Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate 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.

A way of making a decision about when you can plant tropical water plants is to examine the USDA zone info for Hope.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Water Plants

Frost tolerance for tropical water plants:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since tropical water plants are not cold tolerant you really should wait until after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant tropical water plants in Hope 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 tropical water plants and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your tropical water plants may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your tropical water plants indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Hope. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Hope is just an average and the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Hope you get surprised by a frost after March 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your tropical water plants if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Hope

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°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 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Hope

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