Generally — Most Areas
lingonberry (zones 1-7) suits most of Pennsylvania (5b-8a) — zones 5-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Lingonberry in Pennsylvania — the short answer
Lingonberry in Pennsylvania: hardy in zones 1–7, full sun, against a state median of ~197 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 1-7
- 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
- Pennsylvania zones
- 5b-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 6 - Apr 24 – Oct 25 - Nov 3
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 160 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
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.
Pennsylvania 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 lingonberry against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Pennsylvania is not one climate
Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs across 67 counties, from zone 5.5 in Cambria County to zone 7.5 in Philadelphia County. That is 20°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between lingonberry overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 67 counties runs 6–7 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 2-zone span end to end.
Measured across 67 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Fits Best
Lingonberry is rated for zones 1–7 — a cold floor USDA puts at -60 to -50°F. Against Pennsylvania’s 67 counties that band holds in 65 of them, and the line runs at Cambria County (zone 5b), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 1–7
65 counties
- Cameron County · zone 5b
- Elk County · zone 5b
- McKean County · zone 5b
3 of 65 shown
Above the zone 7 ceiling
2 counties
- Delaware County · zone 7b
- Philadelphia County · zone 7b
Too little winter chill rather than too much cold — a low-chill selection is what changes it.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Even within Pennsylvania's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for lingonberry (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Lingonberry Needs
- USDA Zones: 1-7
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1 ft tall
- Picking window: ~28 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Pennsylvania Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 6 - Apr 24
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 25 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Shale-derived, Limestone-derived
Plant Zone Range (zones 1-7)
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 Lingonberry in Pennsylvania
The frost window
Across Pennsylvania, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 184-day window you can count on — up to 211 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
Pennsylvania runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for lingonberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether lingonberry is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Pennsylvania; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Potter 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 lingonberry survives winter in part of Pennsylvania, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Growing degree days
Lingonberry needs ~1200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2447 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Pennsylvania's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Lingonberry requires ~800 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Pennsylvania 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
Lingonberry likes near-neutral soil (pH 4.5-6). That's the common-ground band across Pennsylvania's silt loam and shale-derived — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4.2 and 5.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Pennsylvania soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Pennsylvania 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 14.1% of Pennsylvania as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Lingonberry 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. Pennsylvania soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant lingonberry 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 lingonberry goes in. What follows is Pennsylvania’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 Pennsylvania — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Pennsylvania — 68,671 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 393 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
Severity Distribution
across Pennsylvania
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Pennsylvania, CAFO runs higher than the national average — 642 sites across Pennsylvania. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
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 Lingonberry in Pennsylvania
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Pennsylvania growers also need to think about:
Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region
Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies
Deer pressure is among the highest in the US
Growing lingonberry here specifically
Lingonberry likes pH 4.5–6.0 and its growing tissue burns around -40°F (FAO ECOCROP), yet neither saves it from wet feet — SSURGO maps about 14.1% of Pennsylvania poorly-drained, where its crown sit and rot.
Set lingonberry high on bermed, grit-amended ground so winter and storm water drain away from the crown. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Pennsylvania grower, not just lingonberry — is covered on the Pennsylvania growing guide.
Timing shifts within Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania isn't one climate. In Potter County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about May 5 — roughly 21 days later than the recorded state median — so plant lingonberry to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Pennsylvania Lingonberry Is Zone-Hardy
Lingonberry is rated for USDA zones 1–7. 65 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Cambria County at zone 5b. 2 counties sit above its zone 7 ceiling, where the limit is too little winter chill rather than too much cold. Where you are in Pennsylvania decides this one.
Across those 67 counties Pennsylvania’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 5b in Cambria County to zone 7b in Philadelphia 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. Potter County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 5, while Philadelphia County is clear by Mar 19 — 47 days apart. Set lingonberry 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". Lingonberry’s zone 1–7 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Lingonberry draws honeybees and native bees (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, lingonberry can only work that bloom inside Pennsylvania's frost window — roughly 197 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 6 - Apr 24) and closing at the first (Oct 25 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension
For Pennsylvania-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lingonberry, the canonical source is Penn State Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lingonberry native to Pennsylvania?
Lingonberry is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Pennsylvania. It can still earn a place in a Pennsylvania garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Pennsylvania 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 Lingonberry in Pennsylvania
When can I plant Lingonberry in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 6 and Apr 24, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 25 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Lingonberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Pennsylvania 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 Lingonberry grown in across Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lingonberry carries a range of zones 1-7, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Pennsylvania site have?
A typical Pennsylvania site sees ~197 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lingonberry 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. In cooler counties like Potter, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Lingonberry native to Pennsylvania?
Lingonberry is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Pennsylvania. It can still earn a place in a Pennsylvania garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Lingonberry in Pennsylvania?
Lingonberry prefers pH 4.5-6 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Pennsylvania soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Lingonberry actually grow on my specific land in Pennsylvania?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lingonberry 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 Pennsylvania
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lingonberry against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Pennsylvania lingonberry averages can't show:
We read public map data around Pennsylvania — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Pennsylvania lingonberry average
Explore More
Growing guides for lingonberry
Explore Pennsylvania county by county
Pennsylvania carries 67 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for lingonberry there:
Where else lingonberry grows
Lingonberry's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a growing page for 893 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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