Yes — Strong Match
garden pea (zones 2-11) covers every zone Maryland contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Garden Pea in Maryland — the short answer
Garden Pea in Maryland: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~238 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- 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
- Days to maturity
- 60 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.
Maryland spans zones 5b-8a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score garden pea against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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
A single Maryland answer averages 24 counties whose growing seasons are 80 days apart — from 190 frost-free days in Garrett County to 270 in Talbot County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what garden pea can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 24 counties runs 225–255 days, with a median of 237 days — a 80-day span end to end.
Measured across 24 Maryland counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. 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 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 garden pea (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Garden Pea Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~18 days of harvest
- 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 2-11)
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 Garden Pea 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.
Frost tenderness
Garden Pea is frost-tender — FAO ECOCROP puts its killing temperature at 32°F — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Garden Pea is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Maryland's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 60 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 167 days to spare even in Maryland's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says garden pea survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Garden Pea wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Maryland site sees ~238 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Garden Pea needs ~1100 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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Garden Pea tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.3) — 3.8 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Maryland. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maryland soil test result is a problem or just a number. 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. Garden Pea 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.
Before you plant garden pea 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 garden pea goes in. What follows is Maryland’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 Maryland — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Maryland — 28,014 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 167 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Maryland 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 with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Maryland
Severity Distribution
across Maryland
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Maryland, CAFO runs higher than the national average — 623 sites across Maryland. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Garden Pea 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 garden pea here specifically
Garden Pea likes pH 4.5–8.3 and its growing tissue burns around 32°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 16.1% of Maryland poorly-drained, where its roots sit and rot.
Set garden pea high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the roots. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just garden pea — 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 garden pea to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Garden Pea needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Garrett County — Maryland’s shortest season at 190 frost-free days — clears that by 130 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Maryland. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Maryland’s 24 counties the frost-free season runs from 190 days in Garrett County to 270 days in Talbot County — a spread of 80 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Maryland county sees 238 frost-free days, leaving garden pea about 178 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
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"). Garden Pea'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
Garden Pea draws honeybees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, garden pea 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 garden pea, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Garden Pea native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Garden Pea 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 Garden Pea in Maryland
When can I plant Garden Pea 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). Garden Pea is frost-tender — its killing temperature is 32°F (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor) — so wait two to three weeks past your site's last hard freeze, when light frost has also stopped, before planting out.
Can Garden Pea mature before first frost in Maryland?
Yes — Garden Pea matures in 60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Maryland's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 227 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 167 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Garden Pea grown in across Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Garden Pea carries a range of zones 2-11, 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). Garden Pea needs 60+ frost-free days, 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 Garden Pea native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Garden Pea 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 Garden Pea in Maryland?
Garden Pea tolerates pH 4.5-8.3 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.8-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Maryland site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Garden Pea actually grow on my specific land in Maryland?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores garden pea 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 garden pea against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maryland garden pea 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 garden pea average
Explore More
Growing guides for garden pea
Explore Maryland county by county
Maryland carries 24 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for garden pea there:
Where else garden pea grows
Garden Pea'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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