Conditional — Some Areas
Pacific madrone (zones 9-13) reaches only part of Utah (4a-9a): zone 9 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Utah spans zones 4a-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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Pacific Madrone Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-13
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 50 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Utah Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 8 - Oct 27
- Annual Rainfall: 5-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Alkaline clay, Desert sand
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 Utah
The frost window
Across Utah, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 155-day window you can count on — up to 198 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
Utah runs as cold as USDA zone 4, 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 Utah; 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 pacific madrone survives winter in part of Utah, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Chill hours
Pacific Madrone requires ~200 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Utah typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Pacific Madrone likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7.4). That's the common-ground band across Utah's sandy loam and alkaline clay — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Utah soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Pacific Madrone in Utah — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 9-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 12 - May 6 to Oct 8 - Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Pacific Madrone in Utah
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Utah growers also need to think about:
Very low rainfall — irrigation essential
Alkaline soils (pH 7.5-8.5) limit many species
High altitude frost risk in mountain valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Utah grower, not just pacific madrone — is covered on the Utah growing guide.
Where in Utah Pacific Madrone Is Zone-Hardy
Pacific Madrone is rated for USDA zones 9–13. No Utah county reaches it. Even Washington County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7b, 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 29 counties Utah’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Rich County to zone 7b in Washington County — 3 USDA zones of spread, which is 30°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 Utah's frost window — roughly 175 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - May 6) and closing at the first (Oct 8 - Oct 27), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Utah Cooperative Extension
For Utah-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for pacific madrone, the canonical source is Utah State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Pacific Madrone native to Utah?
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 Utah. It can still earn a place in a Utah garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Utah 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 Utah
When can I plant Pacific Madrone in Utah?
Utah's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (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 Utah 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 Utah?
Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-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 Utah site have?
A typical Utah site sees ~175 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 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.
Is Pacific Madrone native to Utah?
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 Utah. It can still earn a place in a Utah garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Pacific Madrone in Utah?
Pacific Madrone prefers pH 4.5-7.4 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Utah 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 Utah?
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 Utah
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 Utah pacific madrone averages can't show:
We read public map data around Utah — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Utah pacific madrone average
Explore More
Growing guides for pacific madrone
Last updated: