Yes — Strong Match
wild bergamot (zones 3-9) covers every zone Nebraska contains (4b-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Wild Bergamot in Nebraska — the short answer
Wild Bergamot in Nebraska: hardy in zones 3–9, part sun.
- Plant zones
- 3-9
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- 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
- Days to maturity
- 120 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.
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 wild bergamot 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 parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
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 wild bergamot overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 93 counties runs 5–5.5 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 in Nebraska Fits Best
Even within Nebraska's zones 4b-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for wild bergamot (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Wild Bergamot Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-9
- Sun: Part SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 4.9 ft tall
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- 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 3-9)
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 Wild Bergamot 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.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when wild bergamot goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Nebraska's late-side last freeze of Apr 26 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Nebraska runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for wild bergamot, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether wild bergamot 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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says wild bergamot survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Growing degree days
Wild Bergamot needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~2648 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Nebraska's typical season clears that easily.
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
Wild Bergamot likes near-neutral soil (pH 6.5-8.5). That's the common-ground band across Nebraska's loess and sandy loam (sandhills) — a soil test confirms it for your site.
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. Wild Bergamot 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 Wild Bergamot 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 wild bergamot here specifically
Wild Bergamot wilts without steady moisture and rates to zones 3–9; roughly 20.7% of Nebraska sits on sandy, excessively-drained ground (SSURGO) that sheds water almost as fast as it falls.
Hold moisture for wild bergamot 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 wild bergamot — 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 wild bergamot 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 Wild Bergamot Is Zone-Hardy
Wild Bergamot is rated for USDA zones 3–9. Every one of Nebraska’s 93 counties sits inside that band — from Sioux County at zone 4b to Thayer County at zone 6a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
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. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Sioux County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 14, while Douglas County is clear by Apr 5 — 39 days apart. Set wild bergamot out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Wild Bergamot’s zone 3–9 band: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Wild Bergamot draws honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (high value, Converted from Rowe et al. 2018 (Michigan conditions)). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, wild bergamot 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. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Recommended Wild Bergamot Varieties for Nebraska
Nebraska publishes no state variety trial for wild bergamot, 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 wild bergamot, the canonical source is Nebraska Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Wild Bergamot native to Nebraska?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) records Wild Bergamot in Nebraska, and Kew's Plants of the World Online (WCVP) lists Nebraska in its native range. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Native-range status: Kew, Plants of the World Online — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), release 2026-06-04, licensed CC BY 3.0. powo.science.kew.org
Common Questions About Growing Wild Bergamot in Nebraska
When can I plant Wild Bergamot 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 Wild Bergamot, 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 Wild Bergamot grown in across Nebraska?
Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Wild Bergamot carries a range of zones 3-9, 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). Wild Bergamot needs 110+ 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 Sioux, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Wild Bergamot native to Nebraska?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) records Wild Bergamot in Nebraska, and Kew's Plants of the World Online (WCVP) lists Nebraska in its native range. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Wild Bergamot in Nebraska?
Wild Bergamot prefers pH 6.5-8.5 (USDA NRCS PLANTS 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 Wild Bergamot actually grow on my specific land in Nebraska?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores wild bergamot against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Nebraska
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores wild bergamot against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nebraska wild bergamot averages can't show:
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 wild bergamot average
Explore More
Growing guides for wild bergamot
Explore Nebraska county by county
Nebraska carries 93 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for wild bergamot there:
Where else wild bergamot grows
Wild Bergamot'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 810 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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