lily of the Nile (Agapanthus africanus), photographi

Can I Grow Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana?

USDA Zones 8b-10b · Plant zone range 8-11

Yes — Strong Match

lily of the Nile (zones 8-11) covers every zone Louisiana contains (8b-10b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana — the short answer

Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana: hardy in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~298 frost-free days.

Plant zones
8-11
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
Louisiana zones
8b-10b
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Jan 30 - Feb 17 – Nov 30 - Dec 8
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
265 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.

Louisiana spans zones 8b-10b, 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 lily of the nile 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 full report in seconds

Louisiana is not one climate

Louisiana’s winter-low ladder runs across 64 counties, from zone 8.5 in Bienville County to zone 10 in Plaquemines County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between lily of the nile overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

8.5 zonesBienville County10 zonesPlaquemines County

The middle half of 64 counties runs 8.59 zones, with a median of 9 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.

Measured across 64 Louisiana 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 Louisiana Fits Best

Even within Louisiana's zones 8b-10b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for lily of the nile (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Lily Of The Nile Needs

  • USDA Zones: 8-11
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 3 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Medium

Louisiana Has

  • USDA Zones: 8b-10b
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 30 - Feb 17
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 30 - Dec 8
  • Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
  • Common Soils: Alluvial clay, Muck, Sandy loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 8-11)

8a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.57.5

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 Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana

The frost window

Across Louisiana, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 30 and Feb 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 30 and Dec 8 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 286-day window you can count on — up to 312 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

Louisiana runs as cold as USDA zone 8, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for lily of the nile, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether lily of the nile is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Louisiana; 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.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Lily Of The Nile likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Louisiana's alluvial clay and muck — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Louisiana 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. Louisiana soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana

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

Extreme humidity and rainfall promote rot and fungal diseases

Poor drainage in delta and coastal areas

Hurricane damage risk from June through November

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Louisiana grower, not just lily of the nile — is covered on the Louisiana growing guide.

Where in Louisiana Lily Of The Nile Is Zone-Hardy

Lily Of The Nile is rated for USDA zones 811. Every one of Louisiana’s 64 counties sits inside that band — from Bienville County at zone 8b to Plaquemines County at zone 10a — 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 64 counties Louisiana’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 8b in Bienville County to zone 10a in Plaquemines County 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°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. Claiborne County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Mar 2, while St. Bernard County is clear by Jan 16 45 days apart. Set lily of the nile 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". Lily Of The Nile’s zone 811 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Lily Of The Nile 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, lily of the nile can only work that bloom inside Louisiana's frost window — roughly 298 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 30 - Feb 17) and closing at the first (Nov 30 - Dec 8), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Louisiana Cooperative Extension

For Louisiana-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lily of the nile, the canonical source is LSU AgCenter. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Lily Of The Nile native to Louisiana?

Lily Of The Nile is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Louisiana. It can still earn a place in a Louisiana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Louisiana 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 Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana

When can I plant Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana?

Louisiana's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 30 and Feb 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 30 and Dec 8 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Lily Of The Nile, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Louisiana 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 Lily Of The Nile grown in across Louisiana?

Louisiana spans USDA hardiness zones 8b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lily Of The Nile carries a range of zones 8-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

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

A typical Louisiana site sees ~298 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lily Of The Nile 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.

Is Lily Of The Nile native to Louisiana?

Lily Of The Nile is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Louisiana. It can still earn a place in a Louisiana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.

How should I amend the soil for Lily Of The Nile in Louisiana?

Lily Of The Nile prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Louisiana soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Lily Of The Nile actually grow on my specific land in Louisiana?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lily of the nile 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 Louisiana

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

Three things about your lot that Louisiana lily of the nile averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Louisiana averages 298Your sun & shade

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

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Louisiana lily of the nile average

Last updated: