Yes — Strong Match
leek is grown in zones 2-11, which covers every zone Nevada contains (4a-10a). Whether the season is long enough is the question that remains.
Leek in Nevada — the short answer
Leek in Nevada: grown in zones 2–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 5a–10b
- Nevada zones
- 4a-10a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 28 - May 20 – Oct 9 - Oct 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 110 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 100 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Nevada spans zones 4a-10a, 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 leek 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.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Nevada is not one climate
A single Nevada answer averages 17 counties whose growing seasons are 211 days apart — from 110 frost-free days in Elko County to 321 in Clark County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what leek can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 17 counties runs 145–174 days, with a median of 163 days — a 211-day span end to end.
Measured across 17 Nevada counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 Nevada Fits Best
Even within Nevada's zones 4a-10a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for leek (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Leek Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: LowWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Nevada Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-10a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 28 - May 20
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 4-12 inches
- Common Soils: Desert sand, Caliche, Alkaline clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
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 Leek in Nevada
The frost window
Across Nevada, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 142-day window you can count on — up to 176 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 hardiness
Leek takes cold down to about 23°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP), so you can plant on the early side of Nevada's window — even a few weeks before the final hard freeze. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when leek goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Nevada's late-side last freeze of May 20 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Grown as an annual here
Leek is a true perennial in its home range — it overwinters from USDA zone 5 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox) — but Nevada runs as cold as zone 4, so it is killed back each winter and replanted each spring. Treat it on the season schedule above, not as a permanent planting: there is no fall establishment window for it here.
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
Leek is grown in zones 2–11, which covers every zone Nevada contains (4a-10a). It overwinters in the ground only in zone 5 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox). Nevada's typical season runs ~163 frost-free days against the ~120 leek needs.
Growing degree days
Leek needs ~1500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~1725 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nevada sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
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
Leek tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-7.5) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Nevada. 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 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Nevada soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nevada site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. Drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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. Nevada soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant leek for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before leek goes in. What follows is Nevada’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Nevada — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Nevada — 11,494 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 127 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Nevada carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Nevada
Severity Distribution
across Nevada
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Nevada, Mining runs higher than the national average — 6,064 sites across Nevada. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Leek in Nevada
The zone range tells you where leek is grown — but Nevada growers also need to think about:
Extremely low rainfall (driest US state)
Alkaline soils (pH 8-9) limit many species
Extreme summer heat in southern valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nevada grower, not just leek — is covered on the Nevada growing guide.
Where in Nevada Leek Is Zone-Hardy
Leek is rated for USDA zones 2–11. Every one of Nevada’s 17 counties sits inside that band — from Elko County at zone 5a to Clark County at zone 9a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 17 counties Nevada’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5a in Elko County to zone 9a in Clark County — 4 USDA zones of spread, which is 40°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Nye County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 31, while Clark County is clear by Jan 25 — 126 days apart. Set leek out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Leek’s zone 2–11 band: Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 5a–10b. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Leek draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, leek can only work that bloom inside Nevada's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 28 - May 20) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Nevada Cooperative Extension
For Nevada-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for leek, the canonical source is University of Nevada, Reno Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Leek native to Nevada?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Leek as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Nevada growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Nevada and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Leek in Nevada
When can I plant Leek in Nevada?
Nevada's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Leek overwinters only from USDA zone 5 and warmer, and Nevada runs as cold as zone 4, so it is grown as an annual here — plant it after the last hard freeze, two to three weeks later for tender stock, and expect to replant next spring rather than establishing it for the long term.
What hardiness zone is Leek grown in across Nevada?
Nevada spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Leek carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Nevada site have?
A typical Nevada site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Leek needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Leek native to Nevada?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Leek as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nevada's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nevada natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Leek in Nevada?
Leek tolerates pH 4.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Nevada site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Leek actually grow on my specific land in Nevada?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores leek against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Nevada
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores leek against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nevada leek averages can't show:
We read public map data around Nevada — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nevada leek average
Explore More
Growing guides for leek
Explore Nevada county by county
Nevada carries 17 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for leek there:
Where else leek grows
Leek's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Nevada 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 Nevada
Nevada has a growing page for 1,036 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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