Yes — Strong Match
sourwood (zones 6-12) covers every zone Kentucky contains (6a-7b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Sourwood in Kentucky — the short answer
Sourwood in Kentucky: hardy in zones 6–12, shade, against a state median of ~221 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 6-12
- 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
- Kentucky zones
- 6a-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 27 - Apr 2 – Nov 4 - Nov 10
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 195 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
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.
Kentucky spans zones 6a-7b, 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 sourwood against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Kentucky is not one climate
Kentucky’s winter-low ladder runs across 120 counties, from zone 6.5 in Anderson County to zone 7.5 in Lyon County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between sourwood overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 120 counties runs 6.5–7 zones, with a median of 7 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 120 Kentucky 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 Kentucky Fits Best
Even within Kentucky's zones 6a-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for sourwood (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Sourwood Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-12
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 35 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Kentucky Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 2
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 4 - Nov 10
- Annual Rainfall: 42-52 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay loam, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-12)
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 Sourwood in Kentucky
The frost window
Across Kentucky, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 4 and Nov 10 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 216-day window you can count on — up to 228 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
Kentucky runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for sourwood, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether sourwood is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Kentucky; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 sourwood survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Sourwood wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Kentucky site sees ~221 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Chill hours
Sourwood requires ~600 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Kentucky typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Sourwood likes near-neutral soil (pH 4-6.5). That's the common-ground band across Kentucky's silt loam and clay loam — a soil test confirms it for your site.
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. Kentucky soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Sourwood in Kentucky
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Kentucky growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils in the Bluegrass region
High humidity promotes fungal diseases
Karst topography creates drainage unpredictability
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Kentucky grower, not just sourwood — is covered on the Kentucky growing guide.
Timing shifts within Kentucky
Sourwood needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Greenup County — Kentucky’s shortest season at 195 frost-free days — clears that by 45 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Kentucky. 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"). Sourwood's 150-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
Sourwood draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, sourwood can only work that bloom inside Kentucky's frost window — roughly 221 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 2) and closing at the first (Nov 4 - Nov 10), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Kentucky Cooperative Extension
For Kentucky-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for sourwood, the canonical source is University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Sourwood native to Kentucky?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Sourwood as native to Kentucky. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Sourwood in Kentucky
When can I plant Sourwood in Kentucky?
Kentucky's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 2, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 4 and Nov 10 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Sourwood, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Kentucky 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 Sourwood grown in across Kentucky?
Kentucky spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Sourwood carries a range of zones 6-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Kentucky site have?
A typical Kentucky site sees ~221 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Sourwood needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Sourwood native to Kentucky?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Sourwood as native to Kentucky. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Sourwood in Kentucky?
Sourwood prefers pH 4-6.5 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Kentucky soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Sourwood actually grow on my specific land in Kentucky?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores sourwood 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 Kentucky
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores sourwood against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Kentucky sourwood averages can't show:
We read public map data around Kentucky — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Kentucky sourwood average
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