Yes — Strong Match
red tasselflower is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and Vermont's typical season runs ~163 frost-free days against the ~90 red tasselflower needs.
Red Tasselflower in Vermont — the short answer
Red Tasselflower in Vermont: grown in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~163 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- Grown as an annual — see the growing season
- Growing season, not a hardiness zone
- 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
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.
Red Tasselflower is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Vermont site runs ~163 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score red tasselflower against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Vermont is not one climate
A single Vermont answer averages 14 counties whose growing seasons are 44 days apart — from 146 frost-free days in Essex County to 190 in Grand Isle County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what red tasselflower can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 14 counties runs 158–173 days, with a median of 161 days — a 44-day span end to end.
Measured across 14 Vermont 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.
Zone Comparison
Red Tasselflower Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-11
- Frost-Free Days: 90+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Picking window: ~90 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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 8-11)
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 Red Tasselflower 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
Those dates are when red tasselflower goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from Vermont's late-side last freeze of May 5 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Essex 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
Frost-free days
Red Tasselflower 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.
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
Red Tasselflower tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4-7) — 3 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 4.5 and 6.5 — 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, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost.
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. Red Tasselflower sits mid-range for drought tolerance, so either extreme can 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. 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 Red Tasselflower in Vermont
The zone range tells you where red tasselflower is grown — 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 red tasselflower here specifically
Red Tasselflower roots run medium and prefer pH 4.0–7.0, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 18.5% of Vermont as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its roots before pH ever matters.
Plant red tasselflower on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the roots stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just red tasselflower — 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 red tasselflower to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Red Tasselflower 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"). Red Tasselflower'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
Red Tasselflower draws honeybees and native bees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, red tasselflower 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. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Recommended Red Tasselflower Varieties for Vermont
Vermont publishes no state variety trial for red tasselflower, so we won't invent a "best for Vermont" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (4a-6a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Vermont Cooperative Extension
For Vermont-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for red tasselflower, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Red Tasselflower native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Tasselflower 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 plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Vermont and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Red Tasselflower in Vermont
When can I plant Red Tasselflower 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). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
What hardiness zone is Red Tasselflower grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Red Tasselflower carries a range of zones 8-11, 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). Red Tasselflower needs 90+ 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 Red Tasselflower native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Red Tasselflower 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 Red Tasselflower in Vermont?
Red Tasselflower tolerates pH 4-7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3-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 Red Tasselflower actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores red tasselflower against your address's mapped 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 red tasselflower against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont red tasselflower 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 red tasselflower average
Explore More
Growing guides for red tasselflower
Explore Vermont county by county
Vermont carries 14 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for red tasselflower there:
Where else red tasselflower grows
Red Tasselflower'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 752 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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