Generally — Most Areas
tepary bean (zones 5-11) suits most of Vermont (4a-6a) — zones 5-6 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Tepary Bean in Vermont — the short answer
Tepary Bean in Vermont: hardy in zones 5–11, full sun, against a state median of ~163 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 5-11
- 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
- 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
- Days to maturity
- 90 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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.
Tepary Bean 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 tepary bean 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.
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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 tepary bean 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.
Where in Vermont Fits Best
Tepary Bean is rated for zones 5–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Against Vermont’s 14 counties that band holds in 9 of them, and the line runs at Addison County (zone 5a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 5–11
9 counties
- Bennington County · zone 5a
- Chittenden County · zone 5a
- Grand Isle County · zone 5a
3 of 9 shown
Below the zone 5 floor
5 counties
- Caledonia County · zone 4b
- Essex County · zone 4b
- Franklin County · zone 4b
3 of 5 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
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 Vermont's zones 4a-6a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for tepary bean (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Tepary Bean Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-11
- Frost-Free Days: 60+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
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 5-11)
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 Tepary Bean 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.
Frost hardiness
Tepary Bean takes cold down to about 28°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP), so you can plant on the early side of Vermont's window — even a few weeks before the final hard freeze. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you.
When to start the seed
Tepary Bean is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Vermont's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 90 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 68 days to spare even in Vermont's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
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 tepary bean survives winter in part of Vermont, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Tepary Bean wants 60+ frost-free days; a typical Vermont site sees ~163 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Tepary Bean needs ~1800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1746 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Vermont's typical season runs short on heat — pick a south-facing site and consider season extension.
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
Tepary Bean 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 6 and 7 — 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 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.
Before you plant tepary bean 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 tepary bean goes in. What follows is Vermont’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 Vermont — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Vermont — 6,987 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 41 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Vermont 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 Vermont
Severity Distribution
across Vermont
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
- •On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Tepary Bean 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 tepary bean — is covered on the Vermont growing guide.
Timing shifts within Vermont
Tepary Bean needs about 60 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Essex County — Vermont’s shortest season at 146 frost-free days — clears that by 86 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"). Tepary Bean's 60-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
Tepary Bean draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, tepary bean 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 tepary bean, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Tepary Bean native to Vermont?
Tepary Bean is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Vermont. It can still earn a place in a Vermont garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
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 Tepary Bean in Vermont
When can I plant Tepary Bean 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). Tepary Bean takes cold to about 28°F before a freeze kills it (FAO ECOCROP — the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor), so plant on the early side of that window — even ahead of the final hard freeze.
Can Tepary Bean mature before first frost in Vermont?
Yes — Tepary Bean matures in 90 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Vermont's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 158 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 68 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Tepary Bean grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Tepary Bean carries a range of zones 5-11, 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). Tepary Bean needs 60+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Tepary Bean native to Vermont?
Tepary Bean is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Vermont. It can still earn a place in a Vermont garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Tepary Bean in Vermont?
Tepary Bean 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 Tepary Bean actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores tepary bean 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 tepary bean against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont tepary bean 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 tepary bean average
Explore More
Growing guides for tepary bean
Explore Vermont county by county
Vermont carries 14 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for tepary bean there:
Where else tepary bean grows
Tepary Bean'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 747 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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