Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
ironwood (zones 10-13) does not overlap with Utah's zone range (4a-9a). 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 Utah is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Utah 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 4-9 (Utah). 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.
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 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
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 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 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 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 Utah; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Summit 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 Utah 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 Utah under protection.
Frost-free days
Ironwood wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical Utah site sees ~175 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 190 days short of what it needs. A typical Utah 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 Utah's sandy loam and alkaline clay — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Utah's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for ironwood is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how ironwood performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Utah soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Ironwood in Utah — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 12 - May 6 to Oct 8 - Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Ironwood 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
Growing ironwood here specifically
Ironwood needs pH 6.8–8.6; Utah's dominant loam soils may or may not deliver that, so your parcel's SSURGO map unit is the real test.
Start with a soil test on your own ground and adjust pH and texture to fit ironwood's 6.8–8.6 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Utah grower, not just ironwood — is covered on the Utah growing guide.
Timing shifts within Utah
Utah isn't one climate. In Summit County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 10 — roughly 45 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 Utah county gives it that outdoors: even Washington County, the state’s longest season at 237 frost-free days, falls 128 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
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, which is 190 days short of what ironwood needs — so on a typical Utah 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.
Utah Cooperative Extension
For Utah-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for ironwood, the canonical source is Utah State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Ironwood native to Utah?
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 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 Ironwood in Utah
When can I plant Ironwood 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 Ironwood, 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 Ironwood grown in across Utah?
Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9a (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 Utah site have?
A typical Utah site sees ~175 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 Summit, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Ironwood native to Utah?
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 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 Ironwood in Utah?
Ironwood prefers pH 6.8-8.6 (USDA PLANTS). 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 Ironwood actually grow on my specific land in Utah?
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 Utah
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 Utah ironwood 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 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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