Yes — Strong Match
clematis (zones 4-8) covers every zone Maryland contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
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 clematis against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Clematis Needs
- USDA Zones: 4-8
- Mature size: 12 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 4-8)
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Clematis 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 clematis, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether clematis 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.
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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says clematis survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Growing degree days
Clematis needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3789 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maryland's typical season clears that easily.
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.
Clematis in Maryland — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 4-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 18 - Mar 29 to Nov 11 - Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
What Else to Consider for Clematis 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
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just clematis — is covered on the Maryland growing guide.
Where in Maryland Clematis Is Zone-Hardy
Clematis is rated for USDA zones 4–8. Every one of Maryland’s 24 counties sits inside that band — from Garrett County at zone 6a to Talbot County at zone 8a — 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 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. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Garrett County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 22, while Talbot County is clear by Mar 10 — 43 days apart. Set clematis 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". Clematis’s zone 4–8 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 Maryland Fits Best
Even within Maryland's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for clematis (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Clematis draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, clematis can only work that bloom inside Maryland's frost window — roughly 238 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 18 - Mar 29) and closing at the first (Nov 11 - Nov 27), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
For Maryland-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for clematis, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Clematis in Maryland
When can I plant Clematis 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 Clematis, 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 Clematis grown in across Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Clematis carries a range of zones 4-8, 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). Clematis 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.
Will Clematis actually grow on my specific land in Maryland?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores clematis 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 clematis against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maryland clematis averages can't show:
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Growing guides for clematis
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