Generally — Most Areas
quince (zones 5-9) suits most of California (4b-11a) — zones 5-9 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
California spans zones 4b-11a, 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 quince 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.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Quince Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-9
- Frost-Free Days: 180+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 16 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
California Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-11a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 19 - Mar 19
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 29 - Dec 12
- Annual Rainfall: 5-80 inches
- Common Soils: Alluvial clay, Sandy loam, Adobe clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-9)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Quince in California
The frost window
Across California, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 19 and Mar 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 29 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 255-day window you can count on — up to 327 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
California runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for quince, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether quince is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within California; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Mono County, not the statewide average.
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 quince survives winter in part of California, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Quince wants 180+ frost-free days; a typical California site sees ~317 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Quince needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4290 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so California's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Quince requires ~300 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). California typically banks ~1172 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
Quince likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7). That's the common-ground band across California's alluvial clay and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a California soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your California 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 7.5% of California as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Quince has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. California soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Quince in California — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4b-11a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Jan 19 - Mar 19 to Nov 29 - Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 1095 days
What Else to Consider for Quince in California
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but California growers also need to think about:
Drought is a persistent challenge — irrigation is essential in most regions
Wildfire risk affects rural and foothill properties
Adobe clay soils in valleys drain poorly without amendment
Wide climate variation means plant selection is highly location-specific
Growing quince here specifically
Quince wilts without steady moisture and rates to zones 5–9; roughly 15.8% of California sits on sandy, excessively-drained ground (SSURGO) that sheds water almost as fast as it falls.
Hold moisture for quince with deep mulch and drip lines, especially on the droughtiest parcels. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every California grower, not just quince — is covered on the California growing guide.
Timing shifts within California
California isn't one climate. In Mono County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 4 — roughly 120 days later than the recorded state median — so plant quince to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Quince needs about 180 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 51 of California’s 57 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Tuolumne County at 183 frost-free days — 3 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across California’s 57 counties the frost-free season runs from 108 days in Mono County to 365 days in Ventura County — a spread of 257 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median California county sees 317 frost-free days, leaving quince about 137 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"). Quince's 180-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in California Fits Best
Even within California's zones 4b-11a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for quince (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Quince draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, quince can only work that bloom inside California's frost window — roughly 317 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 19 - Mar 19) and closing at the first (Nov 29 - Dec 12), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Quince
Quince is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (seeds) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
California Cooperative Extension
For California-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for quince, the canonical source is UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Quince native to California?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Quince as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of California's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few California natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The California 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 Quince in California
When can I plant Quince in California?
California's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 19 and Mar 19, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 29 and Dec 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Quince, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in California 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 Quince grown in across California?
California spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-11a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Quince carries a range of zones 5-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical California site have?
A typical California site sees ~317 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Quince 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 Mono, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Quince native to California?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Quince as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of California's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few California natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Quince in California?
Quince prefers pH 5.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across California soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Quince actually grow on my specific land in California?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores quince 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 California
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores quince against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that California quince averages can't show:
We read public map data around California — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the California quince average
Explore More
Growing guides for quince
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
Last updated: