Yes — Strong Match
Anaheim pepper (zones 3-11) covers every zone Maine contains (3b-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Maine spans zones 3b-7a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score anaheim pepper against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Zone Comparison
Anaheim Pepper Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Maine Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 24
- Annual Rainfall: 36-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-11)
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 Anaheim Pepper in Maine
The frost window
Across Maine, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 160-day window you can count on — up to 191 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
Anaheim Pepper is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 46.4°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
Those dates are when anaheim pepper goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Maine's late-side last freeze of May 3 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 80 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 80 days to spare even in Maine's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Piscataquis County, not the statewide average.
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 anaheim pepper survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Anaheim Pepper wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Maine site sees ~182 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Anaheim Pepper needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1450 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maine'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
Anaheim Pepper likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Maine's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maine soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maine site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 27.4% of Maine as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Anaheim Pepper has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Maine soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Anaheim Pepper in Maine — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 3-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 16 - May 3 to Oct 10 - Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 80 days
What Else to Consider for Anaheim Pepper in Maine
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maine growers also need to think about:
Very short growing season (100-140 frost-free days)
Rocky glacial soils require significant clearing
Harsh winters with heavy snow and ice
Growing anaheim pepper here specifically
Anaheim Pepper needs sharp drainage and sends medium roots hardy to about 46°F; in Maine, about 27.4% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build anaheim pepper up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its roots never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maine grower, not just anaheim pepper — is covered on the Maine growing guide.
Timing shifts within Maine
Maine isn't one climate. In Piscataquis County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 15 — roughly 23 days later than the recorded state median — so plant anaheim pepper to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Anaheim Pepper needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Franklin County — Maine’s shortest season at 143 frost-free days — clears that by 83 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Maine. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Maine’s 16 counties the frost-free season runs from 143 days in Franklin County to 222 days in Knox County — a spread of 79 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Maine county sees 182 frost-free days, leaving anaheim pepper about 122 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"). Anaheim Pepper's 60-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Maine Fits Best
Even within Maine's zones 3b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for anaheim pepper (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Anaheim Pepper draws honeybees and native bees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, anaheim pepper can only work that bloom inside Maine's frost window — roughly 182 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 3) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 24), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Maine Cooperative Extension
For Maine-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for anaheim pepper, the canonical source is UMaine Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Anaheim Pepper in Maine
When can I plant Anaheim Pepper in Maine?
Maine's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Anaheim Pepper is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 46.4°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 Anaheim Pepper mature before first frost in Maine?
Yes — Anaheim Pepper matures in 80 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Maine's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 160 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 80 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 Anaheim Pepper grown in across Maine?
Maine spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Anaheim Pepper carries a range of zones 3-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Maine site have?
A typical Maine site sees ~182 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Anaheim Pepper needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Piscataquis, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
How should I amend the soil for Anaheim Pepper in Maine?
Anaheim Pepper prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Maine soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Anaheim Pepper actually grow on my specific land in Maine?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores anaheim pepper 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 Maine
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores anaheim pepper against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maine anaheim pepper averages can't show:
We read public map data around Maine — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maine anaheim pepper average
Explore More
Growing guides for anaheim pepper
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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