Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
Chinese evergreen (zones 10-12) does not overlap with Maryland's zone range (5b-8a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Chinese Evergreen is hardy to zone 10, and the warmest ground in Maryland is zone 8 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Maryland winter. To grow it here, grow chinese evergreen in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 10-12 (plant) against 6-8 (Maryland). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Chinese Evergreen in Maryland — the short answer
Chinese Evergreen in Maryland: hardy in zones 10–12, shade, against a state median of ~238 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 10-12
- 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
- Maryland zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 18 - Mar 29 – Nov 11 - Nov 27
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 190 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.
Maryland 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 chinese evergreen 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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Maryland is not one climate
Maryland’s winter-low ladder runs across 24 counties, from zone 6 in Garrett County to zone 8 in Talbot County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between chinese evergreen overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 24 counties runs 7.5–7.5 zones, with a median of 7.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 24 Maryland 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 Chinese Evergreen Stands in Maryland
Chinese Evergreen is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. No Maryland county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Maryland winters, not about chinese evergreen.
Below the zone 10 floor
24 counties
- Garrett County · zone 6a
- Allegany County · zone 7a
- Carroll County · zone 7a
3 of 24 shown
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.
Zone Comparison
Chinese Evergreen Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-12
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Maryland Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 18 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 11 - Nov 27
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay, Sandy loam (Eastern Shore)
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-12)
Preferred Soil pH
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 Chinese Evergreen in Maryland
The frost window
Across Maryland, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 227-day window you can count on — up to 254 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
Maryland runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for chinese evergreen, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether chinese evergreen is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Maryland; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Garrett 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Chinese Evergreen likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.6-6.5). That's the common-ground band across Maryland's silt loam and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maryland site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 16.1% of Maryland as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Chinese Evergreen has low drought tolerance, so it is the fast-draining end that will cost you — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
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. Maryland soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Chinese Evergreen in Maryland
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maryland growers also need to think about:
Heavy Piedmont clay drains poorly
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Deer pressure in suburban areas is extreme
Growing chinese evergreen here specifically
Chinese Evergreen rates to USDA zones 10–12 and takes frost damage on growing tissue around 55°F (FAO ECOCROP), but cold isn't the risk in Maryland — wet is: with roughly 16.1% of its soils poorly-drained (SSURGO), soggy ground rots the crown.
Give chinese evergreen a raised bed or mounded row with coarse amendment so its crown never sit wet. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just chinese evergreen — is covered on the Maryland growing guide.
Timing shifts within Maryland
Maryland isn't one climate. In Garrett County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 29 days later than the recorded state median — so plant chinese evergreen 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 Maryland Chinese Evergreen Is Zone-Hardy
Chinese Evergreen is rated for USDA zones 10–12. No Maryland county reaches it. Even Talbot County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 8a, sits below the plant’s zone 10 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
Across those 24 counties Maryland’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Garrett County to zone 8a in Talbot County — 2 USDA zones of spread, which is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. None of that range reaches the band chinese evergreen needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Chinese Evergreen’s zone 10–12 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Good to Know Before You Plant Chinese Evergreen
Chinese Evergreen is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (all) at a moderate level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear. Parts of chinese evergreen carry moderate toxicity for people, so know which parts are edible before harvest.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
For Maryland-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for chinese evergreen, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Chinese Evergreen native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Chinese Evergreen as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Maryland growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Chinese Evergreen in Maryland
When can I plant Chinese Evergreen in Maryland?
Maryland's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Chinese Evergreen, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Maryland 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 Chinese Evergreen grown in across Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Chinese Evergreen carries a range of zones 10-12, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Maryland site have?
A typical Maryland site sees ~238 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Chinese Evergreen 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. In cooler counties like Garrett, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Chinese Evergreen native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Chinese Evergreen as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Chinese Evergreen in Maryland?
Chinese Evergreen prefers pH 5.6-6.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Maryland soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Chinese Evergreen actually grow on my specific land in Maryland?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores chinese evergreen 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 Maryland
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores chinese evergreen against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maryland chinese evergreen averages can't show:
We read public map data around Maryland — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maryland chinese evergreen average
Explore More
Growing guides for chinese evergreen
Explore Maryland county by county
Maryland carries 24 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for chinese evergreen there:
Where else chinese evergreen grows
Chinese Evergreen's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Maryland 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 Maryland
Maryland has a growing page for 1,020 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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