Yes — Strong Match
pachysandra (zones 5-9) covers every zone Missouri contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Missouri 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 pachysandra 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Pachysandra Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-9
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Missouri Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 7
- Annual Rainfall: 34-50 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Loess
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-9)
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 Pachysandra in Missouri
The frost window
Across Missouri, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 212-day window you can count on — up to 225 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
Missouri runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for pachysandra, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether pachysandra is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Missouri; 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says pachysandra survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Pachysandra wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Missouri site sees ~219 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
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
Pachysandra likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Missouri's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Missouri soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Missouri 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. Missouri soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Pachysandra in Missouri — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 5-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 27 - Apr 2 to Oct 31 - Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Pachysandra in Missouri
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Missouri growers also need to think about:
Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat
Heavy clay soils in many regions
Ozark soils are thin and rocky
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Missouri grower, not just pachysandra — is covered on the Missouri growing guide.
Timing shifts within Missouri
Pachysandra needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Crawford County — Missouri’s shortest season at 192 frost-free days — clears that by 72 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Missouri. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Missouri’s 115 counties the frost-free season runs from 192 days in Crawford County to 258 days in Pemiscot County — a spread of 66 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Missouri county sees 219 frost-free days, leaving pachysandra about 99 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"). Pachysandra's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Missouri Fits Best
Even within Missouri's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for pachysandra (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Pachysandra draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, pachysandra can only work that bloom inside Missouri's frost window — roughly 219 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Missouri Cooperative Extension
For Missouri-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for pachysandra, the canonical source is MU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Pachysandra native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Pachysandra as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Missouri 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 Pachysandra in Missouri
When can I plant Pachysandra in Missouri?
Missouri's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Pachysandra, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Missouri 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 Pachysandra grown in across Missouri?
Missouri spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Pachysandra carries a range of zones 5-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Missouri site have?
A typical Missouri site sees ~219 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Pachysandra needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Pachysandra native to Missouri?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Pachysandra as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Missouri's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Missouri natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Pachysandra in Missouri?
Pachysandra prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Missouri soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Pachysandra actually grow on my specific land in Missouri?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores pachysandra 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 Missouri
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores pachysandra against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Missouri pachysandra averages can't show:
We read public map data around Missouri — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Missouri pachysandra average
Explore More
Growing guides for pachysandra
Last updated: