tuberose (Agave amica), photographi

Can I Grow Tuberose in Alabama?

USDA Zones 7b-9b · Plant zone range 7-11

Yes — Strong Match

tuberose (zones 7-11) covers every zone Alabama contains (7b-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Tuberose in Alabama — the short answer

Tuberose in Alabama: hardy in zones 7–11, full sun, against a state median of ~266 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
Alabama zones
7b-9b
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Feb 24 - Mar 16 – Nov 15 - Nov 28
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
225 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.

Alabama 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 tuberose 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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Alabama is not one climate

Alabama’s winter-low ladder runs across 67 counties, from zone 7.5 in Jackson County to zone 9 in Mobile County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between tuberose overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

7.5 zonesJackson County9 zonesMobile County

The middle half of 67 counties runs 88.5 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.

Measured across 67 Alabama 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 Alabama Fits Best

Even within Alabama's zones 7b-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for tuberose (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Tuberose Needs

  • USDA Zones: 7-11
  • Frost-Free Days: 150+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: High

Alabama Has

  • USDA Zones: 7b-9b
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 24 - Mar 16
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 15 - Nov 28
  • Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
  • Common Soils: Red clay, Sandy loam, Alluvial

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 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 Tuberose in Alabama

The frost window

Across Alabama, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 24 and Mar 16, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 28 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 244-day window you can count on — up to 277 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

Alabama runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for tuberose, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether tuberose is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Alabama; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.

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

Frost-free days

Tuberose wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Alabama site sees ~266 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.

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

Tuberose likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-8). That's the common-ground band across Alabama's red clay and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Alabama soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Alabama 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. Alabama 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 in Alabama

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

Heavy clay soils in the Piedmont region

High humidity promotes fungal diseases

Fire ants are a persistent garden pest

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

Timing shifts within Alabama

Tuberose needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Marion County — Alabama’s shortest season at 225 frost-free days — clears that by 75 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Alabama. What varies is your own parcel.

Across Alabama’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 225 days in Marion County to 297 days in Mobile County — a spread of 72 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Alabama county sees 266 frost-free days, leaving tuberose about 116 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"). Tuberose's 150-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

Tuberose draws moths and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, tuberose can only work that bloom inside Alabama's frost window — roughly 266 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 24 - Mar 16) and closing at the first (Nov 15 - Nov 28), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Alabama Cooperative Extension

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

Common Questions About Growing Tuberose in Alabama

When can I plant Tuberose in Alabama?

Alabama's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 24 and Mar 16, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 15 and Nov 28 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Tuberose, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Alabama 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 grown in across Alabama?

Alabama spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Tuberose 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 Alabama site have?

A typical Alabama site sees ~266 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Tuberose needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.

How should I amend the soil for Tuberose in Alabama?

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

Will Tuberose actually grow on my specific land in Alabama?

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

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Alabama averages 266Your sun & shade

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

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

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