Yes — Strong Match
morning glory (zones 2-11) covers every zone Missouri contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Morning Glory is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Missouri site runs ~219 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score morning glory against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Morning Glory Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 30+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 10 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Missouri Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 7
- Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Morning Glory in Missouri
The frost window
Across Missouri, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 212-day window you can count on — up to 225 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.
Frost tenderness
Morning Glory is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 50°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when morning glory goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Missouri's late-side last freeze of Apr 2 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 65 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 147 days to spare even in Missouri's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Crawford 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 morning glory survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Morning Glory wants 30+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~219 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Morning Glory needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3770 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Missouri's typical season clears that easily.
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
Morning Glory 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 Missouri. 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 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Missouri soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Your land, not the state average
Missouri's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Morning Glory needs about 7 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how morning glory performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Morning Glory in Missouri — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 27 - Apr 2 to Oct 31 - Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 65 days
What Else to Consider for Morning Glory in Missouri
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Missouri growers also need to think about:
Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat
Heavy clay soils in many regions
Ozark soils are thin and rocky
Growing morning glory here specifically
Morning Glory wants pH 4.3–7.5 and rates to USDA zones 2–11, but Missouri's soils are dominantly silt loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match morning glory to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 4.3–7.5 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Missouri grower, not just morning glory — is covered on the Missouri growing guide.
Timing shifts within Missouri
Missouri isn't one climate. In Crawford County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 10 — roughly 12 days later than the recorded state median — so plant morning glory to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Morning Glory needs about 30 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Crawford County — Missouri’s shortest season at 192 frost-free days — clears that by 162 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Missouri. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Missouri’s 115 counties the frost-free season runs from 192 days in Crawford County to 258 days in Pemiscot County — a spread of 66 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Missouri county sees 219 frost-free days, leaving morning glory about 189 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"). Morning Glory's 30-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Missouri Fits Best
Even within Missouri's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for morning glory (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Morning Glory draws honeybees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, morning glory can only work that bloom inside Missouri's frost window — roughly 219 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Morning Glory
Morning Glory is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (seeds) at a moderate level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Worth knowing for placement: in Missouri this is a one-season plant and the first hard freeze (Oct 31 - Nov 7) takes it down, so the exposure above is a summer-long one rather than something standing in the bed all year.
Recommended Morning Glory Varieties for Missouri
Missouri publishes no state variety trial for morning glory, so we won't invent a "best for Missouri" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5b-8a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Missouri Cooperative Extension
For Missouri-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for morning glory, the canonical source is MU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Morning Glory native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Morning Glory as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Missouri 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 Morning Glory in Missouri
When can I plant Morning Glory in Missouri?
Missouri's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Morning Glory is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 50°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Morning Glory mature before first frost in Missouri?
Yes — Morning Glory matures in 65 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Missouri's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 212 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 147 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Morning Glory grown in across Missouri?
Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Morning Glory carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Missouri site have?
A typical Missouri site sees ~219 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Morning Glory needs 30+ 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 Crawford, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Morning Glory native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Morning Glory as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Morning Glory in Missouri?
Morning Glory tolerates pH 4.3-7.5 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.2-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Missouri site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Morning Glory actually grow on my specific land in Missouri?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores morning glory 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 Missouri
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores morning glory against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Missouri morning glory averages can't show:
We read public map data around Missouri — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Missouri morning glory average
Explore More
Growing guides for morning glory
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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