Nemesia is an annual grown for its blooms, which open from spring through summer. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 10, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Zones
2-10
pH Range
5.5-7.5
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
55
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What Nemesia is
Nemesia grows as an annual and reaches around a foot at maturity. It blooms from spring through summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Nemesia
Nemesia grows in USDA zones 2 through 10. Nemesia does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 800 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 60 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
2-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Days to Maturity
55 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
800+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
1 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
60+
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 nemesia in full sun with at least 6 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
Nemesia prefers pH 5.5 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 its peak
Cut nemesia blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — nemesia isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Nemesia offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Where Nemesia thrives
On hardiness alone, nemesia grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 10) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 2–10·Where Nemesia growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Nemesia can grow in these states:
See if Nemesia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether nemesia 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Nemesia in my zone?
Nemesia grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Nemesia?
Nemesia 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 Nemesia need?
Nemesia needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Nemesia need?
Nemesia prefers soil pH 5.5 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 Nemesia attract pollinators?
Yes — nemesia's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Nemesia safe for pets?
Nemesia is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)