Conditional — Some Areas
string of pearls (zones 9-12) reaches only part of Mississippi (7b-9b): zone 9 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Mississippi spans zones 7b-9b, 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 string of pearls against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
String Of Pearls Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-12
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 6 in tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Mississippi Has
- USDA Zones: 7b-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 - Nov 30
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Alluvial clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-12)
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 String Of Pearls in Mississippi
The frost window
Across Mississippi, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 263-day window you can count on — up to 286 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
Mississippi runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for string of pearls, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether string of pearls is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Mississippi; 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
String Of Pearls likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Mississippi's loess and alluvial clay — 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 Mississippi soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Mississippi 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. Mississippi soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
String Of Pearls in Mississippi — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 9-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 17 - Mar 3 to Nov 21 - Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for String Of Pearls in Mississippi
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Mississippi growers also need to think about:
Extreme summer heat and humidity
Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region
Frequent severe storms and flooding
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Mississippi grower, not just string of pearls — is covered on the Mississippi growing guide.
Where in Mississippi String Of Pearls Is Zone-Hardy
String Of Pearls is rated for USDA zones 9–12. 7 of Mississippi’s 82 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Hancock County at zone 9a. 75 counties sit below the plant’s zone 9 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in Mississippi decides this one.
Across those 82 counties Mississippi’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 7b in Benton County to zone 9a in Wilkinson County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Tishomingo County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Mar 23, while Harrison County is clear by Feb 4 — 47 days apart. Set string of pearls out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". String Of Pearls’s zone 9–12 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Where in Mississippi Fits Best
Even within Mississippi's zones 7b-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for string of pearls (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
String Of Pearls draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, string of pearls can only work that bloom inside Mississippi's frost window — roughly 273 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 3) and closing at the first (Nov 21 - Nov 30), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Mississippi Cooperative Extension
For Mississippi-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for string of pearls, the canonical source is Mississippi State University Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is String Of Pearls native to Mississippi?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists String Of Pearls as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Mississippi's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Mississippi natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Mississippi 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 String Of Pearls in Mississippi
When can I plant String Of Pearls in Mississippi?
Mississippi's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for String Of Pearls, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Mississippi 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 String Of Pearls grown in across Mississippi?
Mississippi spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). String Of Pearls carries a range of zones 9-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Mississippi site have?
A typical Mississippi site sees ~273 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). String Of Pearls 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 String Of Pearls native to Mississippi?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists String Of Pearls as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Mississippi's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Mississippi natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for String Of Pearls in Mississippi?
String Of Pearls prefers pH 5.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Mississippi soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will String Of Pearls actually grow on my specific land in Mississippi?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores string of pearls 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 Mississippi
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores string of pearls against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Mississippi string of pearls averages can't show:
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