Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
Panama rubber tree (zones 12-12) does not overlap with Arizona's zone range (5b-10b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Panama Rubber Tree is hardy to zone 12, and the warmest ground in Arizona is zone 10 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Arizona winter. To grow it here, grow panama rubber tree in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 12-12 (plant) against 5-10 (Arizona). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona — the short answer
Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona: hardy in zones 12–12, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 12-12
- Hardy to zone 12a: Tropical Plants Database (Useful Tropical Plants) lists 10 °C, converted to zone 12a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.
- Arizona zones
- 5b-10b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 1 - Apr 2 – Nov 13 - Dec 12
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 150 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Arizona spans zones 5b-10b, 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 panama rubber tree 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 parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Arizona is not one climate
Arizona’s winter-low ladder runs across 15 counties, from zone 6 in Coconino County to zone 9.5 in Yuma County. That is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between panama rubber tree overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 15 counties runs 7.5–9.5 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 3.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 15 Arizona counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Panama Rubber Tree Stands in Arizona
Panama Rubber Tree is rated for zones 12–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 50 to 60°F. No Arizona county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Arizona winters, not about panama rubber tree.
Below the zone 12 floor
15 counties
- Coconino County · zone 6a
- Apache County · zone 6b
- Navajo County · zone 7a
3 of 15 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Panama Rubber Tree Needs
- USDA Zones: 12-12
- Sun: Full Sun
Arizona Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-10b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 1 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 13 - Dec 12
- Annual Rainfall: 3-25 inches
- Common Soils: Caliche, Sandy loam, Desert pavement
Plant Zone Range (zones 12-12)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona
The frost window
Across Arizona, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 1 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 13 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 225-day window you can count on — up to 314 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
Arizona runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for panama rubber tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether panama rubber tree is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Arizona; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Coconino County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Panama Rubber Tree likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Arizona's caliche and sandy 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 Arizona soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Arizona site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
Your land, not the state average
Arizona's soils run mostly sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Panama Rubber Tree needs about 59 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how panama rubber tree performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Arizona soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Arizona growers also need to think about:
Extreme heat exceeding 110F stresses most plants
Minimal rainfall requires drip irrigation
Caliche hardpan prevents root penetration without breaking through
Growing panama rubber tree here specifically
Panama Rubber Tree sends deep roots and rates to zones 12–12, but much of Arizona sits on slow-draining, restrictive ground (SSURGO hydrologic group D) that forks and stunts them.
Loosen a deep, stone-free bed for panama rubber tree and break any compacted or hardpan layer before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Arizona grower, not just panama rubber tree — is covered on the Arizona growing guide.
Timing shifts within Arizona
Arizona isn't one climate. In Coconino County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 15 — roughly 78 days later than the recorded state median — so plant panama rubber tree 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 Arizona Panama Rubber Tree Is Zone-Hardy
Panama Rubber Tree is rated for USDA zones 12–12. No Arizona county reaches it. Even Yuma County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 9b, sits below the plant’s zone 12 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 15 counties Arizona’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Coconino County to zone 9b in Yuma County — 3.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band panama rubber tree needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Panama Rubber Tree’s zone 12–12 band: Hardy to zone 12a: Tropical Plants Database (Useful Tropical Plants) lists 10 °C, converted to zone 12a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Good to Know Before You Plant Panama Rubber Tree
Panama Rubber Tree is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (sap) at a mild level. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.) Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
For Arizona-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for panama rubber tree, the canonical source is University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona
When can I plant Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona?
Arizona's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 1 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 13 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Panama Rubber Tree, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Arizona 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 Panama Rubber Tree grown in across Arizona?
Arizona spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Panama Rubber Tree is listed for zones 12-12, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Arizona where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Arizona site have?
A typical Arizona site sees ~266 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Panama Rubber Tree needs 330+ 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 Coconino, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Panama Rubber Tree in Arizona?
Panama Rubber Tree prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Arizona soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Panama Rubber Tree actually grow on my specific land in Arizona?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores panama rubber tree against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Arizona
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores panama rubber tree against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Arizona panama rubber tree averages can't show:
We read public map data around Arizona — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Arizona panama rubber tree average
Explore More
Growing guides for panama rubber tree
Explore Arizona county by county
Arizona carries 15 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for panama rubber tree there:
Where else panama rubber tree grows
Panama Rubber Tree's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Arizona in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Arizona
Arizona has a growing page for 1,036 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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