Conditional — Some Areas
jicama (zones 9-12) reaches only part of New Mexico (5a-9a): zone 9 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
New Mexico spans zones 5a-9a, 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.
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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
New Mexico Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 31 - Apr 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 22 - Nov 9
- Annual Rainfall: 8-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Caliche, Adobe 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 New Mexico
The frost window
Across New Mexico, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 22 and Nov 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 186-day window you can count on — up to 223 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 New Mexico's late-side last freeze of Apr 19 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 36 days to spare even in New Mexico's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 survives winter in part of New Mexico, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
Jicama matures in ~150 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical New Mexico site has ~209 frost-free days, so one full crop fits, with little room for replant.
Growing degree days
Jicama needs ~3500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2899 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so New Mexico's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
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 New Mexico. 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 New Mexico soil test result is a problem or just a number.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. New Mexico soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Jicama in New Mexico — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 9-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 31 - Apr 19 to Oct 22 - Nov 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 150 days
What Else to Consider for Jicama in New Mexico
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New Mexico growers also need to think about:
Very low rainfall requires irrigation for most crops
High altitude UV intensity can burn tender transplants
Alkaline soils limit plant selection without amendment
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New Mexico grower, not just jicama — is covered on the New Mexico growing guide.
Timing shifts within New Mexico
Jicama needs about 150 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. 32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Cibola County at 150 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across New Mexico’s 33 counties the frost-free season runs from 144 days in Catron County to 264 days in Doña Ana County — a spread of 120 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median New Mexico county sees 209 frost-free days, leaving jicama about 59 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"). 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 New Mexico's frost window — roughly 209 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 31 - Apr 19) and closing at the first (Oct 22 - Nov 9), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
New Mexico Cooperative Extension
For New Mexico-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for jicama, the canonical source is NMSU Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Jicama native to New Mexico?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Mexico's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Mexico natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The New Mexico 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 New Mexico
When can I plant Jicama in New Mexico?
New Mexico's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 22 and Nov 9 (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 New Mexico?
Yes — Jicama matures in 150 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and New Mexico's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 186 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 36 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 New Mexico?
New Mexico spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-9a (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 New Mexico site have?
A typical New Mexico site sees ~209 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.
Is Jicama native to New Mexico?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Mexico's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Mexico natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Jicama in New Mexico?
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 New Mexico site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Jicama actually grow on my specific land in New Mexico?
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 New Mexico
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 New Mexico jicama averages can't show:
We read public map data around New Mexico — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Growing guides for jicama
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