Yes — Strong Match
hairy vetch (zones 3-10) covers every zone Vermont contains (4a-6a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Hairy Vetch in Vermont — the short answer
Hairy Vetch in Vermont: hardy in zones 3–10, full sun, against a state median of ~163 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 3-10
- 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
- Vermont zones
- 4a-6a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 27 - May 5 – Oct 10 - Oct 17
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 146 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 150 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.
Vermont spans zones 4a-6a, 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 hairy vetch against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Vermont is not one climate
Vermont’s winter-low ladder runs across 14 counties, from zone 4.5 in Caledonia County to zone 5.5 in Windsor County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between hairy vetch overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 14 counties runs 4.5–5 zones, with a median of 5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 14 Vermont 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 in Vermont Fits Best
Even within Vermont's zones 4a-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for hairy vetch (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Hairy Vetch Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-10
- Frost-Free Days: 90+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Vermont Has
- USDA Zones: 4a-6a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 27 - May 5
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 17
- Annual Rainfall: 34-44 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-10)
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 Hairy Vetch in Vermont
The frost window
Across Vermont, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 27 and May 5, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 158-day window you can count on — up to 173 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.
When to start the seed
Hairy Vetch is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Vermont'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.
Winter standing
Vermont runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for hairy vetch, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether hairy vetch is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Vermont; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
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 hairy vetch survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Hairy Vetch wants 90+ frost-free days; a typical Vermont site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Hairy Vetch needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1746 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Vermont'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
Hairy Vetch tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.9-8) — 3.1 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Vermont. 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 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Vermont soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Vermont site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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. Vermont soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Hairy Vetch in Vermont
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Vermont growers also need to think about:
Short growing season (100-130 frost-free days)
Rocky soils throughout the Green Mountains
Heavy clay in the Champlain Valley
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just hairy vetch — is covered on the Vermont growing guide.
Timing shifts within Vermont
Hairy Vetch needs about 90 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Essex County — Vermont’s shortest season at 146 frost-free days — clears that by 56 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Vermont. What varies is your own parcel.
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"). Hairy Vetch's 90-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
Hairy Vetch draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, hairy vetch can only work that bloom inside Vermont's frost window — roughly 163 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 27 - May 5) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 17), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Vermont Cooperative Extension
For Vermont-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for hairy vetch, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Hairy Vetch native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Hairy Vetch as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Vermont's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Vermont natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Vermont 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 Hairy Vetch in Vermont
When can I plant Hairy Vetch in Vermont?
Vermont's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 27 and May 5, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Hairy Vetch, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Vermont 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 Hairy Vetch grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Hairy Vetch carries a range of zones 3-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Vermont site have?
A typical Vermont site sees ~163 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Hairy Vetch needs 90+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Hairy Vetch native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Hairy Vetch as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Vermont's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Vermont natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Hairy Vetch in Vermont?
Hairy Vetch tolerates pH 4.9-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.1-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Vermont site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Hairy Vetch actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores hairy vetch 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 Vermont
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores hairy vetch against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont hairy vetch averages can't show:
We read public map data around Vermont — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Vermont hairy vetch average
Explore More
Growing guides for hairy vetch
Explore Vermont county by county
Vermont carries 14 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for hairy vetch there:
Where else hairy vetch grows
Hairy Vetch's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Vermont 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 Vermont
Vermont has a growing page for 747 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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