Generally — Most Areas
goatsbeard (zones 4-7) suits most of Tennessee (6a-8a) — zones 6-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Goatsbeard in Tennessee — the short answer
Goatsbeard in Tennessee: hardy in zones 4–7, part sun, against a state median of ~230 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 4-7
- 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
- Tennessee zones
- 6a-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 21 - Mar 29 – Nov 5 - Nov 12
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 193 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.
Tennessee spans zones 6a-8a, 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 goatsbeard against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Tennessee is not one climate
Tennessee’s winter-low ladder runs across 95 counties, from zone 7 in Carter County to zone 8 in Tipton County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between goatsbeard overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 95 counties runs 7.5–7.5 zones, with a median of 7.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 95 Tennessee 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 Tennessee Fits Best
Goatsbeard is rated for zones 4–7 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Against Tennessee’s 95 counties that band holds in 21 of them, and the line runs at Carter County (zone 7a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 4–7
21 counties
- Cheatham County · zone 7a
- Claiborne County · zone 7a
- Clay County · zone 7a
3 of 21 shown
Above the zone 7 ceiling
74 counties
- Anderson County · zone 7b
- Bedford County · zone 7b
- Benton County · zone 7b
3 of 74 shown
Too little winter chill rather than too much cold — a low-chill selection is what changes it.
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.
Even within Tennessee's zones 6a-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for goatsbeard (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Goatsbeard Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-7
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Tennessee Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 21 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 5 - Nov 12
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-7)
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 Goatsbeard in Tennessee
The frost window
Across Tennessee, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 21 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 221-day window you can count on — up to 236 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
Tennessee runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for goatsbeard, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether goatsbeard is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Tennessee; 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
Goatsbeard likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Tennessee's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Tennessee soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Tennessee site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Tennessee soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Goatsbeard in Tennessee
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Tennessee growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in the Nashville Basin
High humidity promotes disease in summer
Variable spring weather with late frost risk
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Tennessee grower, not just goatsbeard — is covered on the Tennessee growing guide.
Where in Tennessee Goatsbeard Is Zone-Hardy
Goatsbeard is rated for USDA zones 4–7. 21 of Tennessee’s 95 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Carter County at zone 7a. 74 counties sit above its zone 7 ceiling, where the limit is too little winter chill rather than too much cold. Where you are in Tennessee decides this one.
Across those 95 counties Tennessee’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 7a in Carter County to zone 8a in Tipton 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. Johnson County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 14, while Shelby County is clear by Mar 4 — 41 days apart. Set goatsbeard 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". Goatsbeard’s zone 4–7 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
Goatsbeard draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, goatsbeard can only work that bloom inside Tennessee's frost window — roughly 230 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 21 - Mar 29) and closing at the first (Nov 5 - Nov 12), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Tennessee Cooperative Extension
For Tennessee-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for goatsbeard, the canonical source is UT Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Goatsbeard native to Tennessee?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Goatsbeard as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Tennessee's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Tennessee natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Tennessee 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 Goatsbeard in Tennessee
When can I plant Goatsbeard in Tennessee?
Tennessee's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 21 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Goatsbeard, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Tennessee 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 Goatsbeard grown in across Tennessee?
Tennessee spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Goatsbeard carries a range of zones 4-7, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Tennessee site have?
A typical Tennessee site sees ~230 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Goatsbeard 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 Goatsbeard native to Tennessee?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Goatsbeard as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Tennessee's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Tennessee natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Goatsbeard in Tennessee?
Goatsbeard prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Tennessee soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Goatsbeard actually grow on my specific land in Tennessee?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores goatsbeard 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 Tennessee
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores goatsbeard against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Tennessee goatsbeard averages can't show:
We read public map data around Tennessee — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Tennessee goatsbeard average
Explore More
Growing guides for goatsbeard
Explore Tennessee county by county
Tennessee carries 95 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for goatsbeard there:
Where else goatsbeard grows
Goatsbeard's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Tennessee has a growing page for 1,020 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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