Conditional — Some Areas
plantain (zones 9-11) reaches only part of Oregon (5a-10a): zones 9-10 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Oregon spans zones 5a-10a, 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 plantain 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Plantain Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-11
- Mature size: 15 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Oregon Has
- USDA Zones: 5a-10a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 25 - Apr 26
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 19 - Nov 26
- Annual Rainfall: 8-90 inches
- Common Soils: Volcanic, Silt loam (Willamette), Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-11)
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Plantain in Oregon
The frost window
Across Oregon, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 176-day window you can count on — up to 274 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.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 300 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), even Oregon's kindest 274-day season runs short — challenging without season extension. An indoor start plus row cover on both shoulders of the season closes the gap.
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 plantain survives winter in part of Oregon, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
Plantain matures in ~300 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Oregon site has ~213 frost-free days, so tight — start indoors or use season-extension to close the gap.
Growing degree days
Plantain needs ~5000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1666 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Oregon's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
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.
Plantain in Oregon — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 9-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 25 - Apr 26 to Oct 19 - Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 300 days
What Else to Consider for Plantain in Oregon
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Oregon growers also need to think about:
West side: excessive rain and overcast skies reduce sun for warm-season crops
East side: arid conditions (8-15 inches rainfall) require irrigation
Slug pressure is extreme in western Oregon
Mountain areas have very short seasons (60-90 frost-free days)
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Oregon grower, not just plantain — is covered on the Oregon growing guide.
Timing shifts within Oregon
Plantain needs about 300 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. 1 of Oregon’s 36 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Lincoln County at 308 frost-free days — 8 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Oregon’s 36 counties the frost-free season runs from 86 days in Klamath County to 308 days in Lincoln County — a spread of 222 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Oregon county sees 213 frost-free days, which is 87 days short of what plantain needs — so on a typical Oregon parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.
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"). Plantain's 300-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Oregon Fits Best
Even within Oregon's zones 5a-10a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for plantain (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Plantain draws hummingbirds (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, plantain can only work that bloom inside Oregon's frost window — roughly 213 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 25 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 19 - Nov 26), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Oregon Cooperative Extension
For Oregon-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for plantain, the canonical source is OSU Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Plantain in Oregon
When can I plant Plantain in Oregon?
Oregon's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (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 Plantain mature before first frost in Oregon?
Plantain needs 300 days to mature (USDA PLANTS Database), and even Oregon's longest typical season runs 274 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — challenging without season extension. An indoor start plus row cover on both season shoulders closes the gap.
What hardiness zone is Plantain grown in across Oregon?
Oregon spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Plantain carries a range of zones 9-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Oregon site have?
A typical Oregon site sees ~213 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Plantain 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.
Will Plantain actually grow on my specific land in Oregon?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores plantain 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 Oregon
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores plantain against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Oregon plantain averages can't show:
We read public map data around Oregon — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Oregon plantain average
Explore More
Growing guides for plantain
Last updated: