the canonical source is University of Minnesota Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Geranium in Minnesota
When can I plant Geranium in Minnesota?
Minnesota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and Apr 30, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Geranium mature before first frost in Minnesota?
Yes — Geranium matures in 95 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Minnesota's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 163 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 68 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 Geranium grown in across Minnesota?
Minnesota spans USDA hardiness zones 3a-5a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Geranium carries a range of zones 10-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Minnesota site have?
A typical Minnesota site sees ~174 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Geranium 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. In cooler counties like Lake, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Will Geranium actually grow on my specific land in Minnesota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores geranium 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 Minnesota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores geranium against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Minnesota geranium averages can't show:
We read public map data around Minnesota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Minnesota geranium average
Explore More
Growing guides for geranium
Explore Minnesota county by county
Minnesota carries 87 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for geranium there:
Where else geranium grows
Geranium's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Minnesota has a growing page for 752 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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: