Conditional — Some Areas
Pacific madrone (zones 9-13) reaches only part of Alaska (1a-9a): zone 9 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Pacific Madrone is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in Alaska is zone 8 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Alaska winter. To grow it here, grow pacific madrone 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 9-13 (plant) against 1-8 (Alaska). 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.
Alaska spans zones 1a-9a, 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 pacific madrone 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
Pacific Madrone Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-13
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 50 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Alaska Has
- USDA Zones: 1a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 24 - Oct 29
- Annual Rainfall: 10-160 inches
- Common Soils: Permafrost, Glacial silt, Volcanic ash
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-13)
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 Pacific Madrone in Alaska
The frost window
Across Alaska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 132-day window you can count on — up to 196 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
Alaska runs as cold as USDA zone 1, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for pacific madrone, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether pacific madrone is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Alaska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — North Slope 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
Pacific Madrone likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7.4). That's the common-ground band across Alaska's permafrost and glacial silt — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Alaska's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for pacific madrone is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how pacific madrone performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Alaska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Pacific Madrone in Alaska — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 9-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 1a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 16 - May 15 to Sep 24 - Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Pacific Madrone in Alaska
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Alaska growers also need to think about:
Extremely short growing season (70-110 frost-free days)
Permafrost prevents deep root growth in many areas
Limited soil development in glacial terrain
Growing pacific madrone here specifically
Pacific Madrone wants pH 4.5–7.4 and rates to USDA zones 9–13, but Alaska's soils are dominantly silt loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match pacific madrone to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 4.5–7.4 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Alaska grower, not just pacific madrone — is covered on the Alaska growing guide.
Timing shifts within Alaska
Alaska isn't one climate. In North Slope County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 7 — roughly 33 days later than the recorded state median — so plant pacific madrone 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 Alaska Pacific Madrone Is Zone-Hardy
Pacific Madrone is rated for USDA zones 9–13. No Alaska county reaches it. Even Yukon-Koyukuk County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 3a-4b, sits below the plant’s zone 9 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 30 counties Alaska’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 3a-4b in Aleutians East County to zone 3a-4b in Yukon-Koyukuk County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band pacific madrone needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Pacific Madrone’s zone 9–13 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
Pacific Madrone draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, pacific madrone can only work that bloom inside Alaska's frost window — roughly 147 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 15) and closing at the first (Sep 24 - Oct 29), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020.
Alaska Cooperative Extension
For Alaska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for pacific madrone, the canonical source is UAF Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Pacific Madrone native to Alaska?
Pacific Madrone is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Alaska. It can still earn a place in a Alaska garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Alaska 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 Pacific Madrone in Alaska
When can I plant Pacific Madrone in Alaska?
Alaska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Pacific Madrone, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Alaska 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 Pacific Madrone grown in across Alaska?
Alaska spans USDA hardiness zones 1a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Pacific Madrone carries a range of zones 9-13, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Alaska site have?
A typical Alaska site sees ~147 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020). Pacific Madrone 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 North Slope, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Pacific Madrone native to Alaska?
Pacific Madrone is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Alaska. It can still earn a place in a Alaska garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Pacific Madrone in Alaska?
Pacific Madrone prefers pH 4.5-7.4 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Alaska soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Pacific Madrone actually grow on my specific land in Alaska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores pacific madrone 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 Alaska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores pacific madrone against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Alaska pacific madrone averages can't show:
We read public map data around Alaska — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Alaska pacific madrone average
Explore More
Growing guides for pacific madrone
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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