Turks Cap is a perennial grown for its blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its summer flowers are a real draw for hummingbirds and butterflies.
Turks Cap — the short answer
Turks Cap: grown in zones 7–11, full sun, pH 6–8.5.
- USDA 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
- Soil pH
- 6–8.5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 39.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
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What Turks Cap is
Turks Cap grows as a perennial and reaches around six feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Turks Cap
Turks Cap grows in USDA zones 7 through 11. Turks Cap does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 365 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
7-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
6 - 8.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
39.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
50°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Mature Height
6 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
365+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant turks cap in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Turks Cap prefers pH 6 to 8.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut turks cap blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Turks Cap thrives
Turks Cap is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 7–11 spans average winter lows from 0°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 7 outright and splits 34 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 7–11·Where Turks Cap growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Turks Cap stands, state by state
Turks Cap is rated for zones 7–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 7 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 34 more, and 10 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 7–11
7 states
- Alabama · zones 7b-9b
- Delaware · zones 7a-8a
- District of Columbia · zones 7b-8a
3 of 7 shown
The line runs through
34 states
3 of 34 shown
Turks Cap’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 7–11
10 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- Montana · zones 3a-6b
- New Hampshire · zones 3b-6b
3 of 10 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Turks Cap
Growing guides for turks cap
In rotation planning, turks cap counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — turks cap isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Turks Cap is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Turks Cap's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Turks Cap will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether turks cap actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Turks Cap
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Turks Cap in my zone?
Turks Cap grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Turks Cap?
Most growers plant turks cap after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 365-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Turks Cap need?
Turks Cap needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Turks Cap need?
Turks Cap prefers soil pH 6 to 8.5, on evenly moist to well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Turks Cap attract pollinators?
Yes — turks cap's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for hummingbirds and butterflies. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Turks Cap safe for pets?
Turks Cap is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Turks Cap
Turks Cap state by state
Every state turks cap's zone reaches — 25 link straight to that state's turks cap growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.