Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
jicama (zones 9-12) does not overlap with New York's zone range (4a-7b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Jicama is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in New York is zone 7 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a New York winter. To grow it here, grow jicama under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 9-12 (plant) against 3-7 (New York). 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.
New York spans zones 4a-7b, 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 York Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 13 - Apr 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 18 - Nov 5
- Annual Rainfall: 30-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Silt loam, Clay loam
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 York
The frost window
Across New York, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 206 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 York's late-side last freeze of Apr 29 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), one crop fits New York's 172-day dependable window with 22 days of margin — plant at the front of the window to keep that cushion.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Hamilton 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 New York 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 New York under protection.
Days to maturity
Jicama matures in ~150 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical New York site has ~185 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 ~2042 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so New York'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 York. 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 York soil test result is a problem or just a number.
Your land, not the state average
Whether jicama is safe to eat from New York soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 75,562 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. New York soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Jicama in New York — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 9-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 13 - Apr 29 to Oct 18 - Nov 5 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 150 days
What Else to Consider for Jicama in New York
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New York growers also need to think about:
Short upstate growing season (100-140 frost-free days in Adirondacks)
Heavy clay soils in western NY require drainage improvement
Late spring frosts through May in higher elevations
Deer browse pressure is heavy in suburban and rural areas
Growing jicama here specifically
Because you eat the root of jicama that sit in the soil, contamination matters more than for most crops — New York has 75,562 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 New York grower, not just jicama — is covered on the New York growing guide.
Timing shifts within New York
New York isn't one climate. In Hamilton County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 19 — roughly 27 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. 59 of New York’s 62 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Herkimer County at 151 frost-free days — 1 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across New York’s 62 counties the frost-free season runs from 136 days in Hamilton County to 258 days in New York County — a spread of 122 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median New York county sees 185 frost-free days, leaving jicama about 35 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 York's frost window — roughly 185 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 13 - Apr 29) and closing at the first (Oct 18 - Nov 5), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
New York Cooperative Extension
For New York-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for jicama, the canonical source is Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Jicama native to New York?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The New York 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 York
When can I plant Jicama in New York?
New York's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 13 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 18 and Nov 5 (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 York?
Yes — Jicama matures in 150 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and New York's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 172 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 22 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 York?
New York spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7b (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 York site have?
A typical New York site sees ~185 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 Hamilton, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Jicama native to New York?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Jicama as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New York's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New York natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Jicama in New York?
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 York site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Jicama actually grow on my specific land in New York?
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 York
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 York jicama averages can't show:
We read public map data around New York — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the New York 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
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