Winter Aconite is a perennial grown for its root. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 7, stands up to deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the root is the prize.
Winter Aconite — the short answer
Winter Aconite: grown in zones 3–7, part sun, pH 6.5–8.
- USDA zones
- 3–7
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH
- 6.5–8
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Part Sun
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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.
Score Winter Aconite on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether winter aconite actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score winter aconite against your land's real conditions.
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What Winter Aconite is
Winter Aconite grows as a perennial and reaches around 4 inches at maturity. It blooms yellow in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
Mature height, bloom period, flower colour and container suitability: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Winter Aconite
Winter Aconite grows in USDA zones 3 through 7. Winter Aconite does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6.5 to 8, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
3-7
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
6.5 - 8
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Part Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Mature Height
0.3 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sow directly
Sow winter aconite seed straight into the bed — root crops germinate fast and resent transplanting. Give them part sun. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Winter Aconite prefers pH 6.5 to 8. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. 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. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Pull while roots are young and tender — sweeter than oversized ones. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where Winter Aconite thrives
Winter Aconite is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 7. 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 3–7 spans average winter lows from -40°F to 10°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 23 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 3–7·Where Winter Aconite 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 Winter Aconite stands, state by state
Winter Aconite is rated for zones 3–7 — a cold floor USDA puts at -40 to -30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 23 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 3–7
23 states
3 of 23 shown
The line runs through
25 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 25 shown
Winter Aconite’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.
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 Winter Aconite
Growing guides for winter aconite
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — winter aconite is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Winter Aconite offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land is one point inside Winter Aconite'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 Winter Aconite will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether winter aconite actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled 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.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Winter Aconite
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
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Winter Aconite in my zone?
Winter Aconite grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7 (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Winter Aconite?
Winter Aconite is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Winter Aconite need?
Winter Aconite does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Winter Aconite need?
Winter Aconite prefers soil pH 6.5 to 8, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Winter Aconite attract pollinators?
Yes — winter aconite's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Is Winter Aconite safe for pets?
Winter Aconite is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Keep exploring Winter Aconite
Winter Aconite state by state
Every state winter aconite's zone reaches — 1 link straight to that state's winter aconite growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.