Yes — Strong Match
hazelnut (zones 4-9) covers every zone Utah contains (4a-9a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Hazelnut in Utah — the short answer
Hazelnut in Utah: hardy in zones 4–9, full sun, against a state median of ~175 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 4-9
- 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
- Utah zones
- 4a-9a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 12 - May 6 – Oct 8 - Oct 27
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 98 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 1460 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.
Utah spans zones 4a-9a, 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 hazelnut against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Utah is not one climate
Utah’s winter-low ladder runs across 29 counties, from zone 4.5 in Rich County to zone 7.5 in Washington County. That is 30°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between hazelnut overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 29 counties runs 6–7 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 3-zone span end to end.
Measured across 29 Utah 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 Utah Fits Best
Even within Utah's zones 4a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for hazelnut (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Hazelnut Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-9
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 10 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Utah Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 8 - Oct 27
- Annual Rainfall: 5-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Alkaline clay, Desert sand
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-9)
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 Hazelnut in Utah
The frost window
Across Utah, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 155-day window you can count on — up to 198 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
Utah runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for hazelnut, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether hazelnut is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Utah; 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says hazelnut survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Hazelnut wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Utah site sees ~175 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Growing degree days
Hazelnut needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2690 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Utah's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Hazelnut requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Utah typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Hazelnut likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Utah's sandy loam and alkaline clay — 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 Utah soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Utah 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. Utah soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant hazelnut 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 hazelnut goes in. What follows is Utah’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 Utah — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Utah — 17,478 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 202 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Utah 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.
Severity Distribution
across Utah
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Utah, Mining runs higher than the national average — 3,654 sites across Utah. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Hazelnut in Utah
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Utah growers also need to think about:
Very low rainfall — irrigation essential
Alkaline soils (pH 7.5-8.5) limit many species
High altitude frost risk in mountain valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Utah grower, not just hazelnut — is covered on the Utah growing guide.
Timing shifts within Utah
Hazelnut needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 23 of Utah’s 29 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Morgan County at 151 frost-free days — 1 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Utah’s 29 counties the frost-free season runs from 98 days in Summit County to 237 days in Washington County — a spread of 139 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Utah county sees 175 frost-free days, leaving hazelnut 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"). Hazelnut's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Utah Cooperative Extension
For Utah-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for hazelnut, the canonical source is Utah State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Hazelnut native to Utah?
Hazelnut is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Utah. It can still earn a place in a Utah garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Utah 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 Hazelnut in Utah
When can I plant Hazelnut in Utah?
Utah's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Hazelnut, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Utah 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 Hazelnut grown in across Utah?
Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Hazelnut carries a range of zones 4-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Utah site have?
A typical Utah site sees ~175 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Hazelnut needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Hazelnut native to Utah?
Hazelnut is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Utah. It can still earn a place in a Utah garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Hazelnut in Utah?
Hazelnut prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Utah soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Hazelnut actually grow on my specific land in Utah?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores hazelnut 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 Utah
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores hazelnut against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Utah hazelnut averages can't show:
We read public map data around Utah — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Utah hazelnut average
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Growing guides for hazelnut
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