Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
South Queensland kauri (zones 9-11) does not overlap with Pennsylvania's zone range (5b-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
South Queensland Kauri is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in Pennsylvania is zone 7 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Pennsylvania winter. To grow it here, grow south queensland kauri in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 9-11 (plant) against 5-7 (Pennsylvania). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania — the short answer
South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania: hardy in zones 9–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 9-11
- Not verified
- Pennsylvania zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 6 - Apr 24 – Oct 25 - Nov 3
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 160 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.
Pennsylvania spans zones 5b-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 south queensland kauri 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.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Pennsylvania is not one climate
Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs across 67 counties, from zone 5.5 in Cambria County to zone 7.5 in Philadelphia County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between south queensland kauri overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 67 counties runs 6–7 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 67 Pennsylvania 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 South Queensland Kauri Stands in Pennsylvania
South Queensland Kauri is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. No Pennsylvania county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Pennsylvania winters, not about south queensland kauri.
Below the zone 9 floor
67 counties
- Cambria County · zone 5b
- Cameron County · zone 5b
- Elk County · zone 5b
3 of 67 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
South Queensland Kauri Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-11
- Sun: Full Sun
Pennsylvania Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 6 - Apr 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Shale-derived, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-11)
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 South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania
The frost window
Across Pennsylvania, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 184-day window you can count on — up to 211 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
Pennsylvania runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for south queensland kauri, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether south queensland kauri is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Pennsylvania; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Potter County, not the statewide average.
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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
South Queensland Kauri tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.2-8.1) — 3.9 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Pennsylvania site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 14.1% of Pennsylvania as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. South Queensland Kauri sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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. Pennsylvania soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Pennsylvania growers also need to think about:
Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region
Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies
Deer pressure is among the highest in the US
Growing south queensland kauri here specifically
South Queensland Kauri likes pH 4.2–8.1 and its growing tissue burns around 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 14.1% of Pennsylvania poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set south queensland kauri high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Pennsylvania grower, not just south queensland kauri — is covered on the Pennsylvania growing guide.
Timing shifts within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania isn't one climate. In Potter County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 5 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant south queensland kauri to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Pennsylvania South Queensland Kauri Is Zone-Hardy
South Queensland Kauri is rated for USDA zones 9–11. No Pennsylvania county reaches it. Even Philadelphia County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 7b, sits below the plant’s zone 9 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 67 counties Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Cambria County to zone 7b in Philadelphia County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band south queensland kauri needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. South Queensland Kauri’s zone 9–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension
For Pennsylvania-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for south queensland kauri, the canonical source is Penn State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania
When can I plant South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for South Queensland Kauri, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Pennsylvania 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 South Queensland Kauri grown in across Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). South Queensland Kauri is listed for zones 9-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Pennsylvania where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Pennsylvania site have?
A typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). South Queensland Kauri needs 210+ 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 Potter, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for South Queensland Kauri in Pennsylvania?
South Queensland Kauri tolerates pH 4.2-8.1 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.9-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Pennsylvania site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will South Queensland Kauri actually grow on my specific land in Pennsylvania?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores south queensland kauri against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Pennsylvania
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores south queensland kauri against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Pennsylvania south queensland kauri averages can't show:
We read public map data around Pennsylvania — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Pennsylvania south queensland kauri average
Explore More
Growing guides for south queensland kauri
Explore Pennsylvania county by county
Pennsylvania carries 67 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for south queensland kauri there:
Where else south queensland kauri grows
South Queensland Kauri's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Pennsylvania in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a growing page for 890 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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