Smoke Tree is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its spring flowers are a modest draw for honeybees.
Smoke Tree — the short answer
Smoke Tree: grown in zones 5–8, full sun, pH 5–8.
- USDA zones
- 5–8
- 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
- Soil pH
- 5–8
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Smoke Tree on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether smoke tree actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score smoke tree against your land's real conditions.
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What Smoke Tree is
Smoke Tree grows as a perennial and reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Smoke Tree
Smoke Tree grows in USDA zones 5 through 8. Smoke Tree does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 150 frost-free days and about 300 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5 - 8
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
15 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
300+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
150+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set smoke tree in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Smoke Tree prefers pH 5 to 8 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Smoke Tree thrives
Smoke Tree is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–8 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 19 outright and splits 31 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–8·Where Smoke Tree growsOpen map →
Where Smoke Tree stands, state by state
Smoke Tree is rated for zones 5–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 19 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 31 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–8
19 states
3 of 19 shown
The line runs through
31 states
3 of 31 shown
Smoke Tree’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–8
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Smoke Tree
Growing guides for smoke tree
In rotation planning, smoke tree counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — smoke tree is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Smoke Tree offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Smoke Tree's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Smoke Tree will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether smoke tree actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Smoke Tree
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Smoke Tree in my zone?
Smoke Tree grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Smoke Tree?
Set smoke tree out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Smoke Tree need?
Smoke Tree needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Smoke Tree need?
Smoke Tree prefers soil pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Smoke Tree attract pollinators?
Yes — smoke tree's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees.
Is Smoke Tree safe for pets?
Smoke Tree is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)