Generally — Most Areas
serrano pepper is grown in zones 3-11, and zones 3-9 of Alaska (1a-9a) are in range — most of the state, with the rest the exception.
Serrano Pepper in Alaska — the short answer
Serrano Pepper in Alaska: grown in zones 3–11, full sun, against a state median of ~147 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- Grown as an annual — see the growing season
- Growing season, not a hardiness zone
- Alaska zones
- 1a-9a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 16 - May 15 – Sep 24 - Oct 29
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 85 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 85 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.
Alaska spans zones 1a-9a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score serrano pepper against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Alaska is not one climate
A single Alaska answer averages 28 counties whose growing seasons are 155 days apart — from 85 frost-free days in Southeast Fairbanks County to 240 in Sitka County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what serrano pepper can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 28 counties runs 118–196 days, with a median of 145 days — a 155-day span end to end.
Measured across 28 Alaska counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 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.
Where in Alaska Fits Best
Serrano Pepper is rated for zones 3–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -40 to -30°F. Against Alaska’s 30 counties that band holds in 21 of them, and the line runs at Copper River County (zone 3a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 3–11
21 counties
- Dillingham County · zone 3a-5a
- Kusilvak County · zone 3a-4b
- Kenai Peninsula County · zone 3b-7a
3 of 21 shown
Below the zone 3 floor
9 counties
- Yukon-Koyukuk County · zone 1a-4a
- North Slope County · zone 1b-4a
- Northwest Arctic County · zone 1b-4a
3 of 9 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 Alaska's zones 1a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for serrano pepper (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Serrano Pepper Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: LowWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Alaska Has
- USDA Zones: 1a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 15
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 24 - Oct 29
- Annual Rainfall: 10-160 inches
- Common Soils: Permafrost, Glacial silt, Volcanic ash
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-11)
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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 Serrano Pepper in Alaska
The frost window
Across Alaska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 132-day window you can count on — up to 196 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 serrano pepper goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Alaska's late-side last freeze of May 15 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 85 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 47 days to spare even in Alaska's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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
Serrano Pepper is grown in zones 3–11, which covers part of Alaska (1a-9a), not all of it. We have no sourced winter-survival figure for serrano pepper, so this page does not say whether it overwinters here. Alaska's typical season runs ~147 frost-free days against the ~60 serrano pepper needs.
Frost-free days
Serrano Pepper wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Alaska site sees ~147 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 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 station record, 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
Serrano Pepper likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Alaska's permafrost and glacial silt — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Alaska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Alaska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. pH range, preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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. Alaska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant serrano pepper 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 serrano pepper goes in. What follows is Alaska’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 Alaska — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Alaska — 9,096 documented sites across 6 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 281 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Alaska 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 of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Alaska
Severity Distribution
across Alaska
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Alaska, two things run higher than the national average across Alaska — Mining (5,812 sites) and Superfund (281 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Serrano Pepper in Alaska
The zone range tells you where serrano pepper is grown — but Alaska growers also need to think about:
Extremely short growing season (70-110 frost-free days)
Permafrost prevents deep root growth in many areas
Limited soil development in glacial terrain
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Alaska grower, not just serrano pepper — is covered on the Alaska growing guide.
Timing shifts within Alaska
Serrano Pepper needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Southeast Fairbanks County — Alaska’s shortest season at 85 frost-free days — clears that by 25 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Alaska. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Alaska’s 28 counties the frost-free season runs from 85 days in Southeast Fairbanks County to 240 days in Sitka County — a spread of 155 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Alaska county sees 147 frost-free days, leaving serrano pepper about 87 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"). Serrano Pepper's 60-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
Serrano Pepper draws honeybees and native bees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, serrano pepper can only work that bloom inside Alaska's frost window — roughly 147 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 15) and closing at the first (Sep 24 - Oct 29), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Alaska Cooperative Extension
For Alaska-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for serrano pepper, the canonical source is UAF Cooperative Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Serrano Pepper in Alaska
When can I plant Serrano Pepper in Alaska?
Alaska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 15, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 24 and Oct 29 (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.
Can Serrano Pepper mature before first frost in Alaska?
Yes — Serrano Pepper matures in 85 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Alaska's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 132 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 47 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Serrano Pepper grown in across Alaska?
Alaska spans USDA hardiness zones 1a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Serrano Pepper carries a range of zones 3-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Alaska site have?
A typical Alaska site sees ~147 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS station record, 1991-2020). Serrano Pepper needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Serrano Pepper in Alaska?
Serrano Pepper prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Alaska soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Serrano Pepper actually grow on my specific land in Alaska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores serrano pepper 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 Alaska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores serrano pepper against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Alaska serrano pepper averages can't show:
We read public map data around Alaska — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Alaska serrano pepper average
Explore More
Growing guides for serrano pepper
Explore Alaska county by county
Alaska carries 30 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for serrano pepper there:
Where else serrano pepper grows
Serrano Pepper's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Alaska 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 Alaska
Alaska has a growing page for 1,011 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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