Generally — Most Areas
wild geranium (zones 3-8) suits most of Nevada (4a-10a) — zones 4-8 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Nevada spans zones 4a-10a, 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 geranium 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
Zone Comparison
Wild Geranium Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-8
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Nevada Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-10a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 28 - May 20
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 9 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 4-12 inches
- Common Soils: Desert sand, Caliche, Alkaline clay
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Wild Geranium in Nevada
The frost window
Across Nevada, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 142-day window you can count on — up to 176 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
Nevada runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for wild geranium, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether wild geranium is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Nevada; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Nevada site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Nevada soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Wild Geranium in Nevada — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 3-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 28 - May 20 to Oct 9 - Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Wild Geranium in Nevada
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Nevada growers also need to think about:
Extremely low rainfall (driest US state)
Alkaline soils (pH 8-9) limit many species
Extreme summer heat in southern valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Nevada grower, not just wild geranium — is covered on the Nevada growing guide.
Where in Nevada Wild Geranium Is Zone-Hardy
Wild Geranium is rated for USDA zones 3–8. 16 of Nevada’s 17 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Elko County at zone 5a. 1 county sits above its zone 8 ceiling, where the limit is too little winter chill rather than too much cold. Where you are in Nevada decides this one.
Across those 17 counties Nevada’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5a in Elko County to zone 9a in Clark County — 4 USDA zones of spread, which is 40°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. Nye County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 31, while Clark County is clear by Jan 25 — 126 days apart. Set wild geranium 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 Geranium’s zone 3–8 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Where in Nevada Fits Best
Even within Nevada's zones 4a-10a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for wild geranium (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Wild Geranium draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, wild geranium can only work that bloom inside Nevada's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 28 - May 20) and closing at the first (Oct 9 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Nevada Cooperative Extension
For Nevada-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for wild geranium, the canonical source is University of Nevada, Reno Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Wild Geranium native to Nevada?
Wild Geranium is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Nevada. It can still earn a place in a Nevada garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Nevada 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 Wild Geranium in Nevada
When can I plant Wild Geranium in Nevada?
Nevada's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 28 and May 20, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 9 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Wild Geranium, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Nevada 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 Geranium grown in across Nevada?
Nevada spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Wild Geranium carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Nevada site have?
A typical Nevada site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Wild Geranium 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.
Is Wild Geranium native to Nevada?
Wild Geranium is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Nevada. It can still earn a place in a Nevada garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Will Wild Geranium actually grow on my specific land in Nevada?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores wild geranium 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 Nevada
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores wild geranium against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Nevada wild geranium averages can't show:
We read public map data around Nevada — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Nevada wild geranium average
Explore More
Growing guides for wild geranium
Last updated: