Can I Grow Crossvine in Maine?

USDA Zones 3b-7a · Plant zone range 5-9

Generally — Most Areas

crossvine (zones 5-9) suits most of Maine (3b-7a) — zones 5-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.

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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 crossvine against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.

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Zone Comparison

Crossvine Needs

  • USDA Zones: 5-9
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 50 ft tall
  • Drought tolerance: Medium

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 5-9)

5a
9b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.57.5

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Crossvine 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 crossvine, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether crossvine 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.

Growing Season Fit

The zone check says crossvine survives winter in part of Maine, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.

Growing degree days

Crossvine needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1450 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maine's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.

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

Crossvine likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). 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 6 and 7.2 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maine soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maine site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

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.

Crossvine in Maine — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
  • Plant Zones: 5-9 (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 Crossvine 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 crossvine — is covered on the Maine growing guide.

Where in Maine Crossvine Is Zone-Hardy

Crossvine is rated for USDA zones 59. 12 of Maine’s 16 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Oxford County at zone 5a. 4 counties sit below the plant’s zone 5 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in Maine decides this one.

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 crossvine 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". Crossvine’s zone 59 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 crossvine (USDA PHZM 2023):

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Crossvine draws hummingbirds and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, crossvine can only work that bloom inside Maine's frost window — roughly 182 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 3) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 24), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Maine Cooperative Extension

For Maine-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for crossvine, the canonical source is UMaine Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Crossvine native to Maine?

Crossvine 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 Crossvine in Maine

When can I plant Crossvine 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 Crossvine, 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 Crossvine grown in across Maine?

Maine spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Crossvine 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 Maine site have?

A typical Maine site sees ~182 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Crossvine 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 Crossvine native to Maine?

Crossvine 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 Crossvine in Maine?

Crossvine prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) 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 Crossvine actually grow on my specific land in Maine?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores crossvine against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Maine

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores crossvine against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Maine crossvine averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Maine averages 182Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Maine — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maine crossvine average

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