Yes — Strong Match
nicotiana (zones 2-11) covers every zone Maryland contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Nicotiana in Maryland — the short answer
Nicotiana in Maryland: hardy in zones 2–11, part sun, against a state median of ~238 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
- Maryland zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 18 - Mar 29 – Nov 11 - Nov 27
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 190 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.
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 Maryland site runs ~238 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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Maryland is not one climate
A single Maryland answer averages 24 counties whose growing seasons are 80 days apart — from 190 frost-free days in Garrett County to 270 in Talbot County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what nicotiana can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 24 counties runs 225–255 days, with a median of 237 days — a 80-day span end to end.
Measured across 24 Maryland counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 Maryland Fits Best
Even within Maryland's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for nicotiana (USDA PHZM 2023):
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
Maryland Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 18 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 11 - Nov 27
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay, Sandy loam (Eastern Shore)
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
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 Nicotiana in Maryland
The frost window
Across Maryland, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 227-day window you can count on — up to 254 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
Nicotiana is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — 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. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
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 Maryland's late-side last freeze of Mar 29 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 157 days to spare even in Maryland'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 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 Maryland site sees ~238 (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 ~3789 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maryland'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 Maryland's silt loam and clay — 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 Maryland soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maryland 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. Maryland soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Nicotiana in Maryland
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maryland growers also need to think about:
Heavy Piedmont clay drains poorly
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Deer pressure in suburban areas is extreme
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just nicotiana — is covered on the Maryland growing guide.
Timing shifts within Maryland
Nicotiana needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Garrett County — Maryland’s shortest season at 190 frost-free days — clears that by 130 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Maryland. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Maryland’s 24 counties the frost-free season runs from 190 days in Garrett County to 270 days in Talbot County — a spread of 80 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Maryland county sees 238 frost-free days, leaving nicotiana about 178 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"). 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.
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 Maryland's frost window — roughly 238 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 18 - Mar 29) and closing at the first (Nov 11 - Nov 27), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
For Maryland-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for nicotiana, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Nicotiana native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Nicotiana as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Maryland 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 Maryland
When can I plant Nicotiana in Maryland?
Maryland's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Nicotiana is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Nicotiana mature before first frost in Maryland?
Yes — Nicotiana matures in 70 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Maryland's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 227 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 157 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 Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (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 Maryland site have?
A typical Maryland site sees ~238 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 Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Nicotiana as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Nicotiana in Maryland?
Nicotiana prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Maryland 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 Maryland?
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 Maryland
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 Maryland nicotiana averages can't show:
We read public map data around Maryland — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maryland nicotiana average
Explore More
Growing guides for nicotiana
Explore Maryland county by county
Maryland carries 24 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for nicotiana there:
Where else nicotiana grows
Nicotiana's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Maryland in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Maryland
Maryland has a growing page for 1,020 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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