Generally — Most Areas
cinnamon fern (zones 4-9) suits most of Maine (3b-7a) — zones 4-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Maine spans zones 3b-7a, 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 cinnamon fern against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Cinnamon Fern Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-9
- Sun: Shade
- Mature size: 4 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Low
Maine Has
- USDA Zones: 3b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 24
- Annual Rainfall: 36-50 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 4-9)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Cinnamon Fern in Maine
The frost window
Across Maine, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 160-day window you can count on — up to 191 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
Maine runs as cold as USDA zone 3, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for cinnamon fern, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether cinnamon fern is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Maine; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Cinnamon Fern likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-6.9). That's the common-ground band across Maine'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 and 6 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maine soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage requirement: poorly (saturated >50% of year). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Maine soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Cinnamon Fern in Maine — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 4-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 16 - May 3 to Oct 10 - Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Cinnamon Fern in Maine
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maine growers also need to think about:
Very short growing season (100-140 frost-free days)
Rocky glacial soils require significant clearing
Harsh winters with heavy snow and ice
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maine grower, not just cinnamon fern — is covered on the Maine growing guide.
Where in Maine Cinnamon Fern Is Zone-Hardy
Cinnamon Fern is rated for USDA zones 4–9. Every one of Maine’s 16 counties sits inside that band — from Aroostook County at zone 4a to Lincoln County at zone 6a — 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 16 counties Maine’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Aroostook County to zone 6a in Lincoln 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. Piscataquis County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 15, while Knox County is clear by Apr 4 — 41 days apart. Set cinnamon fern 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". Cinnamon Fern’s zone 4–9 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Where in Maine Fits Best
Even within Maine's zones 3b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cinnamon fern (USDA PHZM 2023):
Maine Cooperative Extension
For Maine-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cinnamon fern, the canonical source is UMaine Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cinnamon Fern native to Maine?
Cinnamon Fern is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Maine. It can still earn a place in a Maine garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Maine 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 Cinnamon Fern in Maine
When can I plant Cinnamon Fern in Maine?
Maine's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Cinnamon Fern, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Maine 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 Cinnamon Fern grown in across Maine?
Maine spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cinnamon Fern carries a range of zones 4-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Maine site have?
A typical Maine site sees ~182 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cinnamon Fern 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 Cinnamon Fern native to Maine?
Cinnamon Fern is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Maine. It can still earn a place in a Maine garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Cinnamon Fern in Maine?
Cinnamon Fern prefers pH 4.5-6.9 and poorly (saturated >50% of year) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Maine soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Cinnamon Fern actually grow on my specific land in Maine?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cinnamon fern 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 Maine
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cinnamon fern against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maine cinnamon fern averages can't show:
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Growing guides for cinnamon fern
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