Conditional — Some Areas
black gum (zones 6-12) reaches only part of Vermont (4a-6a): zone 6 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
One zone short — what would close it
Black Gum is hardy to zone 6, and the warmest ground in Vermont is zone 5 — 1 zone short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Vermont winter. To grow it here, grow black gum in a container and move it under cover for the coldest weeks, or give it a greenhouse.
Season extension and overwintering under cover both work at this margin. How to buy the weeks →
Zone math from 6-12 (plant) against 3-5 (Vermont). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
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 black gum 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.
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Zone Comparison
Black Gum Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-12
- Frost-Free Days: 140+
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 50 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
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 6-12)
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 Black Gum 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.
Winter standing
Vermont runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for black gum, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether black gum is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Vermont; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Essex 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 black gum survives winter in part of Vermont, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Black Gum wants 140+ frost-free days; a typical Vermont site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves a workable window — start indoors to bank time.
Chill hours
Black Gum requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Vermont typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Black Gum likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-6). That's the common-ground band across Vermont's glacial till and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site.
Your land, not the state average
Vermont's soils run mostly fine sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for black gum is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how black gum performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Vermont soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Black Gum in Vermont — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 6-12 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 27 - May 5 to Oct 10 - Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Black Gum 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 black gum here specifically
Vermont's soils run mostly fine sandy loam (Spodosols), and whether that suits black gum's pH 4.5–6.0 preference comes down to your exact parcel, not the statewide picture.
Pull your parcel's SSURGO map unit, test pH, and amend toward black gum's 4.5–6.0 target before planting. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just black gum — 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 black gum to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Black Gum needs about 140 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Essex County — Vermont’s shortest season at 146 frost-free days — clears that by 6 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Vermont. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Black Gum's 140-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Black Gum draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, black gum 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.
Vermont Cooperative Extension
For Vermont-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for black gum, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Black Gum native to Vermont?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Black Gum as native to Vermont. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Black Gum in Vermont
When can I plant Black Gum 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). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Black Gum, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Vermont and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Black Gum grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Black Gum carries a range of zones 6-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
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). Black Gum needs 140+ 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 Essex, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Black Gum native to Vermont?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Black Gum as native to Vermont. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Black Gum in Vermont?
Black Gum prefers pH 4.5-6 (USDA PLANTS). 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 Black Gum actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores black gum 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 Vermont
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores black gum against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont black gum 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 black gum average
Explore More
Growing guides for black gum
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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