Yes — Strong Match
Brussels sprouts is grown in zones 2-11, which covers every zone Pennsylvania contains (5b-8a). Whether the season is long enough is the question that remains.
Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania — the short answer
Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania: grown in zones 2–11, part sun.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- Not verified
- Pennsylvania zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 6 - Apr 24 – Oct 25 - Nov 3
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 160 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 100 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.
Pennsylvania spans zones 5b-8a, 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 brussels sprouts 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
Pennsylvania is not one climate
A single Pennsylvania answer averages 67 counties whose growing seasons are 90 days apart — from 160 frost-free days in Potter County to 250 in Philadelphia County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what brussels sprouts can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 67 counties runs 182–211 days, with a median of 197 days — a 90-day span end to end.
Measured across 67 Pennsylvania counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 in Pennsylvania Fits Best
Even within Pennsylvania's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for brussels sprouts (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Brussels Sprouts Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Sun: Part SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 3 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: MediumWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Pennsylvania Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 6 - Apr 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Shale-derived, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
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 Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania
The frost window
Across Pennsylvania, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 184-day window you can count on — up to 211 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 brussels sprouts goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 5 weeks ahead, so counting back from Pennsylvania's late-side last freeze of Apr 24 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Pennsylvania runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for brussels sprouts, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether brussels sprouts is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Pennsylvania; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Potter 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
Brussels Sprouts is grown in zones 2–11, which covers every zone Pennsylvania contains (5b-8a). We have no sourced winter-survival figure for brussels sprouts, so this page does not say whether it overwinters here. Pennsylvania's typical season runs ~197 frost-free days against the ~60 brussels sprouts needs.
Growing degree days
Brussels Sprouts needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~2447 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Pennsylvania's typical season clears that easily.
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
Brussels Sprouts tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5.5-8.5) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Pennsylvania. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Pennsylvania soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Pennsylvania 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 and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
Whether brussels sprouts is safe to eat from Pennsylvania soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 39,009 documented contamination sites mean levels spike on some parcels and not the one next door. Brussels Sprouts roots to about 59 inches, so it is the top 59 inches under your address that decide what it takes up, so only a test on your address settles it.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO + EPA/state contamination databases.
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. Pennsylvania soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant brussels sprouts 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 brussels sprouts goes in. What follows is Pennsylvania’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 Pennsylvania — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Pennsylvania — 39,009 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 393 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
Severity Distribution
across Pennsylvania
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Pennsylvania, CAFO runs higher than the national average — 642 sites across Pennsylvania. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania
The zone range tells you where brussels sprouts is grown — but Pennsylvania growers also need to think about:
Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region
Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies
Deer pressure is among the highest in the US
Growing brussels sprouts here specifically
Brussels Sprouts is a leafy crop whose edible part grows in or against the soil and can take up lead, and Pennsylvania carries 39,009 documented contamination sites where legacy fill and old paint push metals up parcel by parcel.
Run a parcel soil-lead test before planting, and grow brussels sprouts in raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil, which lower contact with the ground but do not remove it. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Pennsylvania grower, not just brussels sprouts — is covered on the Pennsylvania growing guide.
Timing shifts within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania isn't one climate. In Potter County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 5 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant brussels sprouts 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 Pennsylvania Brussels Sprouts Is Zone-Hardy
Brussels Sprouts is rated for USDA zones 2–11. Every one of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties sits inside that band — from Cambria County at zone 5b to Philadelphia County at zone 7b — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 67 counties Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Cambria County to zone 7b in Philadelphia County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Potter County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 5, while Philadelphia County is clear by Mar 19 — 47 days apart. Set brussels sprouts out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Brussels Sprouts’s zone 2–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Brussels Sprouts draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, brussels sprouts can only work that bloom inside Pennsylvania's frost window — roughly 197 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 6 - Apr 24) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension
For Pennsylvania-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for brussels sprouts, the canonical source is Penn State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Brussels Sprouts native to Pennsylvania?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Brussels Sprouts as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Pennsylvania's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Pennsylvania natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Pennsylvania growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Pennsylvania 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 Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania
When can I plant Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Brussels Sprouts, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Pennsylvania 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 Brussels Sprouts grown in across Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Brussels Sprouts carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Pennsylvania site have?
A typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Brussels Sprouts 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 Potter, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Brussels Sprouts native to Pennsylvania?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Brussels Sprouts as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Pennsylvania's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Pennsylvania natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Brussels Sprouts in Pennsylvania?
Brussels Sprouts tolerates pH 5.5-8.5 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Pennsylvania site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Brussels Sprouts actually grow on my specific land in Pennsylvania?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores brussels sprouts 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 Pennsylvania
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores brussels sprouts against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Pennsylvania brussels sprouts averages can't show:
We read public map data around Pennsylvania — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Pennsylvania brussels sprouts average
Explore More
Growing guides for brussels sprouts
Explore Pennsylvania county by county
Pennsylvania carries 67 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for brussels sprouts there:
Where else brussels sprouts grows
Brussels Sprouts's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a growing page for 890 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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