Generally — Most Areas
sorrel (zones 3-7) suits most of New Jersey (6a-8a) — zones 6-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
New Jersey 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 sorrel against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Sorrel Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-7
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
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 3-7)
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 Sorrel 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 sorrel goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 4 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.
Winter standing
New Jersey runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for sorrel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether sorrel is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within New Jersey; 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 sorrel survives winter in part of New Jersey, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
Sorrel matures in ~60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical New Jersey site has ~222 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
Sorrel needs ~900 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3340 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so New Jersey'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
Sorrel likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7). That's the common-ground band across New Jersey's sandy loam (pine barrens) and silt loam — 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 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, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. New Jersey soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Sorrel in New Jersey — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 3-7 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 26 - Apr 4 to Nov 5 - Nov 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 60 days
What Else to Consider for Sorrel in New Jersey
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — 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 sorrel — is covered on the New Jersey growing guide.
Timing shifts within New Jersey
Sorrel needs about 60 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Sussex County — New Jersey’s shortest season at 196 frost-free days — clears that by 136 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"). Sorrel's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in New Jersey Fits Best
Even within New Jersey's zones 6a-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for sorrel (USDA PHZM 2023):
New Jersey Cooperative Extension
For New Jersey-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for sorrel, the canonical source is Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Sorrel native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Sorrel 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 USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Sorrel in New Jersey
When can I plant Sorrel 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). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Sorrel, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in New Jersey 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 Sorrel grown in across New Jersey?
New Jersey spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Sorrel carries a range of zones 3-7, 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). Sorrel should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Sorrel native to New Jersey?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Sorrel 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 Sorrel in New Jersey?
Sorrel prefers pH 5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across New Jersey soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Sorrel actually grow on my specific land in New Jersey?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores sorrel 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 New Jersey
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores sorrel against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New Jersey sorrel averages can't show:
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