Yes — Strong Match
privet (zones 7-13) covers every zone Delaware contains (7a-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Privet in Delaware — the short answer
Privet in Delaware: hardy in zones 7–13, full sun, against a state median of ~241 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 7-13
- 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
- Delaware zones
- 7a-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 23 - Mar 23 – Nov 17 - Nov 19
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 238 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.
Delaware spans zones 7a-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 privet against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Where in Delaware Fits Best
Even within Delaware's zones 7a-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for privet (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Privet Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-13
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 15 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Delaware Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 23 - Mar 23
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 17 - Nov 19
- Annual Rainfall: 42-48 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Silt loam, Tidal marsh
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-13)
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 Privet in Delaware
The frost window
Across Delaware, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 239-day window you can count on — up to 241 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
Delaware runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for privet, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether privet is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Delaware; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 privet survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Chill hours
Privet requires ~300 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Delaware typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Privet likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.9-7.7). That's the common-ground band across Delaware's sandy loam and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site.
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. Delaware soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Privet in Delaware
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Delaware growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils in southern DE drain too quickly
Salt spray damage near the coast
Rising water tables in low-lying areas
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Delaware grower, not just privet — is covered on the Delaware growing guide.
Where in Delaware Privet Is Zone-Hardy
Privet is rated for USDA zones 7–13. Every one of Delaware’s 3 counties sits inside that band — from Kent County at zone 7b to Sussex County at zone 7b — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
The planting window moves with it. Sussex County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Mar 23, while Kent County is clear by Mar 22 — 1 days apart. Set privet out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Privet’s zone 7–13 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Privet 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, privet can only work that bloom inside Delaware's frost window — roughly 241 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 23 - Mar 23) and closing at the first (Nov 17 - Nov 19), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Delaware Cooperative Extension
For Delaware-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for privet, the canonical source is University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Privet native to Delaware?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Privet as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Delaware's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Delaware natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Delaware 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 Privet in Delaware
When can I plant Privet in Delaware?
Delaware's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Privet, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Delaware 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 Privet grown in across Delaware?
Delaware spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Privet carries a range of zones 7-13, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Delaware site have?
A typical Delaware site sees ~241 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Privet 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.
Is Privet native to Delaware?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Privet as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Delaware's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Delaware natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Privet in Delaware?
Privet prefers pH 5.9-7.7 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Delaware soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Privet actually grow on my specific land in Delaware?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores privet 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 Delaware
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores privet against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Delaware privet averages can't show:
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