vine maple (Acer circinatum), photographi

How to Grow Vine Maple

Acer circinatum · Zones 5-9

Vine Maple is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.

Vine Maple — the short answer

Vine Maple: grown in zones 5–9, full sun, pH 4–6.5.

USDA zones
5–9
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
Soil pH
4–6.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground Plant Database
Frost-kill temperature
32°F
FAO ECOCROP

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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What Vine Maple is

Vine Maple grows as a perennial. It blooms green in spring.

How to grow Vine Maple

Vine Maple grows in USDA zones 5 through 9. Vine Maple does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4 to 6.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 210 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.

USDA Zones

5-9

USDA PHZM 2023

Soil pH

4 - 6.5

FAO ECOCROP

Sun

Full Sun

Growable Ground plant catalog

Drainage

well (dry spells)

Growable Ground plant catalog

Frost Kill Temperature

32°F

Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.

FAO ECOCROP

Minimum Growing Temperature

44.6°F

Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.

FAO ECOCROP

Frost-Free Days

210+

The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.

Growable Ground plant catalog

  1. Start the season right

    Plant vine maple in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.

  2. Match the soil

    Vine Maple prefers pH 4 to 6.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.

  4. Keep it in good form

    Prune vine maple to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.

Where Vine Maple thrives

Vine Maple is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 59 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 5–9 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 5–9·Where Vine Maple growsOpen map →

Where Vine Maple stands, state by state

Vine Maple is rated for zones 59 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

Fully inside zones 5–9

25 states

3 of 25 shown

The line runs through

25 states

3 of 25 shown

Vine Maple’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

Outside zones 5–9

1 state

Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

What grows around Vine Maple

In rotation planning, vine maple counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)

Good to know

Good news for pet owners — vine maple isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)

Vine Maple offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.

Your land is one point inside Vine Maple's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

Free Report

See if Vine Maple will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether vine maple actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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How we know this about Vine Maple

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS DatabaseUSDA PHZMASPCA

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Vine Maple in my zone?

Vine Maple grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Vine Maple?

Vine Maple is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.

How much sun does Vine Maple need?

Vine Maple needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Vine Maple need?

Vine Maple prefers soil pH 4 to 6.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Vine Maple attract pollinators?

Yes — vine maple's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.

Is Vine Maple safe for pets?

Vine Maple is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)