Yes — Strong Match
red tasselflower is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and New Jersey's typical season runs ~222 frost-free days against the ~90 red tasselflower needs.
Red Tasselflower in New Jersey — the short answer
Red Tasselflower in New Jersey: grown in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~222 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- Grown as an annual — see the growing season
- Growing season, not a hardiness zone
- 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.
Red Tasselflower is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical New Jersey site runs ~222 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score red tasselflower against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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New Jersey is not one climate
A single New Jersey answer averages 21 counties whose growing seasons are 58 days apart — from 196 frost-free days in Sussex County to 254 in Hudson County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what red tasselflower can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 21 counties runs 215–236 days, with a median of 222 days — a 58-day span end to end.
Measured across 21 New Jersey counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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.
Zone Comparison
Red Tasselflower Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-11
- Frost-Free Days: 90+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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 8-11)
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 Tasselflower 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when red tasselflower goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from New Jersey's late-side last freeze of Apr 4 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
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
Frost-free days
Red Tasselflower wants 90+ frost-free days; a typical New Jersey site sees ~222 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
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 Tasselflower tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4-7) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in New Jersey. 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 4.5 and 6.5 — 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, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
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 Red Tasselflower in New Jersey
The zone range tells you where red tasselflower is grown — 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
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New Jersey grower, not just red tasselflower — is covered on the New Jersey growing guide.
Timing shifts within New Jersey
Red Tasselflower needs about 90 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 106 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"). Red Tasselflower's 90-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 Tasselflower draws honeybees and native bees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, red tasselflower 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. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
New Jersey Cooperative Extension
For New Jersey-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for red tasselflower, the canonical source is Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Red Tasselflower native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Tasselflower 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 plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in New Jersey and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Red Tasselflower in New Jersey
When can I plant Red Tasselflower 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). 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.
What hardiness zone is Red Tasselflower grown in across New Jersey?
New Jersey spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Red Tasselflower carries a range of zones 8-11, 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). Red Tasselflower needs 90+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Red Tasselflower native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Tasselflower 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 Red Tasselflower in New Jersey?
Red Tasselflower tolerates pH 4-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a New Jersey site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Red Tasselflower actually grow on my specific land in New Jersey?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores red tasselflower against your address's mapped 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 red tasselflower against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New Jersey red tasselflower 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 red tasselflower average
Explore More
Growing guides for red tasselflower
Explore New Jersey county by county
New Jersey carries 21 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for red tasselflower there:
Where else red tasselflower grows
Red Tasselflower'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 1,011 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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