Fareed Mohmed

Gardening · Climate Compatibility · South Africa

Best Plants for Upington

Upington, South Africa has a hot desert (kalahari fringe) climate: summer highs around 36°C, winter lows around 2°C, 180 mm of annual rainfall and low humidity. Here's how 2,500 plants stack up against that climate, and when to plant them.

245Excellent Match
338Good Match
621Marginal
1,296Not Suitable

Upington’s year at a glance

0°31JAN30FEB26MAR21APR15MAY10JUN8JUL9AUG13SEP18OCT24NOV29DECBars: average temperature. White ticks: average overnight low.

Estimated average temperature by month, °C frost-free frost likely overnight

Plants that suit Upington

Every plant here has been checked against Upington’s summer heat, winter cold, chill hours, humidity and rainfall. Good fits grow reliably with ordinary care. Marginal fits can work, but need extra care such as shade, frost cover or a pot you can move. Click any plant for the full reasoning.

Fit
Lifecycle
Type

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What to plant in Upington, month by month

Planting windows are worked out from Upington’s estimated monthly temperatures and each plant’s comfortable range: warm enough to avoid frost damage, cool enough to avoid heat stress. Upington is in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons run opposite to the north and all months here are local ones. Pick a month, or click a cell in the grid.

Lifecycle
Type

Estimates only. They use average temperatures and don’t include local rainfall timing, frost dates or microclimate, so treat them as a starting point and check with a local nursery. In monsoon and wet-dry climates, trees and shrubs usually establish best at the start of the rains. An asterisk (*) means the plant’s best available window is only a rough fit here. Indoor and potted plants such as houseplants, orchids and bromeliads can be potted at any time, so they aren’t listed in the calendar. “Annual” includes biennials and tender perennials grown as annuals (tomato, chilli, petunia).

More cities in South Africa

Checked against 2,500 plants in total (621 marginal, 1,296 not recommended outdoors in Upington). Look up any specific plant, or compare Upington against a different climate factor by factor:

Open the Full Checker for Upington →