Yes — Strong Match
lettuce (zones 2-11) covers every zone Colorado contains (3b-7b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Lettuce in Colorado — the short answer
Lettuce in Colorado: hardy in zones 2–11, part sun, against a state median of ~155 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- 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
- Colorado zones
- 3b-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 25 - May 19 – Sep 29 - Oct 16
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 85 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 55 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.
Lettuce is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Colorado site runs ~155 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score lettuce against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Colorado is not one climate
Colorado’s winter-low ladder runs across 64 counties, from zone 4.5 in Alamosa County to zone 7 in Mesa County. That is 25°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between lettuce overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 64 counties runs 5.5–6 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 2.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 64 Colorado 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 Colorado Fits Best
Even within Colorado's zones 3b-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for lettuce (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Lettuce Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 35+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~18 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Colorado Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 25 - May 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 29 - Oct 16
- Annual Rainfall: 7-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay loam, Alkaline caliche
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 Lettuce in Colorado
The frost window
Across Colorado, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 25 and May 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 29 and Oct 16 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 133-day window you can count on — up to 174 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
Lettuce is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — 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. 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 lettuce goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Colorado's late-side last freeze of May 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 55 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 78 days to spare even in Colorado's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 lettuce survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Lettuce wants 35+ frost-free days; a typical Colorado site sees ~155 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Lettuce needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2083 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Colorado's typical season clears that easily.
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
Lettuce tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.2-7.5) — 3.3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Colorado. 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 Colorado soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Colorado 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. Colorado soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant lettuce 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 lettuce goes in. What follows is Colorado’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 Colorado — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Colorado — 29,759 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 281 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Colorado 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 with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across Colorado
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Colorado, Mining runs higher than the national average — 5,049 sites across Colorado. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around 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 — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Lettuce in Colorado
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Colorado growers also need to think about:
Low annual rainfall (7-20 inches) means irrigation is essential nearly everywhere
High altitude UV and temperature swings stress plants
Very short growing season at elevation (60-90 frost-free days above 8,000 ft)
Alkaline soils (pH 7.5-8.5) limit acid-loving plants without amendment
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Colorado grower, not just lettuce — is covered on the Colorado growing guide.
Timing shifts within Colorado
Lettuce needs about 35 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Chaffee County — Colorado’s shortest season at 85 frost-free days — clears that by 50 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Colorado. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Colorado’s 64 counties the frost-free season runs from 85 days in Chaffee County to 209 days in Mesa County — a spread of 124 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Colorado county sees 155 frost-free days, leaving lettuce about 120 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"). Lettuce's 35-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Colorado Cooperative Extension
For Colorado-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lettuce, the canonical source is Colorado State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lettuce native to Colorado?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lettuce as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Colorado's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Colorado natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Colorado 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 Lettuce in Colorado
When can I plant Lettuce in Colorado?
Colorado's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 25 and May 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 29 and Oct 16 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lettuce is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Lettuce mature before first frost in Colorado?
Yes — Lettuce matures in 55 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Colorado's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 133 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 78 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 Lettuce grown in across Colorado?
Colorado spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lettuce 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 Colorado site have?
A typical Colorado site sees ~155 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lettuce needs 35+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Lettuce native to Colorado?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Lettuce as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Colorado's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Colorado natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Lettuce in Colorado?
Lettuce tolerates pH 4.2-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Colorado site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Lettuce actually grow on my specific land in Colorado?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lettuce 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 Colorado
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lettuce against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Colorado lettuce averages can't show:
We read public map data around Colorado — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Colorado lettuce average
Explore More
Growing guides for lettuce
Last updated: