Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
lily of the Nile (zones 8-11) does not overlap with Massachusetts's zone range (5a-7b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Lily Of The Nile is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Massachusetts is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Massachusetts winter. To grow it here, grow lily of the nile 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 8-11 (plant) against 5-7 (Massachusetts). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Massachusetts spans zones 5a-7b, 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.
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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
Massachusetts Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 4 - Apr 14
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 24 - Nov 14
- Annual Rainfall: 42-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Lily Of The Nile in Massachusetts
The frost window
Across Massachusetts, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 14, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 14 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 193-day window you can count on — up to 224 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
Massachusetts runs as cold as USDA zone 5, 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 Massachusetts; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Berkshire 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Lily Of The Nile likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Massachusetts's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Massachusetts site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Massachusetts's soils run mostly fine sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for lily of the nile is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how lily of the nile performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Massachusetts soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Lily Of The Nile in Massachusetts — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 8-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 4 - Apr 14 to Oct 24 - Nov 14 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Lily Of The Nile in Massachusetts
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Massachusetts growers also need to think about:
Short growing season (120-180 frost-free days) limits warm-season crops
Rocky glacial soils require amendment in many areas
Late spring frosts can damage early plantings through mid-May
Deer pressure is significant in suburban and rural areas
Growing lily of the nile here specifically
Lily Of The Nile wants pH 5.5–7.5 and rates to USDA zones 8–11, but Massachusetts's soils are dominantly fine sandy loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match lily of the nile to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 5.5–7.5 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Massachusetts grower, not just lily of the nile — is covered on the Massachusetts growing guide.
Timing shifts within Massachusetts
Massachusetts isn't one climate. In Berkshire County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 29 — roughly 19 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lily of the nile to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Massachusetts Lily Of The Nile Is Zone-Hardy
Lily Of The Nile is rated for USDA zones 8–11. No Massachusetts county reaches it. Even Nantucket County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7b, sits below the plant’s zone 8 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 14 counties Massachusetts’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Berkshire County to zone 7b in Nantucket County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band lily of the nile needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Lily Of The Nile’s zone 8–11 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 Massachusetts's frost window — roughly 206 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 4 - Apr 14) and closing at the first (Oct 24 - Nov 14), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Lily Of The Nile
Lily Of The Nile is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Recommended Lily Of The Nile Varieties for Massachusetts
Massachusetts publishes no state variety trial for lily of the nile, so we won't invent a "best for Massachusetts" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5a-7b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Massachusetts Cooperative Extension
For Massachusetts-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lily of the nile, the canonical source is UMass Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lily Of The Nile native to Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts. It can still earn a place in a Massachusetts garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts
When can I plant Lily Of The Nile in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 14, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 14 (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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?
Massachusetts spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-7b (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 Massachusetts site have?
A typical Massachusetts site sees ~206 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. In cooler counties like Berkshire, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Lily Of The Nile native to Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts. It can still earn a place in a Massachusetts garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Lily Of The Nile in Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?
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.
Check your specific parcel in Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts lily of the nile averages can't show:
We read public map data around Massachusetts — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Massachusetts lily of the nile average
Explore More
Growing guides for lily of the nile
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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