Generally — Most Areas
medlar (zones 5-8) suits most of South Dakota (4a-5b) — zone 5 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
South Dakota spans zones 4a-5b, 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
South Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-5b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 22 - Apr 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 15
- Annual Rainfall: 14-26 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay, Sandy loam
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 South Dakota
The frost window
Across South Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 163-day window you can count on — up to 176 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
South Dakota runs as cold as USDA zone 4, 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 South Dakota; 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 South Dakota, 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 South Dakota site has ~168 frost-free days, so tight — start indoors or use season-extension to close the gap.
Growing degree days
Medlar needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2356 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so South Dakota sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
Chill hours
Medlar requires ~600 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). South Dakota 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
Medlar tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in South Dakota. 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 South Dakota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Dakota 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. South Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Medlar in South Dakota — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 22 - Apr 29 to Oct 9 - Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 1825 days
What Else to Consider for Medlar in South Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold and short growing season
Low rainfall in western SD
Wind exposure on the open prairie
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Dakota grower, not just medlar — is covered on the South Dakota growing guide.
Where in South Dakota Medlar Is Zone-Hardy
Medlar is rated for USDA zones 5–8. 31 of South Dakota’s 66 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Aurora County at zone 5a. 35 counties sit below the plant’s zone 5 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in South Dakota decides this one.
Across those 66 counties South Dakota’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Brown County to zone 5b in Custer County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Lawrence County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 12, while Bon Homme County is clear by Apr 18 — 24 days apart. Set medlar out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". 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.
Where in South Dakota Fits Best
Even within South Dakota's zones 4a-5b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for medlar (USDA PHZM 2023):
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 South Dakota's frost window — roughly 168 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 22 - Apr 29) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 15), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension
For South Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for medlar, the canonical source is SDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Medlar native to South Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Medlar as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Dakota 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 South Dakota
When can I plant Medlar in South Dakota?
South Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota?
South Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-5b (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 South Dakota site have?
A typical South Dakota site sees ~168 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 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 South Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Medlar as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Medlar in South Dakota?
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 South Dakota site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Medlar actually grow on my specific land in South Dakota?
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 South Dakota
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 South Dakota medlar averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Dakota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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