What Grows in Eden, Maryland

USDA Zones 7b · 4K acres

Eden, Maryland, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

Expect cabbage, prickly pear, california poppy, and collard greens to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Eden, no two yards are alike.

A low spot, a south-facing slope, or a stand of trees moves the frost date and sun across a single Eden lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

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

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Eden — the short answer

Eden, Maryland: USDA zone 7b, about 233 days between hard freezes, across 4K acres of town.

USDA zone
7b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 26
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 14
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~233
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
4K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

7b7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 7b is Eden's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Eden's 233-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Your town runs its own season

Eden's own 30-year record measures about 233 days between 28°F killing freezes — 31 days shorter than Somerset County's ~264. Both are measured records, not estimates.

That gap is the whole reason a county average can mislead here. Plant against Eden's ~233-day season rather than the county figure — and the sun, slope and cold-air drainage on your specific lot move it again.

NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991–2020), 30-year daily minimum record. Both figures are measured records — this town’s own and its county’s. A town with no record of its own is absent here rather than estimated.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Eden

Each reading below is measured for Eden itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Season length

Measured

Eden runs about 233 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Eden sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Eden is in

Eden sits in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Eden's own centroid rather than borrowed from Somerset County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Eden

Every plant below cleared Eden's own zone 7b and its 233-day season. Each card opens that plant's Maryland profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in MarylandZones 2–11Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
prickly pear, photograph
Maryland prickly pear guideZones 5–10Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in MarylandZones 6–10Eden's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Maryland growing notesZones 2–11Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
fig, photograph
Growing fig in MarylandZones 6–10Eden's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Maryland lavender guideZones 5–8Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in MarylandZones 2–10Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
grape, photograph
Grape: Maryland growing notesZones 6–9Eden's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in MarylandEden's 233 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Maryland kale guideZones 2–11Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Hazelnut in MarylandZones 4–9Eden's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
lentil, photograph
Lentil: Maryland growing notesZones 2–11Eden's 233 days clear the ~70 it needs.
pawpaw, photograph
Growing pawpaw in MarylandZones 5–9Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
okra, photograph
Maryland okra guideZones 2–12Eden's 233 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in MarylandZones 2–11Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Maryland growing notesZones 3–10Eden's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in MarylandZones 2–11Eden's 233 days clear the ~70 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Maryland apache plume guideZones 5–11Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in MarylandZones 3–8Eden's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Maryland growing notesZones 3–8Eden's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in MarylandEden's 233 days clear the ~50 it needs.
holly, photograph
Maryland holly guideZones 5–11Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in MarylandZones 3–9Eden's 7b — 4 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Maryland growing notesZones 6–8Eden's 7b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Growing douglas fir in MarylandZones 4–10Eden's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Maryland ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Eden's 7b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in MarylandZones 2–7Eden's 7b — 5 zones of cold margin.
redbud, photograph
Redbud: Maryland growing notesZones 5–11Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Japanese millet, photograph
Growing japanese millet in MarylandZones 5–10Eden's 233 days clear the ~45 it needs.
ajuga, photograph
Maryland ajuga guideZones 5–11Eden's 7b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Eden?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 14 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

Documented around Eden

Spotted lanternfly documented 12 miles from Eden, first recorded 2022. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Eden

Closest first, within ~10 miles of Eden. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. DOLLAR GENERAL STORE #23015Brownfields · 850 ft
  2. Eden Quick StopUnderground Storage Tanks · 1300 ft
  3. PENSKE TRUCK LEASING CO., LPBrownfields · 2200 ft
  4. Shore Stop #241Underground Storage Tanks · 1.2 mi
  5. American Paving CorporationUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.3 mi
  6. SO Af 26Nitrate · 1.3 mi
  7. Kary Asphalt Inc.Underground Storage Tanks · 1.3 mi
  8. Chesapeake LumberUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.5 mi
  9. STEVE STUART/DRAGON'S LAIR FARMCAFO · 1.7 mi
  10. LAWRENCE JOHNSTONCAFO · 1.7 mi
  11. PAT LAYFIELD FARMCAFO · 1.9 mi
  12. ATLANTIC WOOD INDUSTRIESToxics Release Inventory · 2.0 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Eden's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Eden.

Total Sites

784

within ~10 miles of Eden

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Eden

High3Moderate214Low567

Highest-Severity Sites

Town of Princess Anne
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Eastern Correctional Institution
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Eden Quick Stop
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Kash & Karry
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Kings Creek Market
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Eden, CAFO runs higher than the national average — 75 sites within ~10 miles of Eden. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Eden

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Eden average

Your land is one point inside Eden

Everything above resolves to Eden as a whole — and this is a town whose own 30-year record already runs a season its county’s does not. Your parcel sits at one point inside even that. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at town scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better local average.

Your Lot vs the Eden Average

Eden Average

  • USDA Zones 7b, averaged across Eden
  • One soil character for all of Eden
  • Frost dates read at Eden's scale: Mar 26 to Nov 14

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Eden's 7b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Eden

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Eden, Maryland — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

Three things about your lot that Eden averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Eden averages 233Your sun & shade

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

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Eden average

How we know this about Eden

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this town’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Eden’s own record; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Soil is not read at town grain anywhere on this page — there is no town-resolution survey in our data, which is why you will find no soil grid here rather than a statewide one wearing a local label. The resolution ledger below names every figure this page inherited.

Common questions about Eden

When does frost risk typically end in Eden?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Eden typically lands around Mar 26, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about Apr 16.

When is the first frost in Eden?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Eden typically arrives around Nov 14, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 31, so the watching starts about Oct 15 — about 233 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Eden?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Eden sees about 233 frost-free days — roughly Mar 26 through Nov 14, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 16 to Oct 31, about 198 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Eden?

The federal record around Eden is a meaningful one — 784 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (399), the nearest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out — so a soil test before new food beds is a sensible precaution here, not a reason to hold back from growing. Remember that proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what sits where.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Eden?

From about Oct 15 the job here turns from planting to protecting — the last start even a 30-day crop can finish. As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Nov 14 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), three moves buy time: row cover or an old sheet over tender plants on still, clear nights; water the soil the afternoon before a freeze, so it holds warmth overnight; and harvest tomatoes, peppers and basil before Nov 14. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Eden's scale — its 7b band and its 233-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Eden's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Eden’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Eden's own scale — its own ~233-day season between 28°F freezes, the 3,574 acres it covers and 784 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Eden's own USDA hardiness band, zones 7bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Eden's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Mar 26 and Nov 14 and the ~233-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 784 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Eden, the closest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Eden's boundary and the 3,574 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 7b and a ~233-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Eden's own centroid, the Middle Atlantic Coastal PlainUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Edenlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Eden's 3,574 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Somerset County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Somerset County
  • The growing challenges every Maryland grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Maryland
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Somerset County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Eden's 3,574 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Eden you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 3,574 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Brownfields record about 0.2 miles out, measured from the town centrehow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — measured at your address, and averaged away by any Eden-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address