katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), photographi

Can I Grow Katsura Tree in Nebraska?

USDA Zones 4b-6a · Plant zone range 4-8

Yes — Strong Match

katsura tree (zones 4-8) covers every zone Nebraska contains (4b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Katsura Tree in Nebraska — the short answer

Katsura Tree in Nebraska: hardy in zones 4–8, part sun, against a state median of ~181 frost-free days.

Plant zones
4-8
Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Nebraska zones
4b-6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Apr 12 - Apr 26 – Oct 15 - Oct 21
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
134 days
NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Nebraska spans zones 4b-6a, 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 katsura tree against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Nebraska is not one climate

Nebraska’s winter-low ladder runs across 93 counties, from zone 4.5 in Sioux County to zone 6 in Thayer County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between katsura tree overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

4.5 zonesSioux County6 zonesThayer County

The middle half of 93 counties runs 55.5 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.

Measured across 93 Nebraska counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.

Where in Nebraska Fits Best

Even within Nebraska's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for katsura tree (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Katsura Tree Needs

  • USDA Zones: 4-8
  • Frost-Free Days: 150+
  • Sun: Part Sun
  • Mature size: 50 ft tall
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Nebraska Has

  • USDA Zones: 4b-6a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - Apr 26
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 15 - Oct 21
  • Annual Rainfall: 15-34 inches
  • Common Soils: Loess, Sandy loam (Sandhills), Silt loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 4-8)

4a
8b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.08.0

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Katsura Tree in Nebraska

The frost window

Across Nebraska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (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 192 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

Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for katsura tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether katsura tree is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nebraska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.

Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. 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 katsura tree survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Frost-free days

Katsura Tree wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Nebraska site sees ~181 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.

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

Katsura Tree tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Nebraska. 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 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Nebraska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nebraska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Nebraska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Katsura Tree in Nebraska

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nebraska growers also need to think about:

Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation

Extreme wind exposure on open plains

Hail damage during severe storm season

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nebraska grower, not just katsura tree — is covered on the Nebraska growing guide.

Timing shifts within Nebraska

Katsura Tree needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 92 of Nebraska’s 93 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Banner County at 157 frost-free days — 7 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.

Across Nebraska’s 93 counties the frost-free season runs from 134 days in Sioux County to 207 days in Sarpy County — a spread of 73 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nebraska county sees 181 frost-free days, leaving katsura tree about 31 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"). Katsura Tree's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Nebraska Cooperative Extension

For Nebraska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for katsura tree, the canonical source is Nebraska Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Katsura Tree native to Nebraska?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Katsura Tree as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Nebraska 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 Katsura Tree in Nebraska

When can I plant Katsura Tree in Nebraska?

Nebraska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Katsura Tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nebraska 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 Katsura Tree grown in across Nebraska?

Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Katsura Tree carries a range of zones 4-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Nebraska site have?

A typical Nebraska site sees ~181 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Katsura Tree needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.

Is Katsura Tree native to Nebraska?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Katsura Tree as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Katsura Tree in Nebraska?

Katsura Tree tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Nebraska site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.

Will Katsura Tree actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores katsura tree against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Nebraska

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores katsura tree against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Nebraska katsura tree averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Nebraska averages 181Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Nebraska — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nebraska katsura tree average

Explore More

Explore Nebraska county by county

Nebraska carries 93 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for katsura tree there:

Where else katsura tree grows

Katsura Tree's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Nebraska in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.

More to grow in Nebraska

Nebraska has a growing page for 806 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.

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