Vermont Planting Zones by City and ZIP Code
Vermont runs from zones 4a to 6a; 58% of its ZIPs are 5a, Burlington is 5b and Montpelier is 5a.
Vermont runs from zones 4a to 6a
The coldest night of the winter averages -30°F to -25°F in the coldest of Vermont’s ZIP codes and -10°F to -5°F in the warmest. Most of the state is zone 5a.
Planting zones of Vermont cities
| City | Zone | Coldest night, on average | Since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington05401 | 5b | -15°F to -10°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (5a) |
| Montpelier05602 | 5a | -20°F to -15°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (4b) |
| Rutland05701 | 5a | -20°F to -15°F | same as 2012 |
| Brattleboro05301 | 5b | -15°F to -10°F | same as 2012 |
| St. Johnsbury05819 | 4b | -25°F to -20°F | same as 2012 |
| Bennington05201 | 5b | -15°F to -10°F | half a zone warmer than 2012 (5a) |
Tap a ZIP for that address’s frost dates and this month’s jobs.
Find your zone anywhere in Vermont
A ZIP code or a town gives you its zone, how it moved since 2012, the frost dates at the nearest NOAA station, and the jobs for this month timed from them.
What to plant in Vermont this month
The calendar for each of Vermont's main zones, from vegetables to pruning and winter protection, each job tied to the extension page it comes from. Pick a month, or read the whole year below it.
Timed from the median frost dates of the 24 NOAA stations in Vermont’s zone 5a: last spring frost May 12, first fall frost Oct 1. Your own ZIP’s frost dates move every window, so the ZIP tool times them for you.
Pick a month above to see every job in it.
The year at a glance
- Start vegetable seeds indoorsFeb to May
- Sow vegetables in the gardenApr to May
- Sow the fall vegetable gardenJun to Aug
- Set out transplantsApr to Jun
- Plant trees and shrubsMar 31 to May 26 and Sep 17 to Nov 5
- Plant garlicSep 17 to Oct 22
- Plant tulips and other spring bulbsOct 8 to Oct 15
- Divide fall-blooming perennialsApr 21 to Jun 2
- Divide spring and summer-blooming perennialsAug 20 to Oct 1
- Prune trees and summer-flowering shrubs while dormantMar 3 to Apr 14
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloomApr 28 to Jun 23
- Water evergreens and new plantings until the ground freezesSep 3 to Nov 12
- Mulch perennial crowns once the ground freezesNov 12 to Nov 26
- Pull back the winter mulchMar 24 to Apr 7
- Put hardware cloth around young tree trunksOct 1 to Nov 12
- Dig and store canna, dahlia and gladiolusOct 1 to Oct 8
- Cut back perennials after a hard freezeOct 8 to Nov 5
What changed in Vermont since 2012
Every ZIP on both mapsCompared ZIP by ZIP from the 2023 and 2012 USDA tables; 305 Vermont ZIP codes appear in both.
Why Vermont’s zones moved
Of the cities above, Burlington went from 5a to 5b, Montpelier went from 4b to 5a and Bennington went from 5a to 5b.
The USDA explains the national picture: “When compared to the 2012 map, the 2023 version reveals that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone, and the other half of the country remained in the same half zone.” The new map uses 1991 to 2020 and more than 13,000 weather stations, so it draws Vermont’s hills, valleys and cities more finely than the 2012 map did.
A warmer zone changes which perennials and shrubs come through the winter, not when the garden gets planted; that still follows the frost dates.
Frost dates and seed starting in Vermont
Vermont planting zone questions
Planting zones by state
Sources. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP code tables (2023 and 2012), PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; USDA Unveils Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA Agricultural Research Service, November 15, 2023); NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal, by station (v1.0.1); NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Zones are read from the PRISM ZIP code tables, read Oct 9, 2026; a ZIP code’s zone is the zone at its center. The calendar’s extension sources are listed on the planting zones page and under each job.