Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
para grass (zones 10-13) does not overlap with Georgia's zone range (7a-9b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
One zone short — what would close it
Para Grass is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Georgia is zone 9 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Georgia winter. To grow it here, grow para grass 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 10-13 (plant) against 7-9 (Georgia). 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.
Georgia spans zones 7a-9b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score para grass against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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
Para Grass Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-13
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Georgia Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal Plain), Alluvial
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-13)
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 Para Grass in Georgia
The frost window
Across Georgia, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 259-day window you can count on — up to 290 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.
Frost tenderness
Para Grass is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 90 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 169 days to spare even in Georgia's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Towns 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says para grass does not survive a Georgia winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Georgia under protection.
Frost-free days
Para Grass wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Georgia site sees ~275 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Para Grass needs ~3000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~5616 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Georgia's typical season clears that easily.
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
Para Grass tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-7.7) — 3.4 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Georgia. 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 6 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Georgia soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Your land, not the state average
Georgia's soils run mostly loamy sand, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Para Grass needs about 19 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 para grass performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Georgia soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Para Grass in Georgia — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 10-13 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 17 - Mar 10 to Nov 24 - Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 90 days
What Else to Consider for Para Grass in Georgia
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Georgia growers also need to think about:
Heavy red Piedmont clay is difficult to work and drains poorly
High humidity drives fungal diseases in summer
Fire ants are a persistent pest in gardens across the state
Summer heat (90-100F) can stress cool-season crops by May
Growing para grass here specifically
Para Grass wants pH 4.3–7.7 and rates to USDA zones 10–13, but Georgia's soils are dominantly loamy sand — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match para grass to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 4.3–7.7 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Georgia grower, not just para grass — is covered on the Georgia growing guide.
Timing shifts within Georgia
Georgia isn't one climate. In Towns County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 7 — roughly 39 days later than the recorded state median — so plant para grass to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Para Grass needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Towns County — Georgia’s shortest season at 204 frost-free days — clears that by 84 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Georgia. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Georgia’s 159 counties the frost-free season runs from 204 days in Towns County to 305 days in Colquitt County — a spread of 101 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Georgia county sees 275 frost-free days, leaving para grass about 155 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Para Grass's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Georgia Cooperative Extension
For Georgia-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for para grass, the canonical source is UGA Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Para Grass in Georgia
When can I plant Para Grass in Georgia?
Georgia's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 24 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Para Grass is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Para Grass mature before first frost in Georgia?
Yes — Para Grass matures in 90 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Georgia's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 259 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 169 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Para Grass grown in across Georgia?
Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Para Grass carries a range of zones 10-13, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Georgia site have?
A typical Georgia site sees ~275 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Para Grass needs 120+ 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 Towns, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Para Grass in Georgia?
Para Grass tolerates pH 4.3-7.7 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.4-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Georgia site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Para Grass actually grow on my specific land in Georgia?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores para grass 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 Georgia
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores para grass against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Georgia para grass averages can't show:
We read public map data around Georgia — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Georgia para grass average
Explore More
Growing guides for para grass
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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