Yes — Strong Match
good king henry is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and New York's typical season runs ~185 frost-free days against the ~60 good king henry needs.
Sow by about Aug 24
Good King Henry is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 60 days from sowing to finish and a typical New York season runs ~185 frost-free days, leaving 125 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Aug 24 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Oct 23), or to run a second succession.
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
60 days to maturity against New York’s ~185-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Good King Henry in New York — the short answer
Good King Henry in New York: full sun, against a state median of ~185 frost-free days.
- New York zones
- 4a-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 13 - Apr 29 – Oct 18 - Nov 5
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 136 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 60 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.
Good King Henry is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical New York site runs ~185 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 good king henry 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.
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New York is not one climate
A single New York answer averages 62 counties whose growing seasons are 122 days apart — from 136 frost-free days in Hamilton County to 258 in New York County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what good king henry can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 62 counties runs 173–204 days, with a median of 184 days — a 122-day span end to end.
Measured across 62 New York 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
Good King Henry Needs
- USDA Zones: Data pending
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
New York Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 13 - Apr 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 18 - Nov 5
- Annual Rainfall: 30-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Silt loam, Clay loam
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 Good King Henry in New York
The frost window
Across New York, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 206 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 hardiness
Good King Henry takes cold down to about -30°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP), so you can plant on the early side of New York's window — even a few weeks before the final hard freeze. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when good king henry goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from New York's late-side last freeze of Apr 29 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 60 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 112 days to spare even in New York's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Hamilton 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
Good King Henry matures in ~60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical New York site has ~185 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Good King Henry needs ~700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2042 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so New York'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
Good King Henry likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-8). That's the common-ground band across New York's glacial till and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a New York soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your New York 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 22.3% of New York as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Good King Henry 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 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. New York soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant good king henry for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before good king henry goes in. What follows is New York’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across New York — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across New York — 75,562 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 738 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
New York carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across New York
Severity Distribution
across New York
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around New York, CAFO runs higher than the national average — 1,029 sites across New York. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Good King Henry in New York
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New York growers also need to think about:
Short upstate growing season (100-140 frost-free days in Adirondacks)
Heavy clay soils in western NY require drainage improvement
Late spring frosts through May in higher elevations
Deer browse pressure is heavy in suburban and rural areas
Growing good king henry here specifically
Good King Henry likes pH 5.5–8.0 and its growing tissue burns around -30°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 22.3% of New York poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set good king henry high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New York grower, not just good king henry — is covered on the New York growing guide.
Timing shifts within New York
New York isn't one climate. In Hamilton County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 19 — roughly 27 days later than the recorded state median — so plant good king henry to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Good King Henry needs about 60 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Hamilton County — New York’s shortest season at 136 frost-free days — clears that by 76 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in New York. What varies is your own parcel.
Across New York’s 62 counties the frost-free season runs from 136 days in Hamilton County to 258 days in New York County — a spread of 122 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median New York county sees 185 frost-free days, leaving good king henry about 125 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"). Good King Henry's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Good to Know Before You Plant Good King Henry
Good King Henry is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (leaves) 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 New York this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 18 - Nov 5) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Recommended Good King Henry Varieties for New York
New York publishes no state variety trial for good king henry, so we won't invent a "best for New York" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4a-7b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
New York Cooperative Extension
For New York-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for good king henry, the canonical source is Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Good King Henry native to New York?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Good King Henry as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The New York 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 Good King Henry in New York
When can I plant Good King Henry in New York?
New York's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Good King Henry takes cold to about -30°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor), so plant on the early side of that window — even ahead of the final hard freeze.
Can Good King Henry mature before first frost in New York?
Yes — Good King Henry matures in 60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and New York's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 172 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 112 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 Good King Henry grown in across New York?
New York spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Good King Henry carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical New York site have?
A typical New York site sees ~185 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Good King Henry 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 Hamilton, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Good King Henry native to New York?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Good King Henry as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Good King Henry in New York?
Good King Henry prefers pH 5.5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across New York soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Good King Henry actually grow on my specific land in New York?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores good king henry 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 New York
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores good king henry against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New York good king henry averages can't show:
We read public map data around New York — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the New York good king henry average
Explore More
Growing guides for good king henry
Explore New York county by county
New York carries 62 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for good king henry there:
Where else good king henry grows
Good King Henry's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to New York 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 New York
New York has a growing page for 893 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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