Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
jicama (zones 9-12) does not overlap with Arkansas's zone range (6b-8b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Jicama is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in Arkansas is zone 8 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Arkansas winter. To grow it here, grow jicama 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 9-12 (plant) against 6-8 (Arkansas). 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.
Arkansas spans zones 6b-8b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score jicama against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Jicama Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-12
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 15 ft tall
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Arkansas Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-8b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 2 - Mar 20
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 15 - Nov 23
- Annual Rainfall: 44-56 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Sandy loam, Red clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-12)
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 Jicama in Arkansas
The frost window
Across Arkansas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 2 and Mar 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 240-day window you can count on — up to 266 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.
Frost tenderness
Jicama is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when jicama goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Arkansas's late-side last freeze of Mar 20 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 150 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 90 days to spare even in Arkansas's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Carroll 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 jicama does not survive a Arkansas 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 Arkansas under protection.
Days to maturity
Jicama matures in ~150 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Arkansas site has ~254 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Jicama needs ~3500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4819 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Arkansas's typical season clears that easily.
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
Jicama tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-8) — 3.7 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Arkansas. 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 6.5 and 8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Arkansas soil test result is a problem or just a number.
Your land, not the state average
Whether jicama is safe to eat from Arkansas soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 21,012 documented contamination sites mean levels spike on some parcels and not the one next door. Jicama roots to about 59 inches, so it is the top 59 inches under your address that decide what it takes up, so only a test on your address settles it.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO + EPA/state contamination databases.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Arkansas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Jicama in Arkansas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 9-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6b-8b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 2 - Mar 20 to Nov 15 - Nov 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 150 days
What Else to Consider for Jicama in Arkansas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Arkansas growers also need to think about:
Hot, humid summers drive fungal and bacterial diseases
Heavy clay soils in parts of the Ozarks
Severe spring storms and hail risk
Growing jicama here specifically
Because you eat the root of jicama that sit in the soil, contamination matters more than for most crops — Arkansas has 21,012 documented sites, and lead concentrates block by block, not town-wide.
Test your soil for lead first, and raise jicama in clean imported soil if the reading is high. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Arkansas grower, not just jicama — is covered on the Arkansas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Arkansas
Arkansas isn't one climate. In Carroll County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 26 — roughly 16 days later than the recorded state median — so plant jicama to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Jicama needs about 150 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Benton County — Arkansas’s shortest season at 226 frost-free days — clears that by 76 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Arkansas. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Jicama's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Jicama draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, jicama can only work that bloom inside Arkansas's frost window — roughly 254 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 2 - Mar 20) and closing at the first (Nov 15 - Nov 23), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Arkansas Cooperative Extension
For Arkansas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for jicama, the canonical source is University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Jicama native to Arkansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Arkansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Arkansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Arkansas 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 Jicama in Arkansas
When can I plant Jicama in Arkansas?
Arkansas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 2 and Mar 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 23 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Jicama is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Jicama mature before first frost in Arkansas?
Yes — Jicama matures in 150 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Arkansas's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 240 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 90 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Jicama grown in across Arkansas?
Arkansas spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-8b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Jicama carries a range of zones 9-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Arkansas site have?
A typical Arkansas site sees ~254 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Jicama should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Carroll, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Jicama native to Arkansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Arkansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Arkansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Jicama in Arkansas?
Jicama tolerates pH 4.3-8 (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Arkansas site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Jicama actually grow on my specific land in Arkansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores jicama 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 Arkansas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores jicama against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Arkansas jicama averages can't show:
We read public map data around Arkansas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Arkansas jicama average
Explore More
Growing guides for jicama
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
Last updated: