What Grows in Brattleboro, Vermont

USDA Zones 6a · 3K acres

Brattleboro, Vermont, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

Reliable performers under these conditions include cabbage, blackberry, california poppy, and collard greens; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Brattleboro, 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 Brattleboro 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 Brattleboro — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Brattleboro — the short answer

Brattleboro, Vermont: USDA zone 6a, about 176 days between hard freezes, across 3K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 26
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 19
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~176
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
3K 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

6a6a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)
Your USDA zone 6aSee the zone map →

Zone 6a is Brattleboro's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Brattleboro's 176-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Brattleboro

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

Season length

Measured

Brattleboro runs about 176 days between hard freezes — a moderate growing season.

There is room for the full run of cool-season crops plus a warm-season main crop, but the calendar is tight enough that a late spring or early fall frost still decides how much finishes.

Time warm-season transplants to your last hard freeze, and a few weeks of season extension turns a near-miss harvest into a sure one.

Buying weeks at each end

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Brattleboro sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a.

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.

How hardiness zones work

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Brattleboro is in

Brattleboro sits in the Northeastern Coastal Zone — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Brattleboro's own centroid, and it is not what its county reads: Windham County is mostly Northeastern Highlands. The wider page above you is answering a different question about different ground.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Brattleboro

Every plant below cleared Brattleboro's own zone 6a and its 176-day season. Each card opens that plant's Vermont profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in VermontZones 2–11Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Vermont blackberry guideZones 5–8Brattleboro's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
California poppy in VermontZones 6–10Brattleboro's 6a is its exact cold limit.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Vermont growing notesZones 2–11Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Growing cranberry in VermontZones 2–7Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Vermont lavender guideZones 5–8Brattleboro's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in VermontZones 2–10Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: Vermont growing notesZones 5–9Brattleboro's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in VermontZones 3–8Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Vermont kale guideZones 2–11Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in VermontZones 5–9Brattleboro's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Vermont growing notesBrattleboro's 176 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in VermontZones 2–11Brattleboro's 176 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Vermont okra guideZones 2–12Brattleboro's 176 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in VermontZones 2–11Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Vermont growing notesZones 3–8Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in VermontZones 2–11Brattleboro's 176 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Vermont azalea guideZones 4–8Brattleboro's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in VermontZones 3–8Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Vermont growing notesZones 3–10Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in VermontBrattleboro's 176 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Vermont lilac guideZones 4–10Brattleboro's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in VermontZones 3–8Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Vermont growing notesZones 6–8Brattleboro's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in VermontZones 3–9Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Vermont ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Brattleboro's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in VermontZones 2–7Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blue spruce, photograph
Blue spruce: Vermont growing notesZones 2–8Brattleboro's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in VermontZones 2–10Brattleboro's 176 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Vermont canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Brattleboro's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Brattleboro?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 29; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 19 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Even past midsummer there is room for a true fall garden here, and garlic planted near the close carries the momentum into next year.

Documented around Brattleboro

Spotted lanternfly documented 24 miles from Brattleboro, first recorded 2021. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Brattleboro

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

  1. EURO DRY CLEANERSBrownfields · 350 ft
  2. Spring Tree CorporationUnderground Storage Tanks · 1200 ft
  3. BRATTLEBORO RETREATBrownfields · 1600 ft
  4. Steve's Auto Repair/Courthouse GulfUnderground Storage Tanks · 1700 ft
  5. Dead River BrattleboroUnderground Storage Tanks · 2000 ft
  6. VT DEPT OF BGS BRATTLEBORO OFFICES MAINT SHOPBrownfields · 2000 ft
  7. FLAMING OIL COMPANY TEXACOBrownfields · 2000 ft
  8. AOT Brattleboro GarageUnderground Storage Tanks · 2100 ft
  9. Retreat FarmUnderground Storage Tanks · 2200 ft
  10. Brooks Library & Municipal CenterUnderground Storage Tanks · 2200 ft
  11. BRATTLEBORO MEMORIAL LIBRARYBrownfields · 2300 ft
  12. Brattleboro Savings and LoanUnderground Storage Tanks · 2300 ft

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

Measured from Brattleboro'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 Brattleboro.

Total Sites

348

within ~10 miles of Brattleboro

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

3 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Explore the live map
Underground Storage Tanks201Brownfields120Toxics Release Inventory11Nitrate10Superfund3

Sources Checked

within ~10 miles of Brattleboro

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Brattleboro

High0Moderate77Low271

Highest-Severity Sites

7-Eleven #32510
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Brattleboro Agway
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Brattleboro Circle K #7409
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Brattleboro Dept of Public Work
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Brattleboro Discount Beverage
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

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.
  • •TRI facilities report what they release. Check the wind — downwind beds catch more of it.
Explore the contamination map around Brattleboro·Vermont Growing Guide
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Brattleboro

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 Brattleboro average

Your land is one point inside Brattleboro

Everything above resolves to Brattleboro as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 3K acres. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. 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 Brattleboro Average

Brattleboro Average

  • ●USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Brattleboro
  • ●One soil character for all of Brattleboro
  • ●Frost dates read at Brattleboro's scale: Apr 26 to Oct 19

YOUR Parcel

  • ✓Your exact zone, not Brattleboro's 6a
  • ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Brattleboro

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Brattleboro averages 176Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Brattleboro

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 Brattleboro’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 Brattleboro

When does frost risk typically end in Brattleboro?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Brattleboro typically lands around Apr 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 May 17.

When is the first frost in Brattleboro?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Brattleboro typically arrives around Oct 19, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 5, so the watching starts about Sep 19 — about 176 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Brattleboro?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Brattleboro sees about 176 frost-free days — roughly Apr 26 through Oct 19, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 17 to Oct 5, about 141 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Brattleboro?

The federal record around Brattleboro is a meaningful one — 348 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (201), the nearest Brownfields record under a tenth of a mile 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 Brattleboro?

From about Sep 19 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 Oct 19 (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 Oct 19. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Brattleboro's scale — its 6a band and its 176-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Brattleboro'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 Brattleboro’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Brattleboro's own scale — its own ~176-day season between 28°F freezes, the 2,688 acres it covers and 348 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Brattleboro's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Brattleboro's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 26 and Oct 19 and the ~176-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 348 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Brattleboro, the closest Brownfields record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Brattleboro's boundary and the 2,688 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~176-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • Brattleboro sits in the Northeastern Coastal Zone — not the ecoregion its county mostly readsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Brattleborolydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Brattleboro's 2,688 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Windham County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Windham County
  • The growing challenges every Vermont grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Vermont
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Windham County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Brattleboro's 2,688 acreswhy one lot differs from the next →
  • Which side of Brattleboro you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 2,688 acresreading your own microclimate →
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Brownfields record under a tenth of a mile 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 Brattleboro-wide figureread your own land →
The next step finer is your own address

More in Vermont

Windham County Growing Guide·Vermont Growing Guide
USDA PHZM•NOAA Climate Normals•US Census TIGER•PRISM Climate•EPA FRS