napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis), photographi

Can I Grow Napa Cabbage in Wyoming?

USDA Zones 3b-6a · Plant zone range 2-11

Yes — Strong Match

napa cabbage (zones 2-11) covers every zone Wyoming contains (3b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Napa Cabbage in Wyoming — the short answer

Napa Cabbage in Wyoming: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~151 frost-free days.

Plant zones
2-11
Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Wyoming zones
3b-6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
May 4 - May 13 – Sep 30 - Oct 7
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
79 days
NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Days to maturity
70 days
Growable Ground Plant Database

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Napa Cabbage is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Wyoming site runs ~151 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 napa cabbage against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Wyoming is not one climate

Wyoming’s winter-low ladder runs across 23 counties, from zone 4.5 in Albany County to zone 5.5 in Uinta County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between napa cabbage overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

4.5 zonesAlbany County5.5 zonesUinta County

The middle half of 23 counties runs 4.55 zones, with a median of 5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.

Measured across 23 Wyoming counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.

Where in Wyoming Fits Best

Even within Wyoming's zones 3b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for napa cabbage (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Napa Cabbage Needs

  • USDA Zones: 2-11
  • Frost-Free Days: 40+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~14 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Wyoming Has

  • USDA Zones: 3b-6a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 4 - May 13
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 30 - Oct 7
  • Annual Rainfall: 6-20 inches
  • Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Alkaline

Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)

2a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.07.0

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Napa Cabbage in Wyoming

The frost window

Across Wyoming, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 140-day window you can count on — up to 156 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.

When to start the seed

Those dates are when napa cabbage goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from Wyoming's late-side last freeze of May 13 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 70 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 70 days to spare even in Wyoming's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.

Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. 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 napa cabbage survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Frost-free days

Napa Cabbage wants 40+ frost-free days; a typical Wyoming site sees ~151 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.

Growing degree days

Napa Cabbage needs ~1300 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1866 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Wyoming'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

Napa Cabbage likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7). That's the common-ground band across Wyoming's sandy loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. 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 Wyoming soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wyoming site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Wyoming soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Before you plant napa cabbage for food

Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before napa cabbage goes in. What follows is Wyoming’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.

Safe to Grow Here?

What the federal record shows across Wyoming — and how to grow with it.

Federal record: High

We checked the federal record across Wyoming10,910 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.

The most significant on record: 64 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.

Wyoming carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.

Know before you grow — the guide

Sources Checked

across Wyoming

Severity Distribution

across Wyoming

High42Moderate5,938Low4,930

Highest-Severity Sites

Mining Sites · Past Producer
Superfund · Superfund NPL
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Mining Sites · Past Producer
Mining Sites · Past Producer

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Wyoming, Nitrate runs higher than the national average — 4,750 sites across Wyoming. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.

Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).

Sources: EPA, USGS1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.

What Else to Consider for Napa Cabbage in Wyoming

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wyoming growers also need to think about:

Extremely short growing season (60-90 frost-free days)

Very low rainfall requires irrigation

Persistent high winds desiccate and damage plants

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Wyoming grower, not just napa cabbage — is covered on the Wyoming growing guide.

Timing shifts within Wyoming

Napa Cabbage needs about 40 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Teton County — Wyoming’s shortest season at 79 frost-free days — clears that by 39 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Wyoming. What varies is your own parcel.

Across Wyoming’s 23 counties the frost-free season runs from 79 days in Teton County to 166 days in Big Horn County — a spread of 87 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Wyoming county sees 151 frost-free days, leaving napa cabbage about 111 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"). Napa Cabbage's 40-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Napa Cabbage draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, napa cabbage can only work that bloom inside Wyoming's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 4 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 30 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Wyoming Cooperative Extension

For Wyoming-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for napa cabbage, the canonical source is University of Wyoming Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Napa Cabbage native to Wyoming?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Napa Cabbage as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wyoming's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wyoming natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Wyoming 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 Napa Cabbage in Wyoming

When can I plant Napa Cabbage in Wyoming?

Wyoming's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.

Can Napa Cabbage mature before first frost in Wyoming?

Yes — Napa Cabbage matures in 70 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Wyoming's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 140 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 70 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 Napa Cabbage grown in across Wyoming?

Wyoming spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Napa Cabbage 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 Wyoming site have?

A typical Wyoming site sees ~151 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Napa Cabbage needs 40+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.

Is Napa Cabbage native to Wyoming?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Napa Cabbage as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wyoming's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wyoming natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Napa Cabbage in Wyoming?

Napa Cabbage prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Wyoming soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Napa Cabbage actually grow on my specific land in Wyoming?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores napa cabbage against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Wyoming

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores napa cabbage against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Wyoming napa cabbage averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Wyoming averages 151Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Wyoming — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Wyoming napa cabbage average

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