Unlikely — Zone Mismatch
Turks cap (zones 7-11) does not overlap with Vermont's zone range (4a-6a). Growing outdoors is unlikely without significant protection.
2 zones short — what would close it
Turks Cap is hardy to zone 7, and the warmest ground in Vermont is zone 5 — 2 zones short. Planted in open ground it will not survive a Vermont winter. To grow it here, grow turks cap in an earth-sheltered greenhouse — its modeled 2.5-zone lift covers this gap.
An earth-sheltered greenhouse is the lift this needs. How a greenhouse changes what you can grow →
Zone math from 7-11 (plant) against 3-5 (Vermont). Lift modeled by crop_engine.GREENHOUSE_ZONE_MODIFIER_BY_SUBTYPE['earth_sheltered'] (+2.5 zones) via api/fast_sections.py Unlock Engine v2.
Turks Cap in Vermont — the short answer
Turks Cap in Vermont: hardy in zones 7–11, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 7-11
- Not verified
- 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.
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 turks cap against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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
Vermont’s winter-low ladder runs across 14 counties, from zone 4.5 in Caledonia County to zone 5.5 in Windsor County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between turks cap overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 14 counties runs 4.5–5 zones, with a median of 5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 14 Vermont counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. 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 Turks Cap Stands in Vermont
Turks Cap is rated for zones 7–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. No Vermont county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Vermont winters, not about turks cap.
Below the zone 7 floor
14 counties
- Caledonia County · zone 4b
- Essex County · zone 4b
- Franklin County · zone 4b
3 of 14 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.
Zone Comparison
Turks Cap Needs
- USDA Zones: 7-11
- Sun: Full SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 6 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: HighWe 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 7-11)
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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 Turks Cap 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 turks cap, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether turks cap 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.
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.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Turks Cap likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-8.5). That's the common-ground band across Vermont's glacial till and clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 8 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Vermont soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants poorly (saturated >50% of year), 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. pH range, preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
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. Turks Cap tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — 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 Turks Cap 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
Growing turks cap here specifically
Turks Cap roots run deep and prefer pH 6.0–8.5, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 18.5% of Vermont as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant turks cap on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Vermont grower, not just turks cap — 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 turks cap to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Vermont Turks Cap Is Zone-Hardy
Turks Cap is rated for USDA zones 7–11. No Vermont county reaches it. Even Windsor County, the state’s mildest winter at zone 5b, sits below the plant’s zone 7 floor — so in open ground this one needs winter protection here, or a container that comes under cover.
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. None of that range reaches the band turks cap needs, so here the statewide answer really is the answer.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Turks Cap’s zone 7–11 band: Not verified. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Turks Cap draws hummingbirds and butterflies (high value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, turks cap 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 Turks Cap Varieties for Vermont
Vermont publishes no state variety trial for turks cap, 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 turks cap, the canonical source is UVM Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Turks Cap in Vermont
When can I plant Turks Cap 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 Turks Cap, 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 Turks Cap grown in across Vermont?
Vermont spans USDA hardiness zones 4a-6a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Turks Cap is listed for zones 7-11, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Vermont where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
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). Turks Cap needs 365+ 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.
How should I amend the soil for Turks Cap in Vermont?
Turks Cap prefers pH 6-8.5 and poorly (saturated >50% of year), well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Vermont soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Turks Cap actually grow on my specific land in Vermont?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores turks cap 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 turks cap against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Vermont turks cap 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 turks cap average
Explore More
Growing guides for turks cap
Explore Vermont county by county
Vermont carries 14 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for turks cap there:
Where else turks cap grows
Turks Cap'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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