Yes — Strong Match
St. Johns wort (zones 3-8) covers every zone Maryland contains (5b-8a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Maryland 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 st johns wort against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
St Johns Wort Needs
- USDA Zones: 3-8
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 3 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Maryland Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 18 - Mar 29
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 11 - Nov 27
- Annual Rainfall: 36-48 inches
- Common Soils: Silt loam, Clay, Sandy loam (Eastern Shore)
Plant Zone Range (zones 3-8)
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 St Johns Wort in Maryland
The frost window
Across Maryland, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 227-day window you can count on — up to 254 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 st johns wort goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Maryland's late-side last freeze of Mar 29 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Winter standing
Maryland runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for st johns wort, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether st johns wort is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Maryland; 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 st johns wort survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Days to maturity
St Johns Wort matures in ~120 days (Growable Ground Plant Database). A typical Maryland site has ~238 frost-free days, so plenty of room for a second succession.
Growing degree days
St Johns Wort needs ~700 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~3789 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Maryland's typical season clears that easily.
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
St Johns Wort tolerates a wide pH range (pH 5-8) — 3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Maryland. 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 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Maryland soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Maryland 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. Maryland soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
St Johns Wort in Maryland — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
- Plant Zones: 3-8 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Mar 18 - Mar 29 to Nov 11 - Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 120 days
What Else to Consider for St Johns Wort in Maryland
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Maryland growers also need to think about:
Heavy Piedmont clay drains poorly
Humidity and heat in summer promote disease
Deer pressure in suburban areas is extreme
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Maryland grower, not just st johns wort — is covered on the Maryland growing guide.
Timing shifts within Maryland
St Johns Wort needs about 120 days of frost-free season from planting to harvest. Even Garrett County — Maryland’s shortest season at 190 frost-free days — clears that by 70 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Maryland. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Maryland’s 24 counties the frost-free season runs from 190 days in Garrett County to 270 days in Talbot County — a spread of 80 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Maryland county sees 238 frost-free days, leaving st johns wort about 118 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
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"). St Johns Wort's 120-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (days to maturity). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Maryland Fits Best
Even within Maryland's zones 5b-8a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for st johns wort (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
St Johns Wort draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, st johns wort can only work that bloom inside Maryland's frost window — roughly 238 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 18 - Mar 29) and closing at the first (Nov 11 - Nov 27), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
For Maryland-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for st johns wort, the canonical source is University of Maryland Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is St Johns Wort native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists St Johns Wort as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Maryland 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 St Johns Wort in Maryland
When can I plant St Johns Wort in Maryland?
Maryland's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 18 and Mar 29, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 11 and Nov 27 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for St Johns Wort, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Maryland 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 St Johns Wort grown in across Maryland?
Maryland spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). St Johns Wort carries a range of zones 3-8, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Maryland site have?
A typical Maryland site sees ~238 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). St Johns Wort 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 St Johns Wort native to Maryland?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists St Johns Wort as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Maryland's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Maryland natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for St Johns Wort in Maryland?
St Johns Wort tolerates pH 5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That is a 3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Maryland site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will St Johns Wort actually grow on my specific land in Maryland?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores st johns wort 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 Maryland
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores st johns wort against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Maryland st johns wort averages can't show:
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