Yes — Strong Match
phacelia (zones 2-11) covers every zone Mississippi contains (7b-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Phacelia in Mississippi — the short answer
Phacelia in Mississippi: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~273 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- 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
- Mississippi zones
- 7b-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 17 - Mar 3 – Nov 21 - Nov 30
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 232 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 45 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.
Phacelia is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Mississippi site runs ~273 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 phacelia against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Mississippi is not one climate
A single Mississippi answer averages 82 counties whose growing seasons are 77 days apart — from 232 frost-free days in Tishomingo County to 309 in Harrison County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what phacelia can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 82 counties runs 262–286 days, with a median of 272 days — a 77-day span end to end.
Measured across 82 Mississippi 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 Mississippi Fits Best
Even within Mississippi's zones 7b-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for phacelia (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Phacelia Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 100+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Mississippi Has
- USDA Zones: 7b-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 - Nov 30
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Alluvial clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Phacelia in Mississippi
The frost window
Across Mississippi, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 263-day window you can count on — up to 286 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 hardiness
Phacelia takes cold down to about 18°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP), so you can plant on the early side of Mississippi's window — even a few weeks before the final hard freeze. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Phacelia is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Mississippi's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 45 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 218 days to spare even in Mississippi'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 phacelia survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Phacelia wants 100+ frost-free days; a typical Mississippi site sees ~273 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Phacelia needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~5404 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Mississippi'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
Phacelia likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.4-8.6). That's the common-ground band across Mississippi's loess and alluvial clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Mississippi soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Mississippi 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. Mississippi soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Phacelia in Mississippi
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Mississippi growers also need to think about:
Extreme summer heat and humidity
Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region
Frequent severe storms and flooding
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Mississippi grower, not just phacelia — is covered on the Mississippi growing guide.
Timing shifts within Mississippi
Phacelia needs about 100 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Tishomingo County — Mississippi’s shortest season at 232 frost-free days — clears that by 132 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Mississippi. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Mississippi’s 82 counties the frost-free season runs from 232 days in Tishomingo County to 309 days in Harrison County — a spread of 77 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Mississippi county sees 273 frost-free days, leaving phacelia about 173 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"). Phacelia's 100-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
Phacelia draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, phacelia can only work that bloom inside Mississippi's frost window — roughly 273 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 3) and closing at the first (Nov 21 - Nov 30), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Mississippi Cooperative Extension
For Mississippi-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for phacelia, the canonical source is Mississippi State University Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Phacelia native to Mississippi?
Phacelia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Mississippi. It can still earn a place in a Mississippi garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Mississippi 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 Phacelia in Mississippi
When can I plant Phacelia in Mississippi?
Mississippi's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Phacelia takes cold to about 18°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor), so plant on the early side of that window — even ahead of the final hard freeze.
Can Phacelia mature before first frost in Mississippi?
Yes — Phacelia matures in 45 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Mississippi's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 263 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 218 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 Phacelia grown in across Mississippi?
Mississippi spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Phacelia carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Mississippi site have?
A typical Mississippi site sees ~273 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Phacelia needs 100+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Phacelia native to Mississippi?
Phacelia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Mississippi. It can still earn a place in a Mississippi garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Phacelia in Mississippi?
Phacelia prefers pH 6.4-8.6 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Mississippi soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Phacelia actually grow on my specific land in Mississippi?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores phacelia 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 Mississippi
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores phacelia against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Mississippi phacelia averages can't show:
We read public map data around Mississippi — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Mississippi phacelia average
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