Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
plumeria (zones 10-12) does not overlap with New Jersey's zone range (6a-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Plumeria is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in New Jersey is zone 8 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a New Jersey winter. To grow it here, grow plumeria in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-12 (plant) against 6-8 (New Jersey). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Plumeria in New Jersey — the short answer
Plumeria in New Jersey: hardy in zones 10–12, full sun, against a state median of ~222 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-12
- 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
- New Jersey zones
- 6a-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 26 - Apr 4 – Nov 5 - Nov 17
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 196 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
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.
New Jersey spans zones 6a-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score plumeria against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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New Jersey is not one climate
New Jersey’s winter-low ladder runs across 21 counties, from zone 6.5 in Morris County to zone 7.5 in Salem County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between plumeria overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 21 counties runs 7–7 zones, with a median of 7 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 21 New Jersey counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. 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 Plumeria Stands in New Jersey
Plumeria is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No New Jersey county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about New Jersey winters, not about plumeria.
Below the zone 10 floor
21 counties
- Morris County · zone 6b
- Sussex County · zone 6b
- Warren County · zone 6b
3 of 21 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Plumeria Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Frost-Free Days: 180+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 25 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
New Jersey Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 26 - Apr 4
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 5 - Nov 17
- Annual Rainfall: 40-50 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam (Pine Barrens), Silt loam, Clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
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 Plumeria in New Jersey
The frost window
Across New Jersey, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 26 and Apr 4, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 215-day window you can count on — up to 236 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.
Winter standing
New Jersey runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for plumeria, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether plumeria is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within New Jersey; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Morris County, not the statewide average.
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 plumeria does not survive a New Jersey 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 New Jersey under protection.
Frost-free days
Plumeria wants 180+ frost-free days; a typical New Jersey site sees ~222 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
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
Plumeria likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7). That's the common-ground band across New Jersey's sandy loam (pine barrens) and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 6.7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a New Jersey soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your New Jersey site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 14.3% of New Jersey as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Plumeria sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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. New Jersey soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Plumeria in New Jersey
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New Jersey growers also need to think about:
Sandy Pine Barrens soils are nutrient-poor
Urban heat island effects in northern NJ
Deer browse is extreme in suburban areas
Growing plumeria here specifically
Plumeria rates to USDA zones 10–12 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 33°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in New Jersey — wet is: with roughly 14.3% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give plumeria a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New Jersey grower, not just plumeria — is covered on the New Jersey growing guide.
Timing shifts within New Jersey
New Jersey isn't one climate. In Morris County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 11 — roughly 11 days later than the recorded state median — so plant plumeria to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Plumeria needs about 180 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Sussex County — New Jersey’s shortest season at 196 frost-free days — clears that by 16 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in New Jersey. 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"). Plumeria'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
Plumeria draws butterflies and moths (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, plumeria can only work that bloom inside New Jersey's frost window — roughly 222 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 26 - Apr 4) and closing at the first (Nov 5 - Nov 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Plumeria
Plumeria is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (sap) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Parts of plumeria carry minor toxicity for people, so know which parts are edible before harvest.
Recommended Plumeria Varieties for New Jersey
New Jersey publishes no state variety trial for plumeria, so we won't invent a "best for New Jersey" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (6a-8a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
New Jersey Cooperative Extension
For New Jersey-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for plumeria, the canonical source is Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Plumeria native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Plumeria as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Jersey's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Jersey natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The New Jersey 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 Plumeria in New Jersey
When can I plant Plumeria in New Jersey?
New Jersey's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 26 and Apr 4, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Plumeria, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in New Jersey and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Plumeria grown in across New Jersey?
New Jersey spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Plumeria carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical New Jersey site have?
A typical New Jersey site sees ~222 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Plumeria needs 180+ 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 Morris, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Plumeria native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Plumeria as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of New Jersey's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few New Jersey natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Plumeria in New Jersey?
Plumeria prefers pH 6-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across New Jersey soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Plumeria actually grow on my specific land in New Jersey?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores plumeria 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 New Jersey
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores plumeria against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New Jersey plumeria averages can't show:
We read public map data around New Jersey — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the New Jersey plumeria average
Explore More
Growing guides for plumeria
Explore New Jersey county by county
New Jersey carries 21 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for plumeria there:
Where else plumeria grows
Plumeria's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to New Jersey 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 New Jersey
New Jersey has a growing page for 1,020 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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