Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.
The USDA zone info for Charleston should be looked at to determine when it's a good idea to plant penstemon.
Planting Calendar for Penstemon
Frost tolerance for penstemon: | Tolerant of some frost. |
When to plant: | Up to 5 weeks before last frost. |
Since penstemon do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little earlier in the year than plants that are more sensitive to the cold.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legend | |
---|---|
A good time to plant penstemon | |
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant penstemon | |
Probably not a good time to plant penstemon |
The earliest that you can plant penstemon in Charleston is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.
The last month that you can plant penstemon and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your penstemon may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your penstemon indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.
Last Frost Date
The average date of last frost is April 15 in Charleston. You can expect an average low temperature of -10°F in the coldest months of winter.
Since the USDA zone info for Charleston is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Charleston there is a last frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your penstemon if you have one of those late frosts.
USDA Zone Info for Charleston
Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.
Average Date of Last Frost (spring) | April 15 |
Average Date of First Frost (fall) | October 15 |
Lowest Expected Low | -10°F |
Highest Expected Low | -5°F |
This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.
Plants to Grow in Charleston
You may be interested in your other planting guides for Charleston.
Vegetables
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Asparagus lettuce
- Asparagus peas
- Beets
- Bell Peppers
- Bittercress
- Black pepper
- Black radish
- Bok Choi
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bunching Onions
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupes
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chard
- Chicory
- Chinese cabbage
- Chives
- Corn
- Corn salad
- Cucumbers
- Eggplants
- Endive
- Fennel
- Field Peas
- Garden cress
- Garlic
- Gherkins
- Green beans
- Hamburg root parsley
- Iceberg lettuce
- Indian cress
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Melons
- Mustard greens
- Napa cabbage
- Neeps
- New Zealand spinach
- Okra
- Onions
- Parsnip
- Pea
- Peanut
- Pearl onions
- Peas
- Pole beans
- Potatos
- Pumpkins
- Purslane
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Red cabbage
- Rhubarb
- Romaine lettuce
- Romanesco
- Runner beans
- Salsify
- Savoy cabbage
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Snap beans
- Snow peas
- Spinach
- Squash
- Strawberries
- String beans
- Sweet corn
- Sweet Potatos
- Tomatos
- Tree onions
- Turnips
- Watercress
- Watermelon
- Welsh onion
- Zucchini
Herbs
Flowers
- Abutilon
- Achillea
- Achimenes
- Aegopodium
- African Daisy
- Ageratum
- Ajuga
- Alstromeria
- Alternanthera
- Alternaria
- Alyssum
- Amaranthus
- Anagallis
- Anchusa
- Anemone
- Angelonia
- Angel's Trumpets
- Arabis
- Arctotis
- Argyranthemum
- Armeria
- Artemesia
- Asparagus Fern
- Asters
- Astilbe
- Aubretia
- Aubrieta
- Aurinia
- Axilflower
- Baby Blue Eyes
- Baby's Breath
- Bachelor Buttons
