Conditional — Some Areas
marionberry (zones 6-9) reaches only part of Nebraska (4b-6a): zone 6 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Nebraska spans zones 4b-6a, 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 marionberry against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Marionberry Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-9
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~28 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Nebraska Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - Apr 26
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 15 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 15-34 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Sandy loam (Sandhills), Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-9)
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 Marionberry in Nebraska
The frost window
Across Nebraska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 192 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
Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for marionberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether marionberry is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nebraska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 marionberry survives winter in part of Nebraska, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Marionberry wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Nebraska site sees ~181 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Marionberry needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2648 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nebraska's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Marionberry requires ~300 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Nebraska 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
Marionberry tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-7.8) — 3.3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Nebraska. 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 5.5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Nebraska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nebraska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Nebraska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Marionberry in Nebraska — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 6-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 12 - Apr 26 to Oct 15 - Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Marionberry in Nebraska
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nebraska growers also need to think about:
Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation
Extreme wind exposure on open plains
Hail damage during severe storm season
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nebraska grower, not just marionberry — is covered on the Nebraska growing guide.
Timing shifts within Nebraska
Marionberry needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Sioux County — Nebraska’s shortest season at 134 frost-free days — clears that by 14 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Nebraska. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Nebraska’s 93 counties the frost-free season runs from 134 days in Sioux County to 207 days in Sarpy County — a spread of 73 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nebraska county sees 181 frost-free days, leaving marionberry about 61 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"). Marionberry's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Nebraska Fits Best
Even within Nebraska's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for marionberry (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Marionberry draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, marionberry can only work that bloom inside Nebraska's frost window — roughly 181 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 15 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Nebraska Cooperative Extension
For Nebraska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for marionberry, the canonical source is Nebraska Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Marionberry in Nebraska
When can I plant Marionberry in Nebraska?
Nebraska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Marionberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nebraska 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 Marionberry grown in across Nebraska?
Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Marionberry 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 Nebraska site have?
A typical Nebraska site sees ~181 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Marionberry needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Marionberry in Nebraska?
Marionberry tolerates pH 4.5-7.8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Nebraska site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Marionberry actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores marionberry 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 Nebraska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores marionberry against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nebraska marionberry averages can't show:
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