Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
parsley (zones 5-9) does not overlap with North Dakota's zone range (3b-4b). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
North Dakota spans zones 3b-4b, 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 parsley against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Zone Comparison
Parsley Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-9
- Frost-Free Days: 70+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
North Dakota Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-4b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 30 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 4 - Oct 9
- Annual Rainfall: 14-22 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay (Red River Valley), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-9)
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 Parsley in North Dakota
The frost window
Across North Dakota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 151-day window you can count on — up to 162 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
Parsley is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 44.6°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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when parsley goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 7 weeks ahead, so counting back from North Dakota's late-side last freeze of May 6 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 75 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 76 days to spare even in North Dakota's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 parsley does not survive a North Dakota 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 North Dakota under protection.
Frost-free days
Parsley wants 70+ frost-free days; a typical North Dakota site sees ~157 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Parsley needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1913 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so North Dakota'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
Parsley tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5.3-8.3) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in North 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 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Dakota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Dakota site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. North Dakota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Parsley in North Dakota — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 5-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-4b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 30 - May 6 to Oct 4 - Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 75 days
What Else to Consider for Parsley in North Dakota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Dakota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold (-40F) and short growing season
Persistent wind desiccates plants
Low rainfall in western ND
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every North Dakota grower, not just parsley — is covered on the North Dakota growing guide.
Timing shifts within North Dakota
Parsley needs about 70 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Bottineau County — North Dakota’s shortest season at 141 frost-free days — clears that by 71 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in North Dakota. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Parsley's 70-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Parsley draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, parsley can only work that bloom inside North Dakota's frost window — roughly 157 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 30 - May 6) and closing at the first (Oct 4 - Oct 9), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
North Dakota Cooperative Extension
For North Dakota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for parsley, the canonical source is NDSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Parsley native to North Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Parsley as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The North 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 Parsley in North Dakota
When can I plant Parsley in North Dakota?
North Dakota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 30 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 4 and Oct 9 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Parsley is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 44.6°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 Parsley mature before first frost in North Dakota?
Yes — Parsley matures in 75 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and North Dakota's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 151 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 76 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 Parsley grown in across North Dakota?
North Dakota spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-4b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Parsley carries a range of zones 5-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Dakota site have?
A typical North Dakota site sees ~157 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Parsley needs 70+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Parsley native to North Dakota?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Parsley as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of North Dakota's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few North Dakota natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Parsley in North Dakota?
Parsley tolerates pH 5.3-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a North Dakota site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Parsley actually grow on my specific land in North Dakota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores parsley 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 North Dakota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores parsley against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Dakota parsley averages can't show:
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