Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
ironwood (zones 10-13) does not overlap with Georgia's zone range (7a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Ironwood is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Georgia is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Georgia winter. To grow it here, grow ironwood in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 10-13 (plant) against 7-9 (Georgia). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Georgia 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 ironwood against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Ironwood Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-13
- Frost-Free Days: 365+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Drought tolerance: High
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-13)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Ironwood in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 259-day window you can count on — up to 290 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
Georgia runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for ironwood, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether ironwood is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Georgia; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Towns County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. 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 ironwood does not survive a Georgia 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 Georgia under protection.
Frost-free days
Ironwood wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical Georgia site sees ~275 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 90 days short of what it needs. A typical Georgia season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
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
Ironwood likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.8-8.6). That's the common-ground band across Georgia's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal plain) — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Georgia soil pH runs about 5.2–5.5, and that sits below ironwood's tolerated 6.8–8.6, so the typical Georgia parcel needs lime before it will perform. SSURGO maps it swinging by full points parcel to parcel, so your map unit, not the state number, decides whether ironwood needs lime or sulfur.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Ironwood in Georgia — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 17 - Mar 10 to Nov 24 - Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Ironwood in Georgia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
Growing ironwood here specifically
Ironwood wants soil pH 6.8–8.6, but Georgia's soils run acidic (SSURGO maps a dominant pH near 5.3) — below its range, nutrients lock up and growth stalls.
Test your soil and lime to raise pH into ironwood's 6.8–8.6 range before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Georgia grower, not just ironwood — is covered on the Georgia growing guide.
Timing shifts within Georgia
Georgia isn't one climate. In Towns County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 7 — roughly 39 days later than the recorded state median — so plant ironwood to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Ironwood needs about 365 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Georgia county gives it that outdoors: even Colquitt County, the state’s longest season at 305 frost-free days, falls 60 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
Across Georgia’s 159 counties the frost-free season runs from 204 days in Towns County to 305 days in Colquitt County — a spread of 101 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Georgia county sees 275 frost-free days, which is 90 days short of what ironwood needs — so on a typical Georgia parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.
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"). Ironwood's 365-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for ironwood, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Ironwood native to Georgia?
Ironwood is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Georgia. It can still earn a place in a Georgia garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Georgia 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 Ironwood in Georgia
When can I plant Ironwood in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Ironwood, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Georgia 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 Ironwood grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Ironwood carries a range of zones 10-13, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~275 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Ironwood needs 365+ 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 Towns, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Ironwood native to Georgia?
Ironwood is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Georgia. It can still earn a place in a Georgia garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Ironwood in Georgia?
Ironwood prefers pH 6.8-8.6 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Georgia soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Ironwood actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores ironwood 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores ironwood against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Georgia ironwood averages can't show:
We read public map data around Georgia — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Georgia ironwood average
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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