Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
Vietnamese coriander (zones 9-11) does not overlap with Michigan's zone range (4a-7a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Vietnamese Coriander is hardy to zone 9, and the warmest ground in Michigan is zone 7 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Michigan winter. To grow it here, grow vietnamese coriander in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 9-11 (plant) against 4-7 (Michigan). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan — the short answer
Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan: hardy in zones 9–11, part sun, against a state median of ~186 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 9-11
- 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
- Michigan zones
- 4a-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 19 - May 8 – Oct 12 - Oct 31
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 126 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 60 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.
Michigan spans zones 4a-7a, 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 vietnamese coriander 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 full report in seconds
Michigan is not one climate
Michigan’s winter-low ladder runs across 83 counties, from zone 4 in Gogebic County to zone 7 in Allegan County. That is 30°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between vietnamese coriander overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 83 counties runs 5–6 zones, with a median of 6 zones — a 3-zone span end to end.
Measured across 83 Michigan 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 Vietnamese Coriander Stands in Michigan
Vietnamese Coriander is rated for zones 9–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. No Michigan 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 Michigan winters, not about vietnamese coriander.
Below the zone 9 floor
83 counties
- Gogebic County · zone 4a
- Iron County · zone 4a
- Baraga County · zone 4b
3 of 83 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
Vietnamese Coriander Needs
- USDA Zones: 9-11
- Frost-Free Days: 120+
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Michigan Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 19 - May 8
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 12 - Oct 31
- Annual Rainfall: 28-38 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Clay loam, Muck
Plant Zone Range (zones 9-11)
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 Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan
The frost window
Across Michigan, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 157-day window you can count on — up to 195 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
Those dates are when vietnamese coriander goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from Michigan's late-side last freeze of May 8 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Michigan runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for vietnamese coriander, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether vietnamese coriander is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Michigan; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Luce 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 vietnamese coriander does not survive a Michigan winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Michigan under protection.
Frost-free days
Vietnamese Coriander wants 120+ frost-free days; a typical Michigan site sees ~186 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Vietnamese Coriander needs ~3000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1976 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Michigan'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
Vietnamese Coriander likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Michigan's sandy loam and clay 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 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Michigan soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 29.4% of Michigan as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Vietnamese Coriander 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. Michigan soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant vietnamese coriander for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before vietnamese coriander goes in. What follows is Michigan’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Michigan — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Michigan — 60,035 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 711 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Michigan carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Michigan
Severity Distribution
across Michigan
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
- •On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Michigan growers also need to think about:
Lake effect weather creates highly localized microclimates
Short northern season (100-120 frost-free days in UP)
Sandy soils in western MI drain too quickly
Growing vietnamese coriander here specifically
Vietnamese Coriander wilts without steady moisture and rates to zones 9–11; roughly 18.4% of Michigan sits on sandy, excessively-drained ground (SSURGO) that sheds water almost as fast as it falls.
Hold moisture for vietnamese coriander 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 Michigan grower, not just vietnamese coriander — is covered on the Michigan growing guide.
Timing shifts within Michigan
Michigan isn't one climate. In Luce County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 22 — roughly 27 days later than the recorded state median — so plant vietnamese coriander to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Vietnamese Coriander needs about 120 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Iron County — Michigan’s shortest season at 126 frost-free days — clears that by 6 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Michigan. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Michigan’s 83 counties the frost-free season runs from 126 days in Iron County to 223 days in Berrien County — a spread of 97 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Michigan county sees 186 frost-free days, leaving vietnamese coriander about 66 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"). Vietnamese Coriander's 120-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
Vietnamese Coriander draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, vietnamese coriander can only work that bloom inside Michigan's frost window — roughly 186 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 19 - May 8) and closing at the first (Oct 12 - Oct 31), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Recommended Vietnamese Coriander Varieties for Michigan
Michigan publishes no state variety trial for vietnamese coriander, so we won't invent a "best for Michigan" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4a-7a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Michigan Cooperative Extension
For Michigan-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for vietnamese coriander, the canonical source is MSU Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Vietnamese Coriander native to Michigan?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Vietnamese Coriander as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Michigan's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Michigan natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Michigan 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 Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan
When can I plant Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan?
Michigan's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 19 and May 8, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 12 and Oct 31 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Vietnamese Coriander, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Michigan 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 Vietnamese Coriander grown in across Michigan?
Michigan spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Vietnamese Coriander carries a range of zones 9-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Michigan site have?
A typical Michigan site sees ~186 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Vietnamese Coriander needs 120+ 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 Luce, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Vietnamese Coriander native to Michigan?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Vietnamese Coriander as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Michigan's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Michigan natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Vietnamese Coriander in Michigan?
Vietnamese Coriander prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Michigan soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Vietnamese Coriander actually grow on my specific land in Michigan?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores vietnamese coriander 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 Michigan
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores vietnamese coriander against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Michigan vietnamese coriander averages can't show:
We read public map data around Michigan — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Michigan vietnamese coriander average
Explore More
Growing guides for vietnamese coriander
Explore Michigan county by county
Michigan carries 83 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for vietnamese coriander there:
Where else vietnamese coriander grows
Vietnamese Coriander's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Michigan 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 Michigan
Michigan has a growing page for 893 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
Last updated: