Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
gladiolus (communis) (zones 7-10) does not overlap with North Dakota's zone range (3b-4b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Gladiolus Communis is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in North Dakota is zone 5 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a North Dakota winter. To grow it here, grow gladiolus communis in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 7-10 (plant) against 3-5 (North Dakota). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota — the short answer
Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota: hardy in zones 7–10, full sun, against a state median of ~157 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 7-10
- 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
- North Dakota zones
- 3b-4b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 30 - May 6 – Oct 4 - Oct 9
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 141 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.
North Dakota spans zones 3b-4b, 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 gladiolus communis 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.
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North Dakota is not one climate
North Dakota’s winter-low ladder runs across 53 counties, from zone 3.5 in Bottineau County to zone 4.5 in Stutsman County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between gladiolus communis overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 53 counties runs 4–4 zones, with a median of 4 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 53 North Dakota 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 Gladiolus Communis Stands in North Dakota
Gladiolus Communis is rated for zones 7–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. No North Dakota county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about North Dakota winters, not about gladiolus communis.
Below the zone 7 floor
53 counties
- Bottineau County · zone 3b
- Cavalier County · zone 3b
- Divide County · zone 3b
3 of 53 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Gladiolus Communis Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-10
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
North Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-4b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 30 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 4 - Oct 9
- Annual Rainfall: 14-22 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay (Red River Valley), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-10)
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 Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota
The frost window
Across North Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 151-day window you can count on — up to 162 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
North Dakota runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for gladiolus communis, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether gladiolus communis is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within North Dakota; 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Gladiolus Communis likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7). That's the common-ground band across North Dakota's prairie loam and clay (red river valley) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Dakota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Dakota site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
North Dakota's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for gladiolus communis is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how gladiolus communis 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. North Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold (-40F) and short growing season
Persistent wind desiccates plants
Low rainfall in western ND
Growing gladiolus communis here specifically
North Dakota's soils run mostly loam (Mollisols), and whether that suits gladiolus communis's pH 6.0–7.0 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward gladiolus communis's 6.0–7.0 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every North Dakota grower, not just gladiolus communis — is covered on the North Dakota growing guide.
Where in North Dakota Gladiolus Communis Is Zone-Hardy
Gladiolus Communis is rated for USDA zones 7–10. No North Dakota county reaches it. Even Stutsman County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 4b, sits below the plant’s zone 7 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 53 counties North Dakota’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 3b in Bottineau County to zone 4b in Stutsman County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band gladiolus communis needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Gladiolus Communis’s zone 7–10 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Gladiolus Communis draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, gladiolus communis can only work that bloom inside North Dakota's frost window — roughly 157 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 30 - May 6) and closing at the first (Oct 4 - Oct 9), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Gladiolus Communis Varieties for North Dakota
North Dakota publishes no state variety trial for gladiolus communis, so we won't invent a "best for North Dakota" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3b-4b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
North Dakota Cooperative Extension
For North Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for gladiolus communis, the canonical source is NDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Gladiolus Communis native to North Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Gladiolus Communis as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The North Dakota 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 Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota
When can I plant Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota?
North Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Gladiolus Communis, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in North Dakota 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 Gladiolus Communis grown in across North Dakota?
North Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-4b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Gladiolus Communis carries a range of zones 7-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Dakota site have?
A typical North Dakota site sees ~157 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Gladiolus Communis 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 Gladiolus Communis native to North Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Gladiolus Communis as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Gladiolus Communis in North Dakota?
Gladiolus Communis prefers pH 6-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across North Dakota soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Gladiolus Communis actually grow on my specific land in North Dakota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores gladiolus communis 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 North Dakota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores gladiolus communis against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Dakota gladiolus communis averages can't show:
We read public map data around North Dakota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the North Dakota gladiolus communis average
Explore More
Growing guides for gladiolus communis
Explore North Dakota county by county
North Dakota carries 53 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for gladiolus communis there:
Where else gladiolus communis grows
Gladiolus Communis's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to North Dakota 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 North Dakota
North Dakota has a growing page for 745 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
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