Conditional — Some Areas
sweetbay magnolia (zones 5-10) reaches only part of Minnesota (3a-5a): zone 5 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota — the short answer
Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota: hardy in zones 5–10, part sun.
- Plant zones
- 5-10
- Rated hardy to zone 5 by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).
- Minnesota zones
- 3a-5a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 19 - Apr 30 – Oct 10 - Oct 17
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 137 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.
Minnesota spans zones 3a-5a, 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 sweetbay magnolia 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
Minnesota is not one climate
Minnesota’s winter-low ladder runs across 87 counties, from zone 3.5 in Beltrami County to zone 5 in Watonwan County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between sweetbay magnolia overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 87 counties runs 4–4.5 zones, with a median of 4.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 87 Minnesota 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 Minnesota Fits Best
Sweetbay Magnolia is rated for zones 5–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Against Minnesota’s 87 counties that band holds in 18 of them, and the line runs at Blue Earth County (zone 5a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 5–10
18 counties
- Brown County · zone 5a
- Cottonwood County · zone 5a
- Dakota County · zone 5a
3 of 18 shown
Below the zone 5 floor
69 counties
- Beltrami County · zone 3b
- Clearwater County · zone 3b
- Hubbard County · zone 3b
3 of 69 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.
Even within Minnesota's zones 3a-5a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for sweetbay magnolia (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Sweetbay Magnolia Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-10
- Sun: Part SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 35 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: LowWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Minnesota Has
- USDA Zones: 3a-5a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 19 - Apr 30
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 17
- Annual Rainfall: 19-34 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loam, Clay, Sandy outwash
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-10)
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 Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota
The frost window
Across Minnesota, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and Apr 30, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 163-day window you can count on — up to 181 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
Minnesota runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for sweetbay magnolia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether sweetbay magnolia is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Minnesota; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Lake 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says sweetbay magnolia survives winter in part of Minnesota, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Chill hours
Sweetbay Magnolia requires ~300 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Minnesota 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
Sweetbay Magnolia likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-6.9). That's the common-ground band across Minnesota's prairie loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Minnesota soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Minnesota site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. Preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
Minnesota's soils run mostly loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for sweetbay magnolia is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how sweetbay magnolia performs.
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. Minnesota soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Minnesota growers also need to think about:
Extreme cold (zone 3a: -40F) limits many species
Short growing season (100-140 frost-free days)
Heavy clay soils in the Red River Valley
Growing sweetbay magnolia here specifically
Sweetbay Magnolia wants pH 5.0–6.9 and rates to USDA zones 5–10, but Minnesota's soils are dominantly loam — the fit is decided by your parcel's own map unit, not the state average.
Match sweetbay magnolia to your parcel's SSURGO map unit — test pH and texture, and amend toward its 5.0–6.9 range. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Minnesota grower, not just sweetbay magnolia — is covered on the Minnesota growing guide.
Timing shifts within Minnesota
Minnesota isn't one climate. In Lake County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 14 — roughly 23 days later than the recorded state median — so plant sweetbay magnolia 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 Minnesota Sweetbay Magnolia Is Zone-Hardy
Sweetbay Magnolia is rated for USDA zones 5–10. 18 of Minnesota’s 87 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Blue Earth County at zone 5a. 69 counties sit below the plant’s zone 5 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in Minnesota decides this one.
Across those 87 counties Minnesota’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 3b in Beltrami County to zone 5a in Watonwan 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. Lake County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 14, while Ramsey County is clear by Apr 10 — 34 days apart. Set sweetbay magnolia 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". Sweetbay Magnolia’s zone 5–10 band: Rated hardy to zone 5 by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Sweetbay Magnolia draws native bees (moderate value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, sweetbay magnolia can only work that bloom inside Minnesota's frost window — roughly 174 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 19 - Apr 30) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Minnesota Cooperative Extension
For Minnesota-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for sweetbay magnolia, the canonical source is University of Minnesota Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Sweetbay Magnolia native to Minnesota?
Sweetbay Magnolia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) does not record it growing in Minnesota. It can still earn a place in a Minnesota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Minnesota growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Minnesota and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota
When can I plant Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota?
Minnesota's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and Apr 30, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Sweetbay Magnolia, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Minnesota 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 Sweetbay Magnolia grown in across Minnesota?
Minnesota spans USDA hardiness zones 3a-5a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Sweetbay Magnolia carries a range of zones 5-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Minnesota site have?
A typical Minnesota site sees ~174 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Sweetbay Magnolia needs 160+ 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 Lake, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Sweetbay Magnolia native to Minnesota?
Sweetbay Magnolia is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) does not record it growing in Minnesota. It can still earn a place in a Minnesota garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Sweetbay Magnolia in Minnesota?
Sweetbay Magnolia prefers pH 5-6.9 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Minnesota soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Sweetbay Magnolia actually grow on my specific land in Minnesota?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores sweetbay magnolia 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 Minnesota
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores sweetbay magnolia against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Minnesota sweetbay magnolia averages can't show:
We read public map data around Minnesota — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Minnesota sweetbay magnolia average
Explore More
Growing guides for sweetbay magnolia
Explore Minnesota county by county
Minnesota carries 87 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for sweetbay magnolia there:
Where else sweetbay magnolia grows
Sweetbay Magnolia's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Minnesota has a growing page for 752 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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