Yes — Strong Match
partridge pea (zones 3-9) covers every zone North Carolina contains (6a-9a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Partridge Pea in North Carolina — the short answer
Partridge Pea in North Carolina: hardy in zones 3–9, full sun, against a state median of ~245 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-9
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- North Carolina zones
- 6a-9a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 11 - Mar 24 – Nov 10 - Nov 25
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 178 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 90 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Partridge Pea is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical North Carolina site runs ~245 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score partridge pea against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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North Carolina is not one climate
A single North Carolina answer averages 100 counties whose growing seasons are 125 days apart — from 178 frost-free days in Swain County to 303 in Dare County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what partridge pea can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 100 counties runs 230–257 days, with a median of 245 days — a 125-day span end to end.
Measured across 100 North Carolina counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 in North Carolina Fits Best
Even within North Carolina's zones 6a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for partridge pea (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Partridge Pea Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-9
- Frost-Free Days: 180+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
North Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 11 - Mar 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 10 - Nov 25
- Annual Rainfall: 40-60 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Mountain loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-9)
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 Partridge Pea in North Carolina
The frost window
Across North Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 231-day window you can count on — up to 259 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when partridge pea goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 weeks ahead, so counting back from North Carolina's late-side last freeze of Mar 24 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 90 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 141 days to spare even in North Carolina's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says partridge pea survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Partridge Pea wants 180+ frost-free days; a typical North Carolina site sees ~245 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
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
Partridge Pea likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across North Carolina's red clay (piedmont) and sandy loam (coastal) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Carolina site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. North Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Partridge Pea in North Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay is hard to work and drains poorly
Humidity drives significant disease pressure
Hurricane risk on the coastal plain
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every North Carolina grower, not just partridge pea — is covered on the North Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within North Carolina
Partridge Pea needs about 180 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 99 of North Carolina’s 100 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Haywood County at 184 frost-free days — 4 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across North Carolina’s 100 counties the frost-free season runs from 178 days in Swain County to 303 days in Dare County — a spread of 125 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median North Carolina county sees 245 frost-free days, leaving partridge pea about 65 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"). Partridge Pea's 180-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
Partridge Pea draws native bees and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, partridge pea can only work that bloom inside North Carolina's frost window — roughly 245 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 11 - Mar 24) and closing at the first (Nov 10 - Nov 25), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
For North Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for partridge pea, the canonical source is NC State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Partridge Pea native to North Carolina?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Partridge Pea as native to North Carolina. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Partridge Pea in North Carolina
When can I plant Partridge Pea in North Carolina?
North Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Partridge Pea mature before first frost in North Carolina?
Yes — Partridge Pea matures in 90 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and North Carolina's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 231 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 141 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 Partridge Pea grown in across North Carolina?
North Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Partridge Pea carries a range of zones 3-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Carolina site have?
A typical North Carolina site sees ~245 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Partridge Pea needs 180+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Partridge Pea native to North Carolina?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Partridge Pea as native to North Carolina. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Partridge Pea in North Carolina?
Partridge Pea prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across North Carolina soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Partridge Pea actually grow on my specific land in North Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores partridge pea 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 Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores partridge pea against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Carolina partridge pea averages can't show:
We read public map data around North Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the North Carolina partridge pea average
Explore More
Growing guides for partridge pea
Explore North Carolina county by county
North Carolina carries 100 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for partridge pea there:
Where else partridge pea grows
Partridge Pea's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to North Carolina 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 North Carolina
North Carolina has a growing page for 1,020 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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