Can I Grow Lebbek Tree in Mississippi?

USDA Zones 7b-9b · Plant zone range 10-12

Unlikely — Zone Mismatch

lebbek tree (zones 10-12) does not overlap with Mississippi's zone range (7b-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.

One zone short — what would close it

Lebbek Tree is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Mississippi is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Mississippi winter. To grow it here, grow lebbek tree 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 10-12 (plant) against 7-9 (Mississippi). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.

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Mississippi spans zones 7b-9b, 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 lebbek tree against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.

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Zone Comparison

Lebbek Tree Needs

  • USDA Zones: 10-12
  • Frost-Free Days: 180+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 65 ft tall
  • Drought tolerance: High

Mississippi Has

  • USDA Zones: 7b-9b
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 3
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 - Nov 30
  • Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
  • Common Soils: Loess, Alluvial clay, Sandy loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)

10a
12b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.58.5

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Lebbek Tree in Mississippi

The frost window

Across Mississippi, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 263-day window you can count on — up to 286 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

Mississippi runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for lebbek tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether lebbek tree is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Mississippi; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.

Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Tishomingo 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 lebbek tree does not survive a Mississippi 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 Mississippi under protection.

Frost-free days

Lebbek Tree wants 180+ frost-free days; a typical Mississippi site sees ~273 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.

Chill hours

Lebbek Tree has no winter-chill requirement — its listed minimum is 0 hours (USDA PLANTS Database). Mississippi typically banks ~1160 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so chill is not a constraint on this plant here — and not evidence in its favour either. Winter survival and season length are what decide it.

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

Lebbek Tree tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5.5-8.5) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Mississippi. 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 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Mississippi soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Mississippi site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Your land, not the state average

SSURGO maps about 30.3% of Mississippi as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Lebbek Tree tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.

Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.

Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Mississippi soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Lebbek Tree in Mississippi — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
  • Plant Zones: 10-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
  • State Zones: 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
  • Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 17 - Mar 3 to Nov 21 - Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)

What Else to Consider for Lebbek Tree in Mississippi

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

Extreme summer heat and humidity

Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region

Frequent severe storms and flooding

Growing lebbek tree here specifically

Lebbek Tree roots run deep and prefer pH 5.5–8.5, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 30.3% of Mississippi as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.

Plant lebbek tree on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →

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

Timing shifts within Mississippi

Mississippi isn't one climate. In Tishomingo County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 23 — roughly 26 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lebbek tree to your county's window, not the statewide date.

Lebbek Tree needs about 180 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Tishomingo County — Mississippi’s shortest season at 232 frost-free days — clears that by 52 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Mississippi. What varies is your own parcel.

Across Mississippi’s 82 counties the frost-free season runs from 232 days in Tishomingo County to 309 days in Harrison County — a spread of 77 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Mississippi county sees 273 frost-free days, leaving lebbek tree about 93 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"). Lebbek Tree's 180-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Lebbek Tree draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, lebbek tree can only work that bloom inside Mississippi's frost window — roughly 273 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 3) and closing at the first (Nov 21 - Nov 30), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Good to Know Before You Plant Lebbek Tree

Lebbek Tree is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (seeds, pods) at a mild level (Pet Poison Helpline). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.

Mississippi Cooperative Extension

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

Is Lebbek Tree native to Mississippi?

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

Looking for plants that belong here? The Mississippi 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 Lebbek Tree in Mississippi

When can I plant Lebbek Tree in Mississippi?

Mississippi's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Lebbek Tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Mississippi 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 Lebbek Tree grown in across Mississippi?

Mississippi spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lebbek Tree carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

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

A typical Mississippi site sees ~273 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lebbek Tree needs 180+ 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 Tishomingo, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.

Is Lebbek Tree native to Mississippi?

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

How should I amend the soil for Lebbek Tree in Mississippi?

Lebbek Tree tolerates pH 5.5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Mississippi site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.

Will Lebbek Tree actually grow on my specific land in Mississippi?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lebbek 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 Mississippi

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

Three things about your lot that Mississippi lebbek tree averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Mississippi averages 273Your sun & shade

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

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Mississippi lebbek tree 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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