Yes — Strong Match
red clover (zones 3-10) covers every zone Nebraska contains (4b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Red Clover in Nebraska — the short answer
Red Clover in Nebraska: hardy in zones 3–10, full sun, against a state median of ~181 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-10
- 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
- Nebraska zones
- 4b-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 12 - Apr 26 – Oct 15 - Oct 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 134 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 140 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.
Nebraska spans zones 4b-6a, 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 red clover 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
Nebraska is not one climate
Nebraska’s winter-low ladder runs across 93 counties, from zone 4.5 in Sioux County to zone 6 in Thayer County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between red clover overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 93 counties runs 5–5.5 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 93 Nebraska 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 in Nebraska Fits Best
Even within Nebraska's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for red clover (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Red Clover Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-10
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Nebraska Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - Apr 26
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 15 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 15-34 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Sandy loam (Sandhills), Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-10)
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 Red Clover in Nebraska
The frost window
Across Nebraska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 192 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.
When to start the seed
Red Clover is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Nebraska'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.
Winter standing
Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for red clover, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether red clover is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nebraska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Sioux 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 red clover survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Red Clover wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Nebraska site sees ~181 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Red Clover needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2648 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nebraska'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
Red Clover tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.2) — 3.7 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Nebraska. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Nebraska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells). If your Nebraska 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 8.3% of Nebraska as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Red Clover 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 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. Nebraska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Red Clover in Nebraska
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nebraska growers also need to think about:
Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation
Extreme wind exposure on open plains
Hail damage during severe storm season
Growing red clover here specifically
Red Clover wilts without steady moisture and rates to zones 3–10; roughly 20.7% of Nebraska sits on sandy, excessively-drained ground (SSURGO) that sheds water almost as fast as it falls.
Hold moisture for red clover 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 Nebraska grower, not just red clover — is covered on the Nebraska growing guide.
Timing shifts within Nebraska
Nebraska isn't one climate. In Sioux County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 14 — roughly 25 days later than the recorded state median — so plant red clover to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Red Clover needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Sioux County — Nebraska’s shortest season at 134 frost-free days — clears that by 14 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Nebraska. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Nebraska’s 93 counties the frost-free season runs from 134 days in Sioux County to 207 days in Sarpy County — a spread of 73 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Nebraska county sees 181 frost-free days, leaving red clover about 61 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"). Red Clover's 120-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
Red Clover 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, red clover can only work that bloom inside Nebraska's frost window — roughly 181 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 15 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Nebraska Cooperative Extension
For Nebraska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for red clover, the canonical source is Nebraska Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Red Clover native to Nebraska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Clover as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Nebraska 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 Red Clover in Nebraska
When can I plant Red Clover in Nebraska?
Nebraska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Red Clover, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nebraska 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 Red Clover grown in across Nebraska?
Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Red Clover carries a range of zones 3-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Nebraska site have?
A typical Nebraska site sees ~181 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Red Clover needs 120+ 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 Sioux, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Red Clover native to Nebraska?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Clover as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Nebraska's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Nebraska natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Red Clover in Nebraska?
Red Clover tolerates pH 4.5-8.2 and poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.7-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Nebraska site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Red Clover actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores red clover 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 Nebraska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores red clover against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nebraska red clover averages can't show:
We read public map data around Nebraska — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nebraska red clover average
Explore More
Growing guides for red clover
Explore Nebraska county by county
Nebraska carries 93 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for red clover there:
Where else red clover grows
Red Clover's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Nebraska 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 Nebraska
Nebraska has a growing page for 806 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
Last updated: