Generally — Most Areas
lisianthus is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone. Montana's typical season runs ~151 frost-free days against the ~120 lisianthus needs — a workable window, but start indoors to bank time.
Sow by about May 7
Lisianthus is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 120 frost-free days and a typical Montana season runs ~151 frost-free days, leaving 31 days of slack. That is a workable window rather than a generous one: sow by about May 7 — and start indoors to bank time — so it finishes before the usual first freeze (Oct 4).
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
120 frost-free days required against Montana’s ~151-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Lisianthus is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Montana site runs ~151 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 lisianthus against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Lisianthus Needs
- USDA Zones: Data pending
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Montana Has
- USDA Zones: 3a-6b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 2 - May 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 28 - Oct 7
- Annual Rainfall: 10-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Glacial till
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 Lisianthus in Montana
The frost window
Across Montana, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 138-day window you can count on — up to 158 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when lisianthus goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 16 weeks ahead, so counting back from Montana's late-side last freeze of May 13 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 150 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), the fit is tight: Montana's dependable window runs 138 days. Starting seeds indoors and transplanting at the front of the window banks the difference.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Deer Lodge 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
Frost-free days
Lisianthus wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Montana site sees ~151 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Growing degree days
Lisianthus needs ~1200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1769 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Montana'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
Lisianthus likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Montana's sandy loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Montana site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Montana's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for lisianthus is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how lisianthus performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Montana soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Lisianthus in Montana — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: Data pending (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3a-6b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about May 2 - May 13 to Sep 28 - Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 150 days
What Else to Consider for Lisianthus in Montana
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Montana growers also need to think about:
Very short growing season (60-100 frost-free days)
Low rainfall requires irrigation in most areas
Extreme winter cold (-40F possible)
Growing lisianthus here specifically
At ~150 days to harvest, lisianthus barely fits Montana's ~150 frost-free days — there's little slack if spring runs cold.
Give lisianthus an indoor head start and a row cover in fall to beat the first freeze. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Montana grower, not just lisianthus — is covered on the Montana growing guide.
Timing shifts within Montana
Montana isn't one climate. In Deer Lodge County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 21 — roughly 47 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lisianthus to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Lisianthus needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 50 of Montana’s 56 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Jefferson County at 123 frost-free days — 3 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Montana’s 56 counties the frost-free season runs from 59 days in Deer Lodge County to 170 days in Petroleum County — a spread of 111 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Montana county sees 151 frost-free days, leaving lisianthus about 31 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"). Lisianthus's 120-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
Lisianthus 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, lisianthus can only work that bloom inside Montana's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 2 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 28 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Lisianthus Varieties for Montana
Montana publishes no state variety trial for lisianthus, so we won't invent a "best for Montana" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (3a-6b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Montana Cooperative Extension
For Montana-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lisianthus, the canonical source is Montana State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lisianthus native to Montana?
Lisianthus is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Montana. It can still earn a place in a Montana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Montana 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 Lisianthus in Montana
When can I plant Lisianthus in Montana?
Montana's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Lisianthus mature before first frost in Montana?
It's close: Lisianthus needs 150 days to mature (USDA PLANTS Database) against Montana's 138-day dependable window (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Start seeds indoors and transplant once the last hard freeze has passed to bank the missing days.
What hardiness zone is Lisianthus grown in across Montana?
Montana spans USDA hardiness zones 3a-6b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lisianthus carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Montana site have?
A typical Montana site sees ~151 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lisianthus needs 120+ 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 Deer Lodge, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Lisianthus native to Montana?
Lisianthus is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Montana. It can still earn a place in a Montana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Lisianthus in Montana?
Lisianthus prefers pH 6.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Montana soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Lisianthus actually grow on my specific land in Montana?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lisianthus 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 Montana
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lisianthus against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Montana lisianthus averages can't show:
We read public map data around Montana — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Montana lisianthus 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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