Conditional — Some Areas
medlar (zones 5-8) reaches only part of Alaska (1a-9a): zones 5-8 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Alaska spans zones 1a-9a, 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 medlar against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Medlar Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-8
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 20 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Alaska Has
- USDA Zones: 1a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 24 - Oct 29
- Annual Rainfall: 10-160 inches
- Common Soils: Permafrost, Glacial silt, Volcanic ash
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-8)
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 Medlar in Alaska
The frost window
Across Alaska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 132-day window you can count on — up to 196 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
Alaska runs as cold as USDA zone 1, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for medlar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether medlar is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Alaska; 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 medlar survives winter in part of Alaska, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
Medlar matures in ~1825 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Alaska site has ~147 frost-free days, so tight — start indoors or use season-extension to close the gap.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 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
Medlar tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Alaska. 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 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Alaska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Alaska 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. Alaska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Medlar in Alaska — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 1a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 16 - May 15 to Sep 24 - Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 1825 days
What Else to Consider for Medlar in Alaska
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Alaska growers also need to think about:
Extremely short growing season (70-110 frost-free days)
Permafrost prevents deep root growth in many areas
Limited soil development in glacial terrain
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Alaska grower, not just medlar — is covered on the Alaska growing guide.
Where in Alaska Medlar Is Zone-Hardy
Medlar is rated for USDA zones 5–8. No Alaska county reaches it. Even Yukon-Koyukuk County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 3a-4b, sits below the plant’s zone 5 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 30 counties Alaska’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 3a-4b in Aleutians East County to zone 3a-4b in Yukon-Koyukuk County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band medlar needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Medlar’s zone 5–8 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
Medlar draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, medlar can only work that bloom inside Alaska's frost window — roughly 147 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 15) and closing at the first (Sep 24 - Oct 29), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020.
Alaska Cooperative Extension
For Alaska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for medlar, the canonical source is UAF Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Medlar native to Alaska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Medlar as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Alaska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Alaska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Alaska 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 Medlar in Alaska
When can I plant Medlar in Alaska?
Alaska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Medlar, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Alaska 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 Medlar grown in across Alaska?
Alaska spans USDA hardiness zones 1a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Medlar carries a range of zones 5-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Alaska site have?
A typical Alaska site sees ~147 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020). Medlar 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.
Is Medlar native to Alaska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Medlar as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Alaska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Alaska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Medlar in Alaska?
Medlar tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Alaska site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Medlar actually grow on my specific land in Alaska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores medlar 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 Alaska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores medlar against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Alaska medlar averages can't show:
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