When to Plant Lisianthus in West Chicago, IL

Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out 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 first opportunity to plant lisianthus in West Chicago can be estimated by referring to the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Lisianthus

Frost tolerance for lisianthus: Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant: After the last frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant lisianthus until after the last frost has passed because they require warm weather.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant lisianthus
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant lisianthus
Probably not a good time to plant lisianthus

The earliest that you can plant lisianthus in West Chicago 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 lisianthus and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your lisianthus may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your lisianthus indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in West Chicago. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

Since the USDA zone info for West Chicago is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in West Chicago it frosts late in the year after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your lisianthus in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for West Chicago

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 West Chicago

You may be interested in your other planting guides for West Chicago.