Generally — Most Areas
rosemary (zones 8-10) suits most of North Carolina (6a-9a) — zones 8-9 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Rosemary in North Carolina — the short answer
Rosemary in North Carolina: hardy in zones 8–10, full sun, against a state median of ~245 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 8-10
- 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
- North Carolina zones
- 6a-9a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 11 - Mar 24 – Nov 10 - Nov 25
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 178 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 90 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.
North Carolina spans zones 6a-9a, 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 rosemary 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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North Carolina is not one climate
North Carolina’s winter-low ladder runs across 100 counties, from zone 6.5 in Avery County to zone 9 in Dare County. That is 25°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between rosemary overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 100 counties runs 7.5–8 zones, with a median of 8 zones — a 2.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 100 North Carolina 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 North Carolina Fits Best
Rosemary is rated for zones 8–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Against North Carolina’s 100 counties that band holds in 69 of them, and the line runs at Alamance County (zone 8a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 8–10
69 counties
- Alexander County · zone 8a
- Anson County · zone 8a
- Bertie County · zone 8a
3 of 69 shown
Below the zone 8 floor
31 counties
- Avery County · zone 6b
- Swain County · zone 6b
- Watauga County · zone 6b
3 of 31 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.
Even within North Carolina's zones 6a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for rosemary (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Rosemary Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-10
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
North Carolina Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 11 - Mar 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 10 - Nov 25
- Annual Rainfall: 40-60 inches
- Common Soils: Red clay (Piedmont), Sandy loam (Coastal), Mountain loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-10)
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 Rosemary in North Carolina
The frost window
Across North Carolina, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 231-day window you can count on — up to 259 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 rosemary goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 10 weeks ahead, so counting back from North Carolina's late-side last freeze of Mar 24 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Rosemary overwinters from USDA zone 8 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder), and North Carolina runs as cold as zone 6, so it does not survive winter in the ground here. It is a woody plant rather than a crop you resow each spring, so neither a fall establishment date nor a harvest countdown describes it in North Carolina — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting date.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Swain 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 rosemary survives winter in part of North Carolina, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Rosemary wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical North Carolina site sees ~245 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Rosemary needs ~2500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~4537 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so North Carolina'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
Rosemary tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.2-8.3) — 4.1 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in North Carolina. 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 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a North Carolina soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your North Carolina 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 14.7% of North Carolina as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Rosemary tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — 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. North Carolina soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant rosemary for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before rosemary goes in. What follows is North Carolina’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across North Carolina — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across North Carolina — 45,236 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 464 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
North Carolina carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Severity Distribution
across North Carolina
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around North Carolina, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 28,735 sites across North Carolina. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Rosemary in North Carolina
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but North Carolina growers also need to think about:
Red Piedmont clay is hard to work and drains poorly
Humidity drives significant disease pressure
Hurricane risk on the coastal plain
Growing rosemary here specifically
Rosemary rates to USDA zones 8–10 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 10°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in North Carolina — wet is: with roughly 14.7% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give rosemary 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 North Carolina grower, not just rosemary — is covered on the North Carolina growing guide.
Timing shifts within North Carolina
North Carolina isn't one climate. In Swain County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 27 — roughly 41 days later than the recorded state median — so plant rosemary to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Rosemary needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Swain County — North Carolina’s shortest season at 178 frost-free days — clears that by 58 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in North Carolina. What varies is your own parcel.
Across North Carolina’s 100 counties the frost-free season runs from 178 days in Swain County to 303 days in Dare County — a spread of 125 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median North Carolina county sees 245 frost-free days, leaving rosemary about 125 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"). Rosemary'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
Rosemary draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, rosemary can only work that bloom inside North Carolina's frost window — roughly 245 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 11 - Mar 24) and closing at the first (Nov 10 - Nov 25), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Deer pressure is meaningful across much of North Carolina; rosemary is listed as deer-resistant (USDA PLANTS Database), which makes it a safer pick for unfenced sites. Our deer & wildlife guide carries the full deer-resistant list and how to protect the rest.
Recommended Rosemary Varieties for North Carolina
North Carolina publishes no state variety trial for rosemary, so we won't invent a "best for North Carolina" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (6a-9a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
For North Carolina-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for rosemary, the canonical source is NC State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Rosemary in North Carolina
When can I plant Rosemary in North Carolina?
North Carolina's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 11 and Mar 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 10 and Nov 25 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Rosemary overwinters only from USDA zone 8 and warmer, and North Carolina runs as cold as zone 6, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for North Carolina growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.
What hardiness zone is Rosemary grown in across North Carolina?
North Carolina spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Rosemary carries a range of zones 8-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical North Carolina site have?
A typical North Carolina site sees ~245 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Rosemary 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 Swain, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Rosemary in North Carolina?
Rosemary tolerates pH 4.2-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4.1-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a North Carolina site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Rosemary actually grow on my specific land in North Carolina?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores rosemary 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 North Carolina
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores rosemary against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that North Carolina rosemary averages can't show:
We read public map data around North Carolina — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the North Carolina rosemary average
Explore More
Growing guides for rosemary
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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