Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
paper mulberry (zones 6-10) does not overlap with South Dakota's zone range (4a-5b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Paper Mulberry is hardy to zone 6, and the warmest ground in South Dakota is zone 5 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a South Dakota winter. To grow it here, grow paper mulberry 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 6-10 (plant) against 4-5 (South Dakota). 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.
South Dakota spans zones 4a-5b, 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 paper mulberry 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
Paper Mulberry Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-10
- Sun: Full Sun
South Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-5b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 22 - Apr 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 15
- Annual Rainfall: 14-26 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-10)
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 Paper Mulberry in South Dakota
The frost window
Across South Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 163-day window you can count on — up to 176 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
South Dakota runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for paper mulberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether paper mulberry is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within South Dakota; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Lawrence 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
Paper Mulberry tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8) — 3.5 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in South Dakota. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a South Dakota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your South Dakota site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
South Dakota's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Paper Mulberry 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 paper mulberry performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. South Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Paper Mulberry in South Dakota — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 6-10 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 22 - Apr 29 to Oct 9 - Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Paper Mulberry in South Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but South Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold and short growing season
Low rainfall in western SD
Wind exposure on the open prairie
Growing paper mulberry here specifically
Paper Mulberry needs pH 4.5–8.0; South Dakota's dominant loam soils may or may not deliver that, so your parcel's SSURGO map unit is the real test.
Start with a soil test on your own ground and adjust pH and texture to fit paper mulberry's 4.5–8.0 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every South Dakota grower, not just paper mulberry — is covered on the South Dakota growing guide.
Timing shifts within South Dakota
South Dakota isn't one climate. In Lawrence County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 12 — roughly 17 days later than the recorded state median — so plant paper mulberry 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 South Dakota Paper Mulberry Is Zone-Hardy
Paper Mulberry is rated for USDA zones 6–10. No South Dakota county reaches it. Even Custer County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 5b, sits below the plant’s zone 6 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 66 counties South Dakota’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Brown County to zone 5b in Custer 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 paper mulberry needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Paper Mulberry’s zone 6–10 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension
For South Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for paper mulberry, the canonical source is SDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Paper Mulberry native to South Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Paper Mulberry as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The South Dakota 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 Paper Mulberry in South Dakota
When can I plant Paper Mulberry in South Dakota?
South Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and Apr 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 15 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Paper Mulberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in South Dakota 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 Paper Mulberry grown in across South Dakota?
South Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Paper Mulberry carries a range of zones 6-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical South Dakota site have?
A typical South Dakota site sees ~168 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Paper Mulberry 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 Lawrence, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Paper Mulberry native to South Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Paper Mulberry as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of South Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few South Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Paper Mulberry in South Dakota?
Paper Mulberry tolerates pH 4.5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.5-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a South Dakota site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Paper Mulberry actually grow on my specific land in South Dakota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores paper mulberry 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 South Dakota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores paper mulberry against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that South Dakota paper mulberry averages can't show:
We read public map data around South Dakota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the South Dakota paper mulberry average
Explore More
Growing guides for paper mulberry
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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