Can I Grow Shasta Daisy in Maine?

USDA Zones 3b-7a · Plant zone range 4-9

Generally — Most Areas

shasta daisy (zones 4-9) suits most of Maine (3b-7a) — zones 4-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.

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Maine spans zones 3b-7a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score shasta daisy against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

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Zone Comparison

Shasta Daisy Needs

  • USDA Zones: 4-9
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 3 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~45 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Medium

Maine Has

  • USDA Zones: 3b-7a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 16 - May 3
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 10 - Oct 24
  • Annual Rainfall: 36-50 inches
  • Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, Rocky loam

Plant Zone Range (zones 4-9)

4a
9b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 5.07.5

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Shasta Daisy in Maine

The frost window

Across Maine, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 160-day window you can count on — up to 191 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 shasta daisy goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Maine's late-side last freeze of May 3 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.

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.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Shasta Daisy likes near-neutral soil (pH 5-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Maine's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5.2 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maine soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maine 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. Maine soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Shasta Daisy in Maine — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Generally — Most Areas
  • Plant Zones: 4-9 (USDA PLANTS Database)
  • State Zones: 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
  • Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Apr 16 - May 3 to Oct 10 - Oct 24 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)

What Else to Consider for Shasta Daisy in Maine

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maine growers also need to think about:

Very short growing season (100-140 frost-free days)

Rocky glacial soils require significant clearing

Harsh winters with heavy snow and ice

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maine grower, not just shasta daisy — is covered on the Maine growing guide.

Where in Maine Shasta Daisy Is Zone-Hardy

Shasta Daisy is rated for USDA zones 49. Every one of Maine’s 16 counties sits inside that band — from Aroostook County at zone 4a to Lincoln County at zone 6a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.

Across those 16 counties Maine’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 4a in Aroostook County to zone 6a in Lincoln 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. Piscataquis County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about May 15, while Knox County is clear by Apr 4 41 days apart. Set shasta daisy 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". Shasta Daisy’s zone 49 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 Maine Fits Best

Even within Maine's zones 3b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for shasta daisy (USDA PHZM 2023):

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Shasta Daisy draws honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, shasta daisy can only work that bloom inside Maine's frost window — roughly 182 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 16 - May 3) and closing at the first (Oct 10 - Oct 24), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Maine Cooperative Extension

For Maine-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for shasta daisy, the canonical source is UMaine Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Common Questions About Growing Shasta Daisy in Maine

When can I plant Shasta Daisy in Maine?

Maine's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 16 and May 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 10 and Oct 24 (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 Shasta Daisy grown in across Maine?

Maine spans USDA hardiness zones 3b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Shasta Daisy carries a range of zones 4-9, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Maine site have?

A typical Maine site sees ~182 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Shasta Daisy 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.

How should I amend the soil for Shasta Daisy in Maine?

Shasta Daisy prefers pH 5-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Maine soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Shasta Daisy actually grow on my specific land in Maine?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores shasta daisy against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Maine

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores shasta daisy against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Maine shasta daisy averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Maine averages 182Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Maine — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Maine shasta daisy average

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