Generally — Most Areas
winter savory (zones 5-8) suits most of Utah (4a-9a) — zones 5-8 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Utah spans zones 4a-9a, 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 winter savory against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Winter Savory Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-8
- Frost-Free Days: 210+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
Utah Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-9a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 12 - May 6
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 8 - Oct 27
- Annual Rainfall: 5-20 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Alkaline clay, Desert sand
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-8)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Winter Savory in Utah
The frost window
Across Utah, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 155-day window you can count on — up to 198 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 winter savory goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Utah's late-side last freeze of May 6 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Winter Savory overwinters from USDA zone 5 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder), and Utah runs as cold as zone 4, so it does not survive winter in the ground here. It is a woody plant rather than a crop you resow each spring, so neither a fall establishment date nor a harvest countdown describes it in Utah — which is why this page gives neither. What it needs here is a way through winter, not a planting date.
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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says winter savory survives winter in part of Utah, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Winter Savory wants 210+ frost-free days; a typical Utah site sees ~175 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 35 days short of what it needs. A typical Utah season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
Growing degree days
Winter Savory needs ~900 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2690 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Utah'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
Winter Savory likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Utah's sandy loam and alkaline clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Utah soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Utah 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. Utah soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Winter Savory in Utah — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 12 - May 6 to Oct 8 - Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
What Else to Consider for Winter Savory in Utah
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Utah growers also need to think about:
Very low rainfall — irrigation essential
Alkaline soils (pH 7.5-8.5) limit many species
High altitude frost risk in mountain valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Utah grower, not just winter savory — is covered on the Utah growing guide.
Timing shifts within Utah
Winter Savory needs about 210 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. 4 of Utah’s 29 counties give it that outright. The tightest that does is Salt Lake County at 221 frost-free days — 11 to spare. Below that line you are transplanting or extending the season, not direct-sowing.
Across Utah’s 29 counties the frost-free season runs from 98 days in Summit County to 237 days in Washington County — a spread of 139 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Utah county sees 175 frost-free days, which is 35 days short of what winter savory needs — so on a typical Utah parcel this is a transplant-or-protect crop, not a direct-sow one.
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"). Winter Savory's 210-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Utah Fits Best
Even within Utah's zones 4a-9a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for winter savory (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Winter Savory draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, winter savory can only work that bloom inside Utah's frost window — roughly 175 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 12 - May 6) and closing at the first (Oct 8 - Oct 27), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Utah Cooperative Extension
For Utah-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for winter savory, the canonical source is Utah State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Winter Savory native to Utah?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Winter Savory as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Utah's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Utah natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Utah 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 Winter Savory in Utah
When can I plant Winter Savory in Utah?
Utah's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 12 and May 6, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 8 and Oct 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Winter Savory overwinters only from USDA zone 5 and warmer, and Utah runs as cold as zone 4, so it does not survive winter in the ground here — the question for Utah growers is how to carry it through winter under cover, not which week to plant it.
What hardiness zone is Winter Savory grown in across Utah?
Utah spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-9a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Winter Savory carries a range of zones 5-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Utah site have?
A typical Utah site sees ~175 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Winter Savory needs 210+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Winter Savory native to Utah?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Winter Savory as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Utah's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Utah natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Winter Savory in Utah?
Winter Savory prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Utah soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Winter Savory actually grow on my specific land in Utah?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores winter savory 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 Utah
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores winter savory against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Utah winter savory averages can't show:
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