Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Well-suited

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 45 ecoregions — 45 climate-resilient through 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Atlantic coastal pine barrens

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Blue Mountains forests

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California coastal sage and chaparral

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Moderate water

Spacing

4"

Habit

Low cool-season annual leafy vegetable in a basal rosette

Care tips

•

Sow in cool weather — early spring and late summer/fall — for the best leaf crop; summer heat makes plants bolt and the leaves deteriorate.

•

Use moist, organically rich, fertile, well-drained soil and keep moisture even (medium water).

•

Start seed at two-week intervals to lengthen the harvest, and pick leaves as soon as they reach usable size.

Lifecycle

Planting

A cool-weather vegetable. For spring crops, start seed indoors about 8 weeks before the last spring frost and transplant out about 3 weeks before the last frost, or sow directly in the garden in early spring (1/2 inch deep in rows 12 inches apart). For a fall crop, sow indoors the second week of August for transplanting at the end of August, or direct-sow outdoors (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Transplanting

Transplant seedlings outdoors about 3 weeks before the last spring frost — plants will tolerate some frost (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Early growth

Grow in moist, organically rich, fertile, well-drained soil with medium, even moisture. Plants grown in part shade may bolt later than plants grown in full sun.

Maturity

Harvest leaves as soon as they reach usable size; harvest all leaves once plants bolt in summer heat, after which the leaves deteriorate. To lengthen the harvest, start seed at two-week intervals (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Propagation

Grown from seed, sown directly or started indoors. Spinach is an annual; saving seed depends on variety and isolation from cross-pollination.

Pollination

Wind-pollinated

Spinach is wind-pollinated and largely dioecious, with separate male and female plants; pollination is irrelevant to the leaf harvest because the crop is gathered before plants bolt and flower. The greenish-yellow flowers that appear at bolting have no ornamental value (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

For people

Edible

Grown as a leafy vegetable: the leaves are commonly used as a vegetable or salad green and added to dishes such as pizzas, quiches, and omelets. Per the Missouri Botanical Garden, the leaves are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, and C, iron, phosphorus, and chlorophyll.

Native range

AHS heat range

1-6

Climate notes

•

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Spinacia oleracea for USDA hardiness zones 2 to 11, grown in full sun to part shade with medium water in moist, organically rich, fertile, well-drained soil.

•

A cool-weather crop per the Missouri Botanical Garden: it produces an excellent crop in the cool temperatures of spring and/or fall but does poorly in summer heat, when plants bolt and the leaves deteriorate. Plants grown in part shade may bolt later than those in full sun; plants can endure some frost.

•

The USDA zone range describes where the seasonal crop can be grown rather than winter survival of a single plant — spinach is an annual harvested before summer heat, and gardeners in hot-summer regions time it to spring and fall windows (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

In the designer

Growth over time

3-6" tall · 3-6" spread

Seedling and young rosette; first leaves harvestable as soon as they reach usable size.

Design roles: Edible · Container

Seasonal interest

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Filled = the plant has seasonal interest · ▾ now = your current season

Spinach

At a glance

Related products

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Seasonal interest

Sources & citations