Conditional — Some Areas
sourwood (zones 6-12) reaches only part of Montana (3a-6b): zone 6 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Sourwood is hardy to zone 6, and the warmest ground in Montana is zone 5 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Montana winter. To grow it here, grow sourwood in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 6-12 (plant) against 3-5 (Montana). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Montana spans zones 3a-6b, 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.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Zone Comparison
Sourwood Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-12
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 35 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Montana Has
- USDA Zones: 3a-6b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 2 - May 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 28 - Oct 7
- Annual Rainfall: 10-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Glacial till
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-12)
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 Sourwood in Montana
The frost window
Across Montana, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 138-day window you can count on — up to 158 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
Montana runs as cold as USDA zone 3, 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 Montana; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Deer Lodge County, not the statewide average.
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 sourwood survives winter in part of Montana, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Sourwood wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Montana site sees ~151 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a tight window — use transplants and pick early-maturing cultivars.
Chill hours
Sourwood requires ~600 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Montana 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 Montana's sandy loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Montana soil pH runs about 7.0–7.5, and that sits above sourwood's tolerated 4–6.5, so the typical Montana parcel needs sulfur to bring it down. SSURGO maps it swinging by full points parcel to parcel, so your map unit, not the state number, decides whether sourwood needs lime or sulfur.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Montana soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Sourwood in Montana — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 6-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3a-6b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about May 2 - May 13 to Sep 28 - Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Sourwood in Montana
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Montana growers also need to think about:
Very short growing season (60-100 frost-free days)
Low rainfall requires irrigation in most areas
Extreme winter cold (-40F possible)
Growing sourwood here specifically
Sourwood does best acidic (pH 4.0–6.5); Montana soils average near pH 7.2, alkaline enough to yellow its leaves as micronutrients lock away.
Work in elemental sulfur or acidic organic matter to pull your parcel toward pH 4.0–6.5, then retest. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Montana grower, not just sourwood — is covered on the Montana growing guide.
Timing shifts within Montana
Montana isn't one climate. In Deer Lodge County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 21 — roughly 47 days later than the recorded state median — so plant sourwood to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Sourwood needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 31 of Montana’s 56 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Carter County at 150 frost-free days — 0 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Montana’s 56 counties the frost-free season runs from 59 days in Deer Lodge County to 170 days in Petroleum County — a spread of 111 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Montana county sees 151 frost-free days, leaving sourwood about 1 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"). 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.
Where in Montana Fits Best
Even within Montana's zones 3a-6b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for sourwood (USDA PHZM 2023):
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 Montana's frost window — roughly 151 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (May 2 - May 13) and closing at the first (Sep 28 - Oct 7), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Montana Cooperative Extension
For Montana-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for sourwood, the canonical source is Montana State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Sourwood native to Montana?
Sourwood is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Montana. It can still earn a place in a Montana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Montana 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 Sourwood in Montana
When can I plant Sourwood in Montana?
Montana's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 2 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 28 and Oct 7 (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 Montana 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 Montana?
Montana spans USDA hardiness zones 3a-6b (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 Montana site have?
A typical Montana site sees ~151 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. In cooler counties like Deer Lodge, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Sourwood native to Montana?
Sourwood is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Montana. It can still earn a place in a Montana garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Sourwood in Montana?
Sourwood prefers pH 4-6.5 (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Montana 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 Montana?
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 Montana
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 Montana sourwood averages can't show:
We read public map data around Montana — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Montana sourwood average
Explore More
Growing guides for sourwood
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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