hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), photographi

How to Grow Hoop Pine

Araucaria cunninghamii · Zones 9-11

Hoop Pine is a perennial grown for its fruit. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.

Hoop Pine — the short answer

Hoop Pine: grown in zones 9–11, full sun, pH 4.5–7.5.

USDA zones
9–11
Hardy to zone 9 — Cal Poly SelecTree.
Soil pH
4.5–7.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground Plant Database
Frost-kill temp (growing season)
30.2°F
FAO ECOCROP

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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Score Hoop Pine on your exact land.

Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether hoop pine actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score hoop pine against your land's real conditions.

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What Hoop Pine is

Hoop Pine grows as a perennial.

How to grow Hoop Pine

Hoop Pine grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. Hoop Pine does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.

USDA Zones

9-11

Rated hardy to zone 9 by Cal Poly SelecTree, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: Cal Poly SelecTree (read 2026-10-06).

Soil pH

4.5 - 7.5

FAO ECOCROP

Sun

Full Sun

Growable Ground plant catalog

Drainage

well (dry spells)

Growable Ground plant catalog

Frost Kill Temperature

30.2°F

Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.

FAO ECOCROP

Minimum Growing Temperature

41°F

Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.

FAO ECOCROP

  1. Start the season right

    Plant hoop pine in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.

  2. Match the soil

    Hoop Pine prefers pH 4.5 to 7.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.

  4. Harvest at maturity

    Pick when the fruit is full-colored and parts easily from the stem. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.

Where Hoop Pine thrives

Hoop Pine is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–11 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 9–11 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 9–11·Where Hoop Pine growsOpen map →

This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Where Hoop Pine stands, state by state

Hoop Pine is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

The line runs through

17 states

3 of 17 shown

Hoop Pine’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

Outside zones 9–11

34 states

3 of 34 shown

Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

Good to know

Hoop Pine isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.

Before you harvest hoop pine, know your soil

Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant hoop pine for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.

Your land is one point inside Hoop Pine's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

Free Report

See if Hoop Pine will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether hoop pine actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources analyzed in seconds

How we know this about Hoop Pine

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Hoop Pine in my zone?

Hoop Pine grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 (Rated hardy to zone 9 by Cal Poly SelecTree, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: Cal Poly SelecTree (read 2026-10-06).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Hoop Pine?

Most growers plant hoop pine after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.

How much sun does Hoop Pine need?

Hoop Pine needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Hoop Pine need?

Hoop Pine prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Hoop Pine attract pollinators?

Hoop Pine isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.

Keep exploring Hoop Pine

Hoop Pine by USDA hardiness zone

Hoop Pine state by state

Every state hoop pine's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's hoop pine growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.