tuberose (polianthes) (Polianthes tuberosa), photographi

Can I Grow Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska?

USDA Zones 4b-6a · Plant zone range 7-11

Unlikely — Zone Mismatch

tuberose (polianthes) (zones 7-11) does not overlap with Nebraska's zone range (4b-6a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.

One zone short — what would close it

Tuberose Polianthes is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in Nebraska is zone 6 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Nebraska winter. To grow it here, grow tuberose polianthes in a hoop house or unheated greenhouse — its modeled 1.5-zone lift covers this gap.

A hoop house or unheated greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →

Zone math from 7-11 (plant) against 4-6 (Nebraska). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['hoop_house'] (+1.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.

Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska — the short answer

Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska: hardy in zones 7–11, full sun, against a state median of ~181 frost-free days.

Plant zones
7-11
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
Nebraska zones
4b-6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Apr 12 - Apr 26 – Oct 15 - Oct 21
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
134 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.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Nebraska spans zones 4b-6a, 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 tuberose polianthes 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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Nebraska is not one climate

Nebraska’s winter-low ladder runs across 93 counties, from zone 4.5 in Sioux County to zone 6 in Thayer County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between tuberose polianthes overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

4.5 zonesSioux County6 zonesThayer County

The middle half of 93 counties runs 55.5 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.

Measured across 93 Nebraska 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 Tuberose Polianthes Stands in Nebraska

Tuberose Polianthes is rated for zones 711 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. No Nebraska 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 Nebraska winters, not about tuberose polianthes.

Below the zone 7 floor

93 counties

3 of 93 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

Tuberose Polianthes Needs

  • USDA Zones: 7-11
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 3 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Nebraska Has

  • USDA Zones: 4b-6a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - Apr 26
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 15 - Oct 21
  • Annual Rainfall: 15-34 inches
  • Common Soils: Loess, Sandy loam (Sandhills), Silt loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 7-11)

7a
11b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 6.07.5

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 Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska

The frost window

Across Nebraska, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 172-day window you can count on — up to 192 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

Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for tuberose polianthes, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether tuberose polianthes is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nebraska; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.

Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Sioux 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

Tuberose Polianthes likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Nebraska's loess and sandy loam (sandhills) — 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 Nebraska soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nebraska site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Your land, not the state average

SSURGO maps about 8.3% of Nebraska as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Tuberose Polianthes has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will 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. Nebraska soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska

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

Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation

Extreme wind exposure on open plains

Hail damage during severe storm season

Growing tuberose polianthes here specifically

Tuberose Polianthes wilts without steady moisture and rates to zones 7–11; roughly 20.7% of Nebraska sits on sandy, excessively-drained ground (SSURGO) that sheds water almost as fast as it falls.

Hold moisture for tuberose polianthes with deep mulch and drip lines, especially on the droughtiest parcels. How to handle it →

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

Timing shifts within Nebraska

Nebraska isn't one climate. In Sioux County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 14 — roughly 25 days later than the recorded state median — so plant tuberose polianthes 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 Nebraska Tuberose Polianthes Is Zone-Hardy

Tuberose Polianthes is rated for USDA zones 711. No Nebraska county reaches it. Even Thayer County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 6a, sits below the plant’s zone 7 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.

Across those 93 counties Nebraska’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Sioux County to zone 6a in Thayer County 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band tuberose polianthes needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.

County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Tuberose Polianthes’s zone 711 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Tuberose Polianthes draws moths and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, tuberose polianthes can only work that bloom inside Nebraska's frost window — roughly 181 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 15 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Recommended Tuberose Polianthes Varieties for Nebraska

Nebraska publishes no state variety trial for tuberose polianthes, so we won't invent a "best for Nebraska" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4b-6a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.

Nebraska Cooperative Extension

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

Is Tuberose Polianthes native to Nebraska?

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

Looking for plants that belong here? The Nebraska 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 Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska

When can I plant Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska?

Nebraska's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 15 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Tuberose Polianthes, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nebraska 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 Tuberose Polianthes grown in across Nebraska?

Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Tuberose Polianthes carries a range of zones 7-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

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

A typical Nebraska site sees ~181 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Tuberose Polianthes 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. In cooler counties like Sioux, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.

Is Tuberose Polianthes native to Nebraska?

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

How should I amend the soil for Tuberose Polianthes in Nebraska?

Tuberose Polianthes prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Nebraska soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Tuberose Polianthes actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores tuberose polianthes 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 Nebraska

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

Three things about your lot that Nebraska tuberose polianthes averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Nebraska averages 181Your sun & shade

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

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nebraska tuberose polianthes average

Explore More

Explore Nebraska county by county

Nebraska carries 93 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for tuberose polianthes there:

Where else tuberose polianthes grows

Tuberose Polianthes's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Nebraska 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 Nebraska

Nebraska has a growing page for 806 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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