Yes — Strong Match
nicotiana (zones 2-11) covers every zone Kansas contains (5b-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Nicotiana is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Kansas site runs ~208 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 nicotiana against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Nicotiana Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Kansas Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 1 - Apr 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 16-42 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Silt loam, Clay
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 Nicotiana in Kansas
The frost window
Across Kansas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 1 and Apr 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 196-day window you can count on — up to 216 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 nicotiana goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Kansas's late-side last freeze of Apr 12 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 (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 126 days to spare even in Kansas's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 nicotiana survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Nicotiana wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Kansas site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Nicotiana needs ~1300 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3821 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Kansas'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
Nicotiana likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Kansas's prairie loam and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Kansas soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Kansas 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. Kansas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Nicotiana in Kansas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 1 - Apr 12 to Oct 25 - Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 70 days
What Else to Consider for Nicotiana in Kansas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Kansas growers also need to think about:
Low rainfall in western KS requires irrigation
Extreme wind and hail during severe storm season
Hot dry summers with 100F+ days
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Kansas grower, not just nicotiana — is covered on the Kansas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Kansas
Nicotiana needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Greeley County — Kansas’s shortest season at 177 frost-free days — clears that by 117 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Kansas. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Nicotiana's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Kansas Fits Best
Even within Kansas's zones 5b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for nicotiana (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Nicotiana draws moths, hummingbirds, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, nicotiana can only work that bloom inside Kansas's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 1 - Apr 12) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Kansas Cooperative Extension
For Kansas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for nicotiana, the canonical source is K-State Research and Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Nicotiana native to Kansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Nicotiana as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Kansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Kansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Kansas 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 Nicotiana in Kansas
When can I plant Nicotiana in Kansas?
Kansas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 1 and Apr 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (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 Nicotiana mature before first frost in Kansas?
Yes — Nicotiana matures in 70 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Kansas's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 196 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 126 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 Nicotiana grown in across Kansas?
Kansas spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Nicotiana 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 Kansas site have?
A typical Kansas site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Nicotiana needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Nicotiana native to Kansas?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Nicotiana as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Kansas's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Kansas natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Nicotiana in Kansas?
Nicotiana prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Kansas soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Nicotiana actually grow on my specific land in Kansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores nicotiana 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 Kansas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores nicotiana against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Kansas nicotiana averages can't show:
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