Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
kiwi (zones 7-9) does not overlap with Vermont's zone range (4a-6a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Kiwi is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in Vermont is zone 5 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Vermont winter. To grow it here, grow kiwi under glass — a greenhouse is the only lift this wide the engine models.
A greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 7-9 (plant) against 3-5 (Vermont). Lift modeled by crop_engine Sprint 20B effective_zone_modifier (+2 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
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 kiwi against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Kiwi Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-9
- Frost-Free Days: 210+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 30 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
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 7-9)
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 Kiwi 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.
Winter standing
Vermont runs as cold as USDA zone 4, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for kiwi, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether kiwi 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.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Essex County, not the statewide average.
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 kiwi does not survive a Vermont winter in the ground. The season figures below measure a different question — whether it could finish a season here at all — and they only bear on Vermont under protection.
Frost-free days
Kiwi wants 210+ frost-free days; a typical Vermont site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020) — 47 days short of what it needs. A typical Vermont season does not carry this crop to harvest outdoors, and a gap that size is not one an earlier sowing date or a faster cultivar closes; growing it here means growing it under cover.
Growing degree days
Kiwi needs ~3000 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.
Chill hours
Kiwi requires ~400 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Vermont typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
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
Kiwi likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Vermont's glacial till and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. 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.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 18.5% of Vermont as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Kiwi 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 and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Vermont soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Kiwi in Vermont — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
- Plant Zones: 7-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 27 - May 5 to Oct 10 - Oct 17 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 1460 days
What Else to Consider for Kiwi 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
Growing kiwi here specifically
Kiwi needs sharp drainage and sends deep roots hardy to about 46°F; in Vermont, about 18.5% of soils are poorly-drained (SSURGO), and standing water is what actually kills it.
Build kiwi up on a coarse, free-draining mound so its crown never sit in saturated soil. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just kiwi — is covered on the Vermont growing guide.
Timing shifts within Vermont
Vermont isn't one climate. In Essex County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 13 — roughly 11 days later than the recorded state median — so plant kiwi to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Kiwi needs about 210 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. No Vermont county gives it that outdoors: even Grand Isle County, the state’s longest season at 190 frost-free days, falls 20 days short — so it needs transplants, a short-season variety, or covered growing.
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"). Kiwi's 210-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
Kiwi draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, kiwi 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 kiwi, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Kiwi native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Kiwi 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 Kiwi in Vermont
When can I plant Kiwi 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 Kiwi, 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 Kiwi grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Kiwi carries a range of zones 7-9, 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). Kiwi needs 210+ 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 Essex, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Kiwi native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Kiwi 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 Kiwi in Vermont?
Kiwi prefers pH 5.5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Vermont soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Kiwi actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores kiwi 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 kiwi against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont kiwi 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 kiwi average
Explore More
Growing guides for kiwi
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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