Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
oceanspray (zones 8-13) does not overlap with Kansas's zone range (5b-7a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Oceanspray is hardy to zone 8, and the warmest ground in Kansas is zone 7 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Kansas winter. To grow it here, grow oceanspray 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 (Kansas). 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.
Kansas spans zones 5b-7a, 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 oceanspray 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
Oceanspray Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-13
- Frost-Free Days: 250+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Drought tolerance: Low
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 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 Oceanspray 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.
Winter standing
Kansas runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for oceanspray, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether oceanspray is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Kansas; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Greeley 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says oceanspray does not survive a Kansas winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Kansas under protection.
Frost-free days
Oceanspray wants 250+ frost-free days; a typical Kansas site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 42 days short of what it needs. A typical Kansas season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
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
Oceanspray likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Kansas's prairie loam and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Kansas's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for oceanspray is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how oceanspray performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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.
Oceanspray in Kansas — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 8-13 (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)
What Else to Consider for Oceanspray 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
Growing oceanspray here specifically
Oceanspray wants pH 6.5–7.5 and rates to USDA zones 8–13, but Kansas's soils are dominantly silt loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match oceanspray to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 6.5–7.5 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Kansas grower, not just oceanspray — is covered on the Kansas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Kansas
Kansas isn't one climate. In Greeley County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 23 — roughly 18 days later than the recorded state median — so plant oceanspray to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Oceanspray needs about 250 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Kansas county gives it that outdoors: even Crawford County, the state’s longest season at 231 frost-free days, falls 19 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
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"). Oceanspray's 250-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
Oceanspray draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, oceanspray 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 oceanspray, 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 Oceanspray native to Kansas?
Oceanspray is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Kansas. It can still earn a place in a Kansas garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
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 Oceanspray in Kansas
When can I plant Oceanspray 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). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Oceanspray, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Kansas 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 Oceanspray grown in across Kansas?
Kansas spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Oceanspray 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 Kansas site have?
A typical Kansas site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Oceanspray needs 250+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Greeley, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Oceanspray native to Kansas?
Oceanspray is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Kansas. It can still earn a place in a Kansas garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Oceanspray in Kansas?
Oceanspray prefers pH 6.5-7.5 (USDA PLANTS). 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 Oceanspray actually grow on my specific land in Kansas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores oceanspray 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 oceanspray against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Kansas oceanspray averages can't show:
We read public map data around Kansas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Kansas oceanspray average
Explore More
Growing guides for oceanspray
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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