When to Plant Tropical Hibiscus in Fairbanks, AK

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By using the USDA zone info for Fairbanks it's a good idea to estimate when you can plant tropical hibiscus.


Planting Calendar for Tropical Hibiscus

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

Tropical Hibiscus are not cold tolerant which means that it's necessary to wait until it warms up after the last frost has passed before you can plant them.

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

The earliest that you can plant tropical hibiscus in Fairbanks is May. However, you really should wait until June if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant tropical hibiscus and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your tropical hibiscus may not have a chance to really do well. You can get started a little bit earlier by starting your tropical hibiscus indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Fairbanks. You can expect an average low temperature of -50°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Fairbanks is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Fairbanks you get surprised by a frost after May 15 so always be ready to cover your tropical hibiscus in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Fairbanks

Here is the info for USDA Zone 2a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)August 15
Lowest Expected Low-50°F
Highest Expected Low-45°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -50°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -45°F.

Plants to Grow in Fairbanks

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Fairbanks.