Generally — Most Areas
loblolly pine (zones 6-9) suits most of Indiana (5b-7b) — zones 6-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Loblolly Pine in Indiana — the short answer
Loblolly Pine in Indiana: hardy in zones 6–9, full sun, against a state median of ~209 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 6-9
- 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
- Indiana zones
- 5b-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 4 - Apr 9 – Oct 30 - Nov 4
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 191 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.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Indiana spans zones 5b-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 loblolly pine 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.
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Indiana is not one climate
Indiana’s winter-low ladder runs across 92 counties, from zone 5.5 in Benton County to zone 7 in Warrick County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between loblolly pine overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 92 counties runs 6–6.5 zones, with a median of 6 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 92 Indiana 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 Indiana Fits Best
Loblolly Pine is rated for zones 6–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -10 to 0°F. Against Indiana’s 92 counties that band holds in 87 of them, and the line runs at Adams County (zone 6a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 6–9
87 counties
- Allen County · zone 6a
- Blackford County · zone 6a
- Boone County · zone 6a
3 of 87 shown
Below the zone 6 floor
5 counties
- Benton County · zone 5b
- Jasper County · zone 5b
- Montgomery County · zone 5b
3 of 5 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Even within Indiana's zones 5b-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for loblolly pine (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Loblolly Pine Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-9
- Frost-Free Days: 300+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 90 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Indiana Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 4 - Apr 9
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 30 - Nov 4
- Annual Rainfall: 36-46 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Glacial till
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-9)
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 Loblolly Pine in Indiana
The frost window
Across Indiana, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 9, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 30 and Nov 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 204-day window you can count on — up to 214 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
Indiana runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for loblolly pine, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether loblolly pine is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Indiana; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Steuben County, not the statewide average.
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 loblolly pine survives winter in part of Indiana, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Loblolly Pine wants 300+ frost-free days; a typical Indiana site sees ~209 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 91 days short of what it needs. A typical Indiana season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
Chill hours
Loblolly Pine requires ~200 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Indiana typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Loblolly Pine likes near-neutral soil (pH 4-6.5). That's the common-ground band across Indiana's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4.5 and 5.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Indiana soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells). If your Indiana site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 37.8% of Indiana as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Loblolly Pine has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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. Indiana soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Loblolly Pine in Indiana
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Indiana growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils limit drainage in many areas
Late spring frosts through early May
Hot humid summers promote blight and mildew
Growing loblolly pine here specifically
Loblolly Pine rates to USDA zones 6–9 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in Indiana — wet is: with roughly 37.8% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give loblolly pine a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Indiana grower, not just loblolly pine — is covered on the Indiana growing guide.
Timing shifts within Indiana
Indiana isn't one climate. In Steuben County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 18 — roughly 11 days later than the recorded state median — so plant loblolly pine to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Loblolly Pine needs about 300 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Indiana county gives it that outdoors: even Posey County, the state’s longest season at 232 frost-free days, falls 68 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
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"). Loblolly Pine's 300-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Indiana Cooperative Extension
For Indiana-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for loblolly pine, the canonical source is Purdue Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Loblolly Pine native to Indiana?
Loblolly Pine is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Indiana. It can still earn a place in a Indiana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Indiana 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 Loblolly Pine in Indiana
When can I plant Loblolly Pine in Indiana?
Indiana's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 9, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 30 and Nov 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Loblolly Pine, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Indiana 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 Loblolly Pine grown in across Indiana?
Indiana spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Loblolly Pine carries a range of zones 6-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Indiana site have?
A typical Indiana site sees ~209 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Loblolly Pine needs 300+ 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 Steuben, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Loblolly Pine native to Indiana?
Loblolly Pine is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Indiana. It can still earn a place in a Indiana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Loblolly Pine in Indiana?
Loblolly Pine prefers pH 4-6.5 and poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Indiana soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Loblolly Pine actually grow on my specific land in Indiana?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores loblolly pine 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 Indiana
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores loblolly pine against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Indiana loblolly pine averages can't show:
We read public map data around Indiana — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Indiana loblolly pine average
Explore More
Growing guides for loblolly pine
Explore Indiana county by county
Indiana carries 92 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for loblolly pine there:
Where else loblolly pine grows
Loblolly Pine's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Indiana 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 Indiana
Indiana has a growing page for 893 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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