Yes — Strong Match
chiltepin pepper is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and Rhode Island's typical season runs ~225 frost-free days against the ~60 chiltepin pepper needs.
Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island — the short answer
Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island: grown in zones 7–11, full sun, against a state median of ~225 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 7-11
- Not verified
- Rhode Island zones
- 6b-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 27 - Apr 3 – Nov 7 - Nov 21
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 210 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 120 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.
Rhode Island spans zones 6b-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 chiltepin pepper 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
Where in Rhode Island Fits Best
Even within Rhode Island's zones 6b-7b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for chiltepin pepper (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Chiltepin Pepper Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full 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: ~60 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: HighWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Rhode Island Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 27 - Apr 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 7 - Nov 21
- Annual Rainfall: 44-52 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Coastal sand
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 Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island
The frost window
Across Rhode Island, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 218-day window you can count on — up to 239 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 chiltepin pepper goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 10 weeks ahead, so counting back from Rhode Island's late-side last freeze of Apr 3 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Rhode Island runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for chiltepin pepper, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether chiltepin pepper is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Rhode Island; 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.
Growing Season Fit
Frost-free days
Chiltepin Pepper wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Rhode Island site sees ~225 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Chiltepin Pepper needs ~2500 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~2635 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Rhode Island 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
Chiltepin Pepper likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-7). That's the common-ground band across Rhode Island's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 6.8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Rhode Island soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Rhode Island 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.
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. Rhode Island soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant chiltepin pepper 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 chiltepin pepper goes in. What follows is Rhode Island’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 Rhode Island — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Rhode Island — 4,249 documented sites across 6 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 141 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
Severity Distribution
across Rhode Island
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Rhode Island, Superfund runs higher than the national average — 141 sites across Rhode Island. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island
The zone range tells you where chiltepin pepper is grown — but Rhode Island growers also need to think about:
Small lot sizes limit garden space in much of the state
Salt spray affects coastal plantings
Rocky glacial soils need clearing
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Rhode Island grower, not just chiltepin pepper — is covered on the Rhode Island growing guide.
Timing shifts within Rhode Island
Chiltepin Pepper needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Providence County — Rhode Island’s shortest season at 210 frost-free days — clears that by 150 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Rhode Island. 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"). Chiltepin Pepper's 60-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
Chiltepin Pepper draws honeybees and native bees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, chiltepin pepper can only work that bloom inside Rhode Island's frost window — roughly 225 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 27 - Apr 3) and closing at the first (Nov 7 - Nov 21), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Rhode Island Cooperative Extension
For Rhode Island-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for chiltepin pepper, the canonical source is URI Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island
When can I plant Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 27 and Apr 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Chiltepin Pepper, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Rhode Island 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 Chiltepin Pepper grown in across Rhode Island?
Rhode Island spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Chiltepin Pepper carries a range of zones 7-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Rhode Island site have?
A typical Rhode Island site sees ~225 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Chiltepin Pepper needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Chiltepin Pepper in Rhode Island?
Chiltepin Pepper prefers pH 4.5-7 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Rhode Island soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Chiltepin Pepper actually grow on my specific land in Rhode Island?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores chiltepin pepper 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 Rhode Island
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores chiltepin pepper against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Rhode Island chiltepin pepper averages can't show:
We read public map data around Rhode Island — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Rhode Island chiltepin pepper average
Explore More
Growing guides for chiltepin pepper
Explore Rhode Island county by county
Rhode Island carries 5 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for chiltepin pepper there:
Where else chiltepin pepper grows
Chiltepin Pepper's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island has a growing page for 882 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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