Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis), photographi

Can I Grow Canada Anemone in Massachusetts?

USDA Zones 5a-7b · Plant zone range 3-8

Yes — Strong Match

Canada anemone (zones 3-8) covers every zone Massachusetts contains (5a-7b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.

Canada Anemone in Massachusetts — the short answer

Canada Anemone in Massachusetts: hardy in zones 3–8, part sun, against a state median of ~206 frost-free days.

Plant zones
3-8
Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Massachusetts zones
5a-7b
USDA PHZM 2023
Frost window
Apr 4 - Apr 14 – Oct 24 - Nov 14
NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
Shortest county season
171 days
NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze

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.

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Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Massachusetts spans zones 5a-7b, 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 canada anemone against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.

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Massachusetts is not one climate

Massachusetts’s winter-low ladder runs across 14 counties, from zone 5.5 in Berkshire County to zone 7.5 in Nantucket County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between canada anemone overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.

5.5 zonesBerkshire County7.5 zonesNantucket County

The middle half of 14 counties runs 67 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.

Measured across 14 Massachusetts 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 in Massachusetts Fits Best

Even within Massachusetts's zones 5a-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for canada anemone (USDA PHZM 2023):

Zone Comparison

Canada Anemone Needs

  • USDA Zones: 3-8
  • Sun: Part Sun
  • Mature size: 2 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~21 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Massachusetts Has

  • USDA Zones: 5a-7b
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 4 - Apr 14
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 24 - Nov 14
  • Annual Rainfall: 42-50 inches
  • Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)

3a
8b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.57.5

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 Canada Anemone in Massachusetts

The frost window

Across Massachusetts, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 14, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 14 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 193-day window you can count on — up to 224 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

Massachusetts runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for canada anemone, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether canada anemone is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Massachusetts; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.

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.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Canada Anemone likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Massachusetts's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Massachusetts site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

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. Massachusetts soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

What Else to Consider for Canada Anemone in Massachusetts

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Massachusetts growers also need to think about:

Short growing season (120-180 frost-free days) limits warm-season crops

Rocky glacial soils require amendment in many areas

Late spring frosts can damage early plantings through mid-May

Deer pressure is significant in suburban and rural areas

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Massachusetts grower, not just canada anemone — is covered on the Massachusetts growing guide.

Where in Massachusetts Canada Anemone Is Zone-Hardy

Canada Anemone is rated for USDA zones 38. Every one of Massachusetts’s 14 counties sits inside that band — from Berkshire County at zone 5b to Nantucket 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 14 counties Massachusetts’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Berkshire County to zone 7b in Nantucket 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. Berkshire County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 29, while Nantucket County is clear by Mar 26 34 days apart. Set canada anemone 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". Canada Anemone’s zone 38 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Canada Anemone draws native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, canada anemone can only work that bloom inside Massachusetts's frost window — roughly 206 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 4 - Apr 14) and closing at the first (Oct 24 - Nov 14), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Massachusetts Cooperative Extension

For Massachusetts-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for canada anemone, the canonical source is UMass Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Canada Anemone native to Massachusetts?

Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Canada Anemone as native to Massachusetts. 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 Canada Anemone in Massachusetts

When can I plant Canada Anemone in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 4 and Apr 14, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 24 and Nov 14 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Canada Anemone, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Massachusetts 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 Canada Anemone grown in across Massachusetts?

Massachusetts spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Canada Anemone carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Massachusetts site have?

A typical Massachusetts site sees ~206 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Canada Anemone 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.

Is Canada Anemone native to Massachusetts?

Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Canada Anemone as native to Massachusetts. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.

How should I amend the soil for Canada Anemone in Massachusetts?

Canada Anemone prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Massachusetts soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Canada Anemone actually grow on my specific land in Massachusetts?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores canada anemone against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Massachusetts

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores canada anemone against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Massachusetts canada anemone averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Massachusetts averages 206Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Massachusetts — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Massachusetts canada anemone average

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