Generally — Most Areas
Canada goldenrod (zones 5-9) suits most of New Hampshire (3b-6b) — zones 5-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Canada Goldenrod in New Hampshire — the short answer
Canada Goldenrod in New Hampshire: hardy in zones 5–9, against a state median of ~171 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 5-9
- 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
- New Hampshire zones
- 3b-6b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 22 - May 4 – Oct 10 - Oct 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 145 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.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
New Hampshire spans zones 3b-6b, 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 goldenrod against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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New Hampshire is not one climate
New Hampshire’s winter-low ladder runs across 10 counties, from zone 4.5 in Coos County to zone 6 in Strafford County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between canada goldenrod overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 10 counties runs 5–6 zones, with a median of 5.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 10 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Fits Best
Canada Goldenrod is rated for zones 5–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Against New Hampshire’s 10 counties that band holds in 9 of them, and the line runs at Carroll County (zone 5a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 5–9
9 counties
- Sullivan County · zone 5a
- Belknap County · zone 5b
- Cheshire County · zone 5b
3 of 9 shown
Below the zone 5 floor
1 county
- Coos County · zone 4b
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.
Even within New Hampshire's zones 3b-6b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for canada goldenrod (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Canada Goldenrod Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-9
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
New Hampshire Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-6b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 22 - May 4
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 21
- Annual Rainfall: 36-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-9)
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 Goldenrod in New Hampshire
The frost window
Across New Hampshire, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and May 4, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 159-day window you can count on — up to 182 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
New Hampshire runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for canada goldenrod, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether canada goldenrod is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within New Hampshire; 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.
What Else to Consider for Canada Goldenrod in New Hampshire
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but New Hampshire growers also need to think about:
Very short season in the White Mountains (80-100 frost-free days)
Rocky glacial soils throughout the state
Harsh winters with deep snow cover
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every New Hampshire grower, not just canada goldenrod — is covered on the New Hampshire growing guide.
Where in New Hampshire Canada Goldenrod Is Zone-Hardy
Canada Goldenrod is rated for USDA zones 5–9. 9 of New Hampshire’s 10 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Carroll County at zone 5a. 1 county sits below the plant’s zone 5 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in New Hampshire decides this one.
Across those 10 counties New Hampshire’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Coos County to zone 6a in Strafford County — 1.5 USDA zones of spread, which is 15°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. Coos County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 13, while Rockingham County is clear by Apr 17 — 26 days apart. Set canada goldenrod 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 Goldenrod’s zone 5–9 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 Goldenrod draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, canada goldenrod can only work that bloom inside New Hampshire's frost window — roughly 171 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 22 - May 4) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
For New Hampshire-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for canada goldenrod, the canonical source is UNH Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Canada Goldenrod native to New Hampshire?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Canada Goldenrod as native to New Hampshire. 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 Goldenrod in New Hampshire
When can I plant Canada Goldenrod in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 22 and May 4, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Canada Goldenrod, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in New Hampshire 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 Goldenrod grown in across New Hampshire?
New Hampshire spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-6b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Canada Goldenrod carries a range of zones 5-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical New Hampshire site have?
A typical New Hampshire site sees ~171 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Canada Goldenrod 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 Goldenrod native to New Hampshire?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Canada Goldenrod as native to New Hampshire. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Will Canada Goldenrod actually grow on my specific land in New Hampshire?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores canada goldenrod 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 New Hampshire
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores canada goldenrod against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that New Hampshire canada goldenrod averages can't show:
We read public map data around New Hampshire — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Explore More
Growing guides for canada goldenrod
Explore New Hampshire county by county
New Hampshire carries 10 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for canada goldenrod there:
Where else canada goldenrod grows
Canada Goldenrod's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire
New Hampshire has a growing page for 806 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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