Generally — Most Areas
teff (zones 4-11) suits most of Wyoming (3b-6a) — zones 4-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Teff in Wyoming — the short answer
Teff in Wyoming: hardy in zones 4–11, full sun, against a state median of ~151 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 4-11
- 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
- Wyoming zones
- 3b-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- May 4 - May 13 – Sep 30 - Oct 7
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 79 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 100 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.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Teff is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Wyoming site runs ~151 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score teff against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Wyoming is not one climate
A single Wyoming answer averages 23 counties whose growing seasons are 87 days apart — from 79 frost-free days in Teton County to 166 in Big Horn County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what teff can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 23 counties runs 136–155 days, with a median of 151 days — a 87-day span end to end.
Measured across 23 Wyoming counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 Wyoming Fits Best
Even within Wyoming's zones 3b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for teff (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Teff Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-11
- Frost-Free Days: 65+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Wyoming Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): May 4 - May 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Sep 30 - Oct 7
- Annual Rainfall: 6-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay, Alkaline
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-11)
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 Teff in Wyoming
The frost window
Across Wyoming, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 140-day window you can count on — up to 156 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
Teff is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Wyoming's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 100 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 40 days to spare even in Wyoming's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 teff survives winter in part of Wyoming, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Teff wants 65+ frost-free days; a typical Wyoming site sees ~151 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Teff needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1866 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Wyoming's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
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
Teff tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8.2) — 3.2 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Wyoming. 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 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Wyoming soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Wyoming 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. Wyoming soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Teff in Wyoming
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Wyoming growers also need to think about:
Extremely short growing season (60-90 frost-free days)
Very low rainfall requires irrigation
Persistent high winds desiccate and damage plants
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Wyoming grower, not just teff — is covered on the Wyoming growing guide.
Timing shifts within Wyoming
Teff needs about 65 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Teton County — Wyoming’s shortest season at 79 frost-free days — clears that by 14 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Wyoming. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Wyoming’s 23 counties the frost-free season runs from 79 days in Teton County to 166 days in Big Horn County — a spread of 87 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Wyoming county sees 151 frost-free days, leaving teff about 86 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"). Teff's 65-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Wyoming Cooperative Extension
For Wyoming-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for teff, the canonical source is University of Wyoming Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Teff native to Wyoming?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Teff as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wyoming's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wyoming natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Wyoming 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 Teff in Wyoming
When can I plant Teff in Wyoming?
Wyoming's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between May 4 and May 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Sep 30 and Oct 7 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Teff mature before first frost in Wyoming?
Yes — Teff matures in 100 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Wyoming's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 140 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 40 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Teff grown in across Wyoming?
Wyoming spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Teff carries a range of zones 4-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Wyoming site have?
A typical Wyoming site sees ~151 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Teff needs 65+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Teff native to Wyoming?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Teff as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Wyoming's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Wyoming natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Teff in Wyoming?
Teff tolerates pH 5-8.2 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.2-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Wyoming site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Teff actually grow on my specific land in Wyoming?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores teff 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 Wyoming
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores teff against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Wyoming teff averages can't show:
We read public map data around Wyoming — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Wyoming teff average
Explore More
Growing guides for teff
Explore Wyoming county by county
Wyoming carries 23 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for teff there:
Where else teff grows
Teff's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Wyoming 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 Wyoming
Wyoming has a growing page for 806 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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