Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
Nootka rose (zones 8-13) does not overlap with Rhode Island's zone range (6b-7b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Nootka Rose is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Rhode Island is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Rhode Island 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 6-7 (Rhode Island). 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.
Rhode Island spans zones 6b-7b, 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.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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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
Rhode Island Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 7 - Nov 21
- Annual Rainfall: 44-52 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Coastal sand
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 Rhode Island
The frost window
Across Rhode Island, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 218-day window you can count on — up to 239 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
Rhode Island runs as cold as USDA zone 6, 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 Rhode Island; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 Rhode Island's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Rhode Island site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Rhode Island soil pH runs about 4.6–5.3, and that sits below nootka rose's tolerated 6.5–7, so the typical Rhode Island 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. Rhode Island soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Nootka Rose in Rhode Island — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 8-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 27 - Apr 3 to Nov 7 - Nov 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Nootka Rose in Rhode Island
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Rhode Island growers also need to think about:
Small lot sizes limit garden space in much of the state
Salt spray affects coastal plantings
Rocky glacial soils need clearing
Growing nootka rose here specifically
Nootka Rose wants soil pH 6.5–7.0, but Rhode Island's soils run acidic (SSURGO maps a dominant pH near 4.9) — 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 Rhode Island grower, not just nootka rose — is covered on the Rhode Island growing guide.
Where in Rhode Island Nootka Rose Is Zone-Hardy
Nootka Rose is rated for USDA zones 8–13. No Rhode Island county reaches it. Even Washington County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7a, 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.
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 Rhode Island's frost window — roughly 225 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 3) and closing at the first (Nov 7 - Nov 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Rhode Island Cooperative Extension
For Rhode Island-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for nootka rose, the canonical source is URI Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Nootka Rose native to Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island. It can still earn a place in a Rhode Island garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Rhode Island growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
What pests threaten nootka rose in Rhode Island?
Japanese beetle is documented in Rhode Island, and it hits nootka rose where it counts. Here is what it actually does — and the move that beats it.
Japanese beetle
Act on thisRoses sit at the very top of the Japanese beetle's host list — the University of Kentucky names Rosa species among the plants most likely to be attacked, and even the wild and species roses are favored (the beetle's fondness for multiflora rose is well documented). The University of Minnesota notes the plant itself survives the feeding, but the blossoms are often ruined — the thing you grow a rose for.
What to do: Handpick beetles into a bucket of soapy water daily, in the cool of morning or evening — damaged petals and leaves release an odor that pulls in more beetles, so clearing them lowers next week's numbers. Handpick while the plant is in bloom, then drape fine netting over it once flowering is done. Skip the pheromone traps: University of Kentucky research found they draw in more beetles than they catch.
Documented range: states listed as Japanese-beetle infested · University of Kentucky Entomology, University of Minnesota Extension, National Plant Board
Only pests whose documented range and host relationship both trace to a primary source appear here — so a quiet section means we have nothing sourced to tell you, not that your garden is pest-free.
Common Questions About Growing Nootka Rose in Rhode Island
When can I plant Nootka Rose in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-7b (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 Rhode Island site have?
A typical Rhode Island site sees ~225 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.
Is Nootka Rose native to Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island. It can still earn a place in a Rhode Island garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Nootka Rose in Rhode Island?
Nootka Rose prefers pH 6.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island nootka rose averages can't show:
We read public map data around Rhode Island — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Rhode Island 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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