statice (Limonium sinuatum), photographi

Can I Grow Statice in Delaware?

USDA Zones 7a-8a · Plant zone range 2-11

Yes — Strong Match

statice (zones 2-11) covers every zone Delaware contains (7a-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Statice in Delaware — the short answer

Statice in Delaware: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~241 frost-free days.

Plant zones
2-11
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
Delaware zones
7a-8a
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Mar 23 - Mar 23 – Nov 17 - Nov 19
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
238 days
NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Days to maturity
110 days
Growable Ground Plant Database

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.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Delaware spans zones 7a-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 statice 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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Where in Delaware Fits Best

Even within Delaware's zones 7a-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for statice (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Statice Needs

  • USDA Zones: 2-11
  • Frost-Free Days: 210+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 2 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: High

Delaware Has

  • USDA Zones: 7a-8a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 23 - Mar 23
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 17 - Nov 19
  • Annual Rainfall: 42-48 inches
  • Common Soils: Sandy loam, Silt loam, Tidal marsh

Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)

2a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.58.0

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 Statice in Delaware

The frost window

Across Delaware, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 239-day window you can count on — up to 241 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 statice goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Delaware's late-side last freeze of Mar 23 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.

Winter standing

Statice overwinters from USDA zone 8 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder), and Delaware runs as cold as zone 7, so it does not survive winter in the ground here. It is a woody plant rather than a crop you resow each spring, so neither a fall establishment date nor a harvest countdown describes it in Delaware — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting date.

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 statice survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Frost-free days

Statice wants 210+ frost-free days; a typical Delaware site sees ~241 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.

Growing degree days

Statice needs ~900 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3732 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Delaware'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

Statice likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-8). That's the common-ground band across Delaware's sandy loam and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Delaware soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Delaware site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

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. Delaware soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Statice in Delaware

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Delaware growers also need to think about:

Sandy soils in southern DE drain too quickly

Salt spray damage near the coast

Rising water tables in low-lying areas

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Delaware grower, not just statice — is covered on the Delaware growing guide.

Timing shifts within Delaware

Statice needs about 210 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Sussex County — Delaware’s shortest season at 238 frost-free days — clears that by 28 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Delaware. 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"). Statice's 210-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

Statice draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, statice can only work that bloom inside Delaware's frost window — roughly 241 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 23 - Mar 23) and closing at the first (Nov 17 - Nov 19), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Delaware Cooperative Extension

For Delaware-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for statice, the canonical source is University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Statice native to Delaware?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Statice as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Delaware's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Delaware natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Delaware 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 Statice in Delaware

When can I plant Statice in Delaware?

Delaware's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Statice overwinters only from USDA zone 8 and warmer, and Delaware runs as cold as zone 7, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for Delaware growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.

What hardiness zone is Statice grown in across Delaware?

Delaware spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Statice carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Delaware site have?

A typical Delaware site sees ~241 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Statice needs 210+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.

Is Statice native to Delaware?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Statice as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Delaware's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Delaware natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Statice in Delaware?

Statice prefers pH 5.5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Delaware soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Statice actually grow on my specific land in Delaware?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores statice against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Delaware

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores statice against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Delaware statice averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Delaware averages 241Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Delaware — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Delaware statice average

Explore More

Where else statice grows

Statice's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Delaware 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 Delaware

Delaware has a growing page for 1,013 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.

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