Generally — Most Areas
shrubby cinquefoil (zones 2-7) suits most of Tennessee (6a-8a) — zones 6-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Tennessee spans zones 6a-8a, 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 shrubby cinquefoil against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Shrubby Cinquefoil Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-7
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2.5 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Tennessee Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 21 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 5 - Nov 12
- Annual Rainfall: 45-55 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-7)
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 Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee
The frost window
Across Tennessee, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 21 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 221-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.
Winter standing
Tennessee runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for shrubby cinquefoil, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether shrubby cinquefoil is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Tennessee; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 shrubby cinquefoil survives winter in part of Tennessee, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Shrubby Cinquefoil wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Tennessee site sees ~230 (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
Shrubby Cinquefoil tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Tennessee. 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 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Tennessee soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Tennessee site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Tennessee soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 2-7 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 21 - Mar 29 to Nov 5 - Nov 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Tennessee growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in the Nashville Basin
High humidity promotes disease in summer
Variable spring weather with late frost risk
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Tennessee grower, not just shrubby cinquefoil — is covered on the Tennessee growing guide.
Timing shifts within Tennessee
Shrubby Cinquefoil needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Johnson County — Tennessee’s shortest season at 193 frost-free days — clears that by 133 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Tennessee. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Tennessee’s 95 counties the frost-free season runs from 193 days in Johnson County to 266 days in Shelby County — a spread of 73 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Tennessee county sees 230 frost-free days, leaving shrubby cinquefoil about 170 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"). Shrubby Cinquefoil's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Tennessee Fits Best
Even within Tennessee's zones 6a-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for shrubby cinquefoil (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Shrubby Cinquefoil draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, shrubby cinquefoil can only work that bloom inside Tennessee's frost window — roughly 230 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 21 - Mar 29) and closing at the first (Nov 5 - Nov 12), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Tennessee Cooperative Extension
For Tennessee-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for shrubby cinquefoil, the canonical source is UT Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Shrubby Cinquefoil native to Tennessee?
Shrubby Cinquefoil is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Tennessee. It can still earn a place in a Tennessee garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Tennessee 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 Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee
When can I plant Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee?
Tennessee's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 21 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 5 and Nov 12 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Shrubby Cinquefoil, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Tennessee 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 Shrubby Cinquefoil grown in across Tennessee?
Tennessee spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Shrubby Cinquefoil carries a range of zones 2-7, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Tennessee site have?
A typical Tennessee site sees ~230 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Shrubby Cinquefoil needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Shrubby Cinquefoil native to Tennessee?
Shrubby Cinquefoil is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Tennessee. It can still earn a place in a Tennessee garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Shrubby Cinquefoil in Tennessee?
Shrubby Cinquefoil tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Tennessee site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Shrubby Cinquefoil actually grow on my specific land in Tennessee?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores shrubby cinquefoil 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 Tennessee
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores shrubby cinquefoil against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Tennessee shrubby cinquefoil averages can't show:
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