Yes — Strong Match
yard-long bean (zones 3-12) covers every zone Idaho contains (3b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Yard Long Bean is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Idaho site runs ~160 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score yard long bean against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
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Zone Comparison
Yard Long Bean Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-12
- Frost-Free Days: 30+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 8 ft tall
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Idaho Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 26 - May 17
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 1 - Oct 17
- Annual Rainfall: 8-35 inches
- Common Soils: Volcanic ash, Silt loam, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-12)
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 Yard Long Bean in Idaho
The frost window
Across Idaho, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 26 and May 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 1 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 137-day window you can count on — up to 174 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.
Frost tenderness
Yard Long Bean is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Yard Long Bean is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Idaho's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 60 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 77 days to spare even in Idaho's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 yard long bean survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Yard Long Bean wants 30+ frost-free days; a typical Idaho site sees ~160 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Yard Long Bean needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1187 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Idaho'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
Yard Long Bean tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4-8.8) — 4.8 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Idaho. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Idaho soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Idaho 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. Idaho soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Yard Long Bean in Idaho — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 3-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 26 - May 17 to Oct 1 - Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 60 days
What Else to Consider for Yard Long Bean in Idaho
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Idaho growers also need to think about:
Short growing season at higher elevations
Arid conditions require irrigation in most of the state
Cold winter snaps can reach -30F in mountain valleys
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Idaho grower, not just yard long bean — is covered on the Idaho growing guide.
Timing shifts within Idaho
Yard Long Bean needs about 30 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Valley County — Idaho’s shortest season at 94 frost-free days — clears that by 64 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Idaho. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Idaho’s 44 counties the frost-free season runs from 94 days in Valley County to 216 days in Nez Perce County — a spread of 122 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Idaho county sees 160 frost-free days, leaving yard long bean about 130 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"). Yard Long Bean's 30-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Idaho Fits Best
Even within Idaho's zones 3b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for yard long bean (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Yard Long Bean draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, yard long bean can only work that bloom inside Idaho's frost window — roughly 160 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 26 - May 17) and closing at the first (Oct 1 - Oct 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Idaho Cooperative Extension
For Idaho-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for yard long bean, the canonical source is University of Idaho Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Yard Long Bean native to Idaho?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Yard Long Bean as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Idaho's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Idaho natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Idaho 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 Yard Long Bean in Idaho
When can I plant Yard Long Bean in Idaho?
Idaho's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 26 and May 17, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 1 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Yard Long Bean is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Yard Long Bean mature before first frost in Idaho?
Yes — Yard Long Bean matures in 60 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Idaho's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 137 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 77 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Yard Long Bean grown in across Idaho?
Idaho spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Yard Long Bean carries a range of zones 3-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Idaho site have?
A typical Idaho site sees ~160 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Yard Long Bean needs 30+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Yard Long Bean native to Idaho?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Yard Long Bean as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Idaho's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Idaho natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Yard Long Bean in Idaho?
Yard Long Bean tolerates pH 4-8.8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4.8-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Idaho site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Yard Long Bean actually grow on my specific land in Idaho?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores yard long bean 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 Idaho
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores yard long bean against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Idaho yard long bean averages can't show:
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