Pacific Madrone is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 13 and shrugs off dry spells. Its mid spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Pacific Madrone — the short answer
Pacific Madrone: grown in zones 9–13, part sun, pH 4.5–7.4.
- USDA zones
- 9–13
- 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
- Soil pH
- 4.5–7.4
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Pacific Madrone on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether pacific madrone actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score pacific madrone against your land's real conditions.
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What Pacific Madrone is
Pacific Madrone grows as a perennial and reaches around 50 feet at maturity. It blooms white in mid spring.
How to grow Pacific Madrone
Pacific Madrone grows in USDA zones 9 through 13. Pacific Madrone does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7.4. It needs about 200 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
9-13
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 7.4
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
13°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
50 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
200+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set pacific madrone in part sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Pacific Madrone prefers pH 4.5 to 7.4 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Pacific Madrone thrives
Pacific Madrone is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 13. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–13 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 70°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–13·Where Pacific Madrone growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
Where Pacific Madrone stands, state by state
Pacific Madrone is rated for zones 9–13 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Pacific Madrone’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Pacific Madrone
Growing guides for pacific madrone
In rotation planning, pacific madrone counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — pacific madrone isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Pacific Madrone offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Pacific Madrone's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Pacific Madrone will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether pacific madrone actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Pacific Madrone
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Pacific Madrone in my zone?
Pacific Madrone grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 13 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Pacific Madrone?
Set pacific madrone out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Pacific Madrone need?
Pacific Madrone does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Pacific Madrone need?
Pacific Madrone prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7.4 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Pacific Madrone attract pollinators?
Yes — pacific madrone's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Pacific Madrone safe for pets?
Pacific Madrone is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)