- Bacopa
- Balloon Flower
- Balsam
- Banana
- Basket of Gold
- Bee Balm
- Begonias
- Bellis
- Bells of Ireland
- Bidens
- Bishop's Weed
- Black Eyed Susans
- Bleeding Hearts
- Bloodleaf
- Blue Lace Flowers
- Blue Throatwort
- Bougainvillea
- Bower Vine
- Brachycome
- Browallia
- Brunfelsia
- Buddha belly plant
- Bunny Tails grass
- Caladium
- Calendula
- Calibrachoa
- California Poppy
- Calla Lily
- Calliopsis
- Campanula
- Candytuft
- Canna
- Cardinal Flower
- Carnation
- Catharanthus
- Celosia
- Centaurea
- Cerastium
- Chocolate Daisy
- Chrysanthemum
- Chrysanthemums
- Chrysocephalum
- Cigar Plant
- Cleome
- Clover
- Coleus
- Columbine
- Common hollyhock
- Copperleaf
- Coral Bells
- Coreopsis
- Cosmos
- Crassula
- Creeping Phlox
- Creeping Zinnia
- Crossandra
- Cuphea
- Dahlberg Daisy
- Dahlia
- Dahlias
- Dallas Fern
- Datura
- Daylily
- Decorative Kale
- Delphinium
- Dianthus
- Diascia
- Dichondra
- Didiscus
- Digitalis
- Dipladenia
- Doronicum
- Dracaena
- Dusty Miller
- Echinacea
- Elephant Ears
- English Daisy
- Erysimum
- Euphorbia
- Evolvulus
- Fanflower
- Felicia Daisy
- Festuca
- Feverfew
- Fiber Optic Grass
- Firebush
- Flax
- Flowering Kale
- Flowering Maple
- Flowering Tobacco
- Flower-of-an-Hour
- Forget-Me-Not
- Fountain Grass
- Four O' Clock
- Four-o-clock flower
- Foxglove
- Fuchsia
- Gaillardia
- Galium
- Garden Mums
- Gayfeather
- Gazania
- Geranium
- Gerbera
- Geum
- Gladiolus
- Gloriosa Daisy
- Gloriosa Lily
- Gomphrena
- Guara
- Gypsophila
- Hamelia
- Hardy Asters
- Hardy Hibiscus
- Helianthemum
- Heliotrope
- Hemerocallis
- Heuchera
- Hibiscus
- Hollyhocks
- Hosta
- Hypericum
- Iberis
- Iceland Poppy
- Impatiens
- Iresene
- Jasmine
- Lantana
- Larkspur
- Lavender
- Lavender Cotton
- Lenten Rose
- Liatris
- Lisianthus
- Lithospermum
- Livingstone Daisy
- Lobelia
- Lotus Vine
- Lunaria
- Lupine
- Lysimachia
- Maltese Cross
- Marguerite Daisy
- Marigold
- Matricaria
- Mecardonia
- Melampodium
- Mexican Feather Grass
- Millet
- Mimulus
- Missouri Primrose
- Monarda
- Money Plant
- Monkey Flower
- Moon Vine
- Morning Glory
- Myosotis
- Napa Valley Fern
- Nasturtium
- Nemesia
- Nicotiana
- Nierembergia
- Nigella
- Nolana
- Oenothera
- Oleander
- Oriental poppies
- Ornamental Grasses
- Osteospermum
- Oxalis
- Painted Daisies
- Painted Tongues
- Pampas Grass
- Pansies
- Pennisetum
- Penstemon
- Pentas
- Peonies
- Perilla
- Periwinkles
- Petunias
- Phlox
- Pincushion Flower
- Platycodon
- Plectranthus
- Polka Dot Plant
- Polygonums
- Poppies
- Portulaca
- Primroses
- Primula
- Purple Bell Vines
- Purple Coneflower
- Purple Rock Cress
- Pyrethrum
- Red Hot Pokers
- Regal Geranium
- Rock Cress
- Roses
- Ruby Grass
- Rudbeckia
- Sagina
- Salpiglossis
- Salvia
- Santolina
- Sanvitalia
- Saxifraga
- Scabiosa
- Scaevola
- Scarlet Pimpernels
- Scarlet Runner Beans
- Schizanthus
- Scutellaria
- Sedum
- Shasta Daisys
- Skullcap
- Snapdragons
- Snow-in Summer
- Statice
- Steirodiscus
- Stocks
- Stoneseed
- Strawflowers
- Streptocarpella
- Sunflowers
- Sutera
- Swan River Daisy
- Sweet Peas
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Sweet Sultan
- Sweet Williams
- Sweet Woodruff
- Tagetes
- Tall Phlox
- Thunbergia
- Tithonia
- Torch Lilys
- Torenia
- Trachelium
- Trailing Portulaca
- Transvaal Daisy
- Trifolium
- Tritoma
- Tropical Hibiscus
- Tropical Water Plants
- Twinspur
- Verbena
- Veronica
- Vinca Vine
- Violas
- Violets
- Xerianthemum
- Yarrow
- Zinnia