Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
artichoke (zones 7-11) does not overlap with Vermont's zone range (4a-6a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Artichoke is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in Vermont is zone 5 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Vermont winter. To grow it here, grow artichoke in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 7-11 (plant) against 3-5 (Vermont). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Artichoke in Vermont — the short answer
Artichoke in Vermont: hardy in zones 7–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 7-11
- Not verified
- Vermont zones
- 4a-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 27 - May 5 – Oct 10 - Oct 17
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 146 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 85 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Vermont spans zones 4a-6a, 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 artichoke against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Vermont is not one climate
Vermont’s winter-low ladder runs across 14 counties, from zone 4.5 in Caledonia County to zone 5.5 in Windsor County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between artichoke overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 14 counties runs 4.5–5 zones, with a median of 5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 14 Vermont counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where Artichoke Stands in Vermont
Artichoke is rated for zones 7–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. No Vermont county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Vermont winters, not about artichoke.
Below the zone 7 floor
14 counties
- Caledonia County · zone 4b
- Essex County · zone 4b
- Franklin County · zone 4b
3 of 14 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Artichoke Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-11
- Sun: Full SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 4 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: MediumWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Vermont Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 27 - May 5
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 17
- Annual Rainfall: 34-44 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 7-11)
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Artichoke in Vermont
The frost window
Across Vermont, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 27 and May 5, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 158-day window you can count on — up to 173 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 artichoke goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Vermont's late-side last freeze of May 5 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Grown as an annual here
Artichoke is a true perennial in its home range — it overwinters from USDA zone 7 and warmer (Growable Ground stored value — lumped read (Cynara cardunculus), no species-specific source) — but Vermont runs as cold as zone 4, so it is killed back each winter and replanted each spring. Treat it on the season schedule above, not as a permanent planting: there is no fall establishment window for it here.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Essex County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. 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 artichoke does not survive a Vermont winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Vermont under protection.
Growing degree days
Artichoke needs ~1500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~1746 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Vermont sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
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
Artichoke likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Vermont's glacial till and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Vermont soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Vermont site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. pH range, preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 18.5% of Vermont as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Artichoke sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Vermont soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant artichoke for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before artichoke goes in. What follows is Vermont’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Vermont — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Vermont — 4,466 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 41 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Vermont carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Vermont
Severity Distribution
across Vermont
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Vermont, Brownfields runs higher than the national average — 597 sites across Vermont. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Brownfields: Brownfield sites are former commercial or industrial properties that EPA’s Brownfields program (ACRES) has assessed or funded cleanup on.
Contact the EPA Brownfields program or the state cleanup agency for this site’s actual assessment/remediation status — ACRES itself does not publish one we can read per site.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Artichoke in Vermont
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Vermont growers also need to think about:
Short growing season (100-130 frost-free days)
Rocky soils throughout the Green Mountains
Heavy clay in the Champlain Valley
Growing artichoke here specifically
Artichoke likes pH 5.0–7.5 and its growing tissue burns around 28°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 18.5% of Vermont poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set artichoke high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just artichoke — is covered on the Vermont growing guide.
Timing shifts within Vermont
Vermont isn't one climate. In Essex County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 13 — roughly 11 days later than the recorded state median — so plant artichoke to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Vermont Artichoke Is Zone-Hardy
Artichoke is rated for USDA zones 7–11. No Vermont county reaches it. Even Windsor County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 5b, sits below the plant’s zone 7 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 14 counties Vermont’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Caledonia County to zone 5b in Windsor County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band artichoke needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Artichoke’s zone 7–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Artichoke draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, artichoke can only work that bloom inside Vermont's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 27 - May 5) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Recommended Artichoke Varieties for Vermont
These are a regional Cooperative Extension recommendation covering Vermont (cited source, 2026). Variety facts aren't ours — we extract and cite them; the full list lives at the linked source.
Tier 2 — a regional Cooperative Extension consortium recommendation. Cultivar data: PLANT_DATABASE/cultivar_registry.json (provenance-gated).
Vermont Cooperative Extension
For Vermont-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for artichoke, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Artichoke native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Artichoke as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Vermont's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Vermont natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Vermont growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Vermont and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Artichoke in Vermont
When can I plant Artichoke in Vermont?
Vermont's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 27 and May 5, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Artichoke overwinters only from USDA zone 7 and warmer, and Vermont runs as cold as zone 4, so it is grown as an annual here — plant it after the last hard freeze, two to three weeks later for tender stock, and expect to replant next spring rather than establishing it for the long term.
What hardiness zone is Artichoke grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Artichoke is listed for zones 7-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Vermont where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
Which artichoke varieties are recommended for Vermont?
Cooperative Extension variety trials for Vermont list 'Green Globe Improved', 'Imperial Star', and 'Tavor' among recommended artichoke cultivars (cited source, updated 2026). Match one to your site, then confirm timing and soil against your own parcel — not the state average.
How many frost-free days does a typical Vermont site have?
A typical Vermont site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Artichoke should be matched against that window, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Essex, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Artichoke native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Artichoke as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Vermont's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Vermont natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Artichoke in Vermont?
Artichoke prefers pH 5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Vermont soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Artichoke actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores artichoke against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Vermont
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores artichoke against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont artichoke averages can't show:
We read public map data around Vermont — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Vermont artichoke average
Explore More
Growing guides for artichoke
Explore Vermont county by county
Vermont carries 14 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for artichoke there:
Where else artichoke grows
Artichoke's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Vermont in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Vermont
Vermont has a growing page for 752 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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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