One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Des Plaines you can figure out when it's the best time to plant calla lily by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Calla Lily

Frost tolerance for calla lily:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Calla Lily are not cold tolerant which tells us that it's important to wait until it warms up after the last frost when the weather gets warmer before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant calla lily in Des Plaines is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant calla lily and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your calla lily may not have a chance to fully mature. If you are starting your calla lily indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Des Plaines. You should expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Remember that USDA zone info for Des Plaines may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Des Plaines you get a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your calla lily if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Des Plaines

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Des Plaines

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Des Plaines.