Generally — Most Areas
rose of Sharon (zones 5-8) suits most of Vermont (4a-6a) — zones 5-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
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 rose of sharon against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Rose Of Sharon Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-8
- Sun: Part Sun
- Mature size: 10 ft tall
- Picking window: ~28 days of harvest
- 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 5-8)
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 Rose Of Sharon 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 rose of sharon, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether rose of sharon 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: 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 rose of sharon survives winter in part of Vermont, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Chill hours
Rose Of Sharon requires ~300 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
Rose Of Sharon tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 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 5.5 and 7.5 — 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, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
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.
Rose Of Sharon in Vermont — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
- Plant Zones: 5-8 (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)
What Else to Consider for Rose Of Sharon 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 rose of sharon — is covered on the Vermont growing guide.
Where in Vermont Rose Of Sharon Is Zone-Hardy
Rose Of Sharon is rated for USDA zones 5–8. 9 of Vermont’s 14 counties fall inside that band. The coldest that does is Addison County at zone 5a. 5 counties sit below the plant’s zone 5 floor, where an unprotected plant is relying on snow cover and a mild year. Where you are in Vermont decides this one.
Across those 14 counties Vermont’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4b in Caledonia County to zone 5b in Windsor County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°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. Essex County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 13, while Grand Isle County is clear by Apr 20 — 23 days apart. Set rose of sharon 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". Rose Of Sharon’s zone 5–8 band: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
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 rose of sharon (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Rose Of Sharon draws honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, rose of sharon 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 rose of sharon, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Rose Of Sharon native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Rose Of Sharon 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 Rose Of Sharon in Vermont
When can I plant Rose Of Sharon 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 Rose Of Sharon, 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 Rose Of Sharon grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Rose Of Sharon carries a range of zones 5-8, 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). Rose Of Sharon 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.
Is Rose Of Sharon native to Vermont?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Rose Of Sharon 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 Rose Of Sharon in Vermont?
Rose Of Sharon tolerates pH 5-8 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 Rose Of Sharon actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores rose of sharon 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 rose of sharon against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont rose of sharon averages can't show:
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