Conditional — Some Areas
Nootka rose (zones 8-13) reaches only part of Pennsylvania (5b-8a): zone 8 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Nootka Rose is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Pennsylvania is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Pennsylvania winter. To grow it here, grow nootka rose in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 8-13 (plant) against 5-7 (Pennsylvania). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Pennsylvania spans zones 5b-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score nootka rose against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Nootka Rose Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-13
- Sun: Part Sun
- Picking window: ~28 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Pennsylvania Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 6 - Apr 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Shale-derived, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-13)
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 Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania
The frost window
Across Pennsylvania, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, 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 184-day window you can count on — up to 211 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.
Winter standing
Pennsylvania runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for nootka rose, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether nootka rose is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Pennsylvania; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Potter 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Nootka Rose likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Pennsylvania's silt loam and shale-derived — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Pennsylvania site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Pennsylvania soil pH runs about 5.0–5.6, and that sits below nootka rose's tolerated 6.5–7, so the typical Pennsylvania parcel needs lime before it will perform. SSURGO maps it swinging by full points parcel to parcel, so your map unit, not the state number, decides whether nootka rose needs lime or sulfur.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Pennsylvania soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 8-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 6 - Apr 24 to Oct 25 - Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Pennsylvania growers also need to think about:
Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region
Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies
Deer pressure is among the highest in the US
Growing nootka rose here specifically
Nootka Rose wants soil pH 6.5–7.0, but Pennsylvania's soils run acidic (SSURGO maps a dominant pH near 5.3) — below its range, nutrients lock up and growth stalls.
Test your soil and lime to raise pH into nootka rose's 6.5–7.0 range before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Pennsylvania grower, not just nootka rose — is covered on the Pennsylvania growing guide.
Timing shifts within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania isn't one climate. In Potter County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 5 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant nootka rose to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Pennsylvania Nootka Rose Is Zone-Hardy
Nootka Rose is rated for USDA zones 8–13. No Pennsylvania county reaches it. Even Philadelphia County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7b, sits below the plant’s zone 8 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 67 counties Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Cambria County to zone 7b in Philadelphia County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band nootka rose needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Nootka Rose’s zone 8–13 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Nootka Rose draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, nootka rose can only work that bloom inside Pennsylvania's frost window — roughly 197 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 6 - Apr 24) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension
For Pennsylvania-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for nootka rose, the canonical source is Penn State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Nootka Rose native to Pennsylvania?
Nootka Rose is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Pennsylvania. It can still earn a place in a Pennsylvania garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Pennsylvania 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 Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania
When can I plant Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Nootka Rose, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Pennsylvania and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Nootka Rose grown in across Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Nootka Rose carries a range of zones 8-13, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Pennsylvania site have?
A typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Nootka Rose should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Potter, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Nootka Rose native to Pennsylvania?
Nootka Rose is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Pennsylvania. It can still earn a place in a Pennsylvania garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Nootka Rose in Pennsylvania?
Nootka Rose prefers pH 6.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Pennsylvania soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Nootka Rose actually grow on my specific land in Pennsylvania?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores nootka rose 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 Pennsylvania
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores nootka rose against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Pennsylvania nootka rose averages can't show:
We read public map data around Pennsylvania — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Pennsylvania nootka rose average
Explore More
Growing guides for nootka rose
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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