Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
mangosteen (zones 11-12) does not overlap with Alabama's zone range (7b-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Mangosteen is hardy to zone 11, and the warmest ground in Alabama is zone 9 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Alabama winter. To grow it here, grow mangosteen under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 11-12 (plant) against 7-9 (Alabama). 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.
Alabama spans zones 7b-9b, 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 mangosteen against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Mangosteen Needs
- USDA Zones: 11-12
- Frost-Free Days: 365+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 30 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Alabama Has
- USDA Zones: 7b-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 24 - Mar 16
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 15 - Nov 28
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay, Sandy loam, Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 11-12)
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 Mangosteen in Alabama
The frost window
Across Alabama, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 24 and Mar 16, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 28 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 244-day window you can count on — up to 277 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
Alabama runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for mangosteen, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether mangosteen is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Alabama; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Marion 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
The zone check says mangosteen does not survive a Alabama winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Alabama under protection.
Frost-free days
Mangosteen wants 365+ frost-free days; a typical Alabama site sees ~266 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 99 days short of what it needs. A typical Alabama 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.
Growing degree days
Mangosteen needs ~6000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~5383 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Alabama's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
Chill hours
Mangosteen has no winter-chill requirement — its listed minimum is 0 hours (USDA PLANTS Database). Alabama typically banks ~1226 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so chill is not a constraint on this plant here — and not evidence in its favour either. Winter survival and season length are what decide it.
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
Mangosteen tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-7.5) — 3.2 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Alabama. 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 5 and 6 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Alabama soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Alabama 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 14.1% of Alabama as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Mangosteen 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 and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Alabama soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Mangosteen in Alabama — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 11-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 24 - Mar 16 to Nov 15 - Nov 28 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Mangosteen in Alabama
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Alabama growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in the Piedmont region
High humidity promotes fungal diseases
Fire ants are a persistent garden pest
Growing mangosteen here specifically
Mangosteen needs sharp drainage and sends deep roots hardy to about 59°F; in Alabama, about 14.1% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build mangosteen up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its crown never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Alabama grower, not just mangosteen — is covered on the Alabama growing guide.
Timing shifts within Alabama
Alabama isn't one climate. In Marion County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Mar 28 — roughly 26 days later than the recorded state median — so plant mangosteen to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Mangosteen needs about 365 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Alabama county gives it that outdoors: even Mobile County, the state’s longest season at 297 frost-free days, falls 68 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
Across Alabama’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 225 days in Marion County to 297 days in Mobile County — a spread of 72 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Alabama county sees 266 frost-free days, which is 99 days short of what mangosteen needs — so on a typical Alabama parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.
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"). Mangosteen's 365-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
Mangosteen draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, mangosteen can only work that bloom inside Alabama's frost window — roughly 266 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 24 - Mar 16) and closing at the first (Nov 15 - Nov 28), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Alabama Cooperative Extension
For Alabama-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for mangosteen, the canonical source is Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Mangosteen native to Alabama?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Mangosteen as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Alabama's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Alabama natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Alabama 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 Mangosteen in Alabama
When can I plant Mangosteen in Alabama?
Alabama's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 24 and Mar 16, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 28 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Mangosteen, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Alabama 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 Mangosteen grown in across Alabama?
Alabama spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Mangosteen carries a range of zones 11-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Alabama site have?
A typical Alabama site sees ~266 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Mangosteen needs 365+ 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 Marion, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Mangosteen native to Alabama?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Mangosteen as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Alabama's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Alabama natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Mangosteen in Alabama?
Mangosteen tolerates pH 4.3-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.2-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Alabama site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Mangosteen actually grow on my specific land in Alabama?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores mangosteen 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 Alabama
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores mangosteen against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Alabama mangosteen averages can't show:
We read public map data around Alabama — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Alabama mangosteen average
Explore More
Growing guides for mangosteen
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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