Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
green leaf desmodium (zones 10-11) does not overlap with South Carolina's zone range (7a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Green Leaf Desmodium is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in South Carolina is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a South Carolina winter. To grow it here, grow green leaf desmodium in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.
A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-11 (plant) against 7-9 (South Carolina). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina — the short answer
Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina: hardy in zones 10–11, full sun, against a state median of ~265 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-11
- 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
- South Carolina zones
- 7a-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 27 - Mar 12 – Nov 23 - Dec 1
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 237 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.
South Carolina spans zones 7a-9b, 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 green leaf desmodium 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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South Carolina is not one climate
South Carolina’s winter-low ladder runs across 46 counties, from zone 8 in Abbeville County to zone 9 in Jasper County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between green leaf desmodium overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 46 counties runs 8–8.5 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 46 South Carolina 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 Green Leaf Desmodium Stands in South Carolina
Green Leaf Desmodium is rated for zones 10–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No South Carolina 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 South Carolina winters, not about green leaf desmodium.
Below the zone 10 floor
46 counties
- Abbeville County · zone 8a
- Cherokee County · zone 8a
- Chester County · zone 8a
3 of 46 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
Green Leaf Desmodium Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Frost-Free Days: 240+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
South Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 27 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 23 - Dec 1
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
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 Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina
The frost window
Across South Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 256-day window you can count on — up to 277 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
South Carolina runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for green leaf desmodium, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether green leaf desmodium is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within South Carolina; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Chester 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
The zone check says green leaf desmodium does not survive a South Carolina 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 South Carolina under protection.
Frost-free days
Green Leaf Desmodium wants 240+ frost-free days; a typical South Carolina site sees ~265 (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
Green Leaf Desmodium tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-7.5) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in South Carolina. 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 South Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Carolina 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 21.6% of South Carolina as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Green Leaf Desmodium 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. South Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay requires amendment for drainage
High heat and humidity promote diseases
Hurricane risk along the coast
Growing green leaf desmodium here specifically
Green Leaf Desmodium rates to USDA zones 10–11 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 30°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in South Carolina — wet is: with roughly 21.6% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give green leaf desmodium a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Carolina grower, not just green leaf desmodium — is covered on the South Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Carolina
South Carolina isn't one climate. In Chester County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 22 — roughly 14 days later than the recorded state median — so plant green leaf desmodium to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Green Leaf Desmodium needs about 240 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 44 of South Carolina’s 46 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Laurens County at 240 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across South Carolina’s 46 counties the frost-free season runs from 237 days in Chester County to 320 days in Charleston County — a spread of 83 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median South Carolina county sees 265 frost-free days, leaving green leaf desmodium about 25 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"). Green Leaf Desmodium's 240-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
Green Leaf Desmodium 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, green leaf desmodium can only work that bloom inside South Carolina's frost window — roughly 265 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 27 - Mar 12) and closing at the first (Nov 23 - Dec 1), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
South Carolina Cooperative Extension
For South Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for green leaf desmodium, the canonical source is Clemson Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Green Leaf Desmodium native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Green Leaf Desmodium as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Carolina 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 Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina
When can I plant Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina?
South Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 27 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 23 and Dec 1 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Green Leaf Desmodium, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in South Carolina 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 Green Leaf Desmodium grown in across South Carolina?
South Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Green Leaf Desmodium 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 South Carolina site have?
A typical South Carolina site sees ~265 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Green Leaf Desmodium needs 240+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Chester, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Green Leaf Desmodium native to South Carolina?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Green Leaf Desmodium as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Carolina's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Carolina natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Green Leaf Desmodium in South Carolina?
Green Leaf Desmodium tolerates pH 4.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a South Carolina site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Green Leaf Desmodium actually grow on my specific land in South Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores green leaf desmodium 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 South Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores green leaf desmodium against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that South Carolina green leaf desmodium averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Carolina green leaf desmodium average
Explore More
Growing guides for green leaf desmodium
Explore South Carolina county by county
South Carolina carries 46 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for green leaf desmodium there:
Where else green leaf desmodium grows
Green Leaf Desmodium's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to South Carolina 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 South Carolina
South Carolina has a growing page for 1,034 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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