Morel is a perennial grown for the harvest. Notably, it stands up to deer.
Morel — the short answer
Morel: part sun, pH 6–7.5.
- Soil pH
- 6–7.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 28°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Morel on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether morel actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score morel against your land's real conditions.
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What Morel is
Morel grows as a perennial and reaches around 6 inches at maturity. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Morel
Morel does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 14 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
Data pending
Soil pH
6 - 7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
28°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Mature Height
0.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
14+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant morel in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Morel prefers pH 6 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Watch for cultivar-specific ripeness cues and pick at peak. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where Morel thrives
Whether morel thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.
What grows around Morel
Growing guides for morel
In rotation planning, morel counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in vegetable
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — morel isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Morel isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Before you harvest morel, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant morel for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Morel's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Morel will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether morel actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Morel
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Morel in my zone?
Zone data for morel is being finalized. A Growable Ground report checks your parcel's full suitability against federal soil, climate, and zone data.
When should you plant Morel?
Morel is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Morel need?
Morel does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Morel need?
Morel prefers soil pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Morel attract pollinators?
Morel isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Morel safe for pets?
Morel is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)