When to Plant California Poppy in Buckeye, AZ

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.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Buckeye it's possible to estimate when to plant california poppy.


Planting Calendar for California Poppy

Frost tolerance for california poppy: Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant: Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

California Poppy are barely cold tolerant which tells us that you can start planting them slightly earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

The earliest that you can plant california poppy in Buckeye 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 california poppy and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your california poppy may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your california poppy indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Buckeye. It might get as low as 20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Buckeye is not always accurate the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Buckeye there is a last frost after February 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your california poppy in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Buckeye

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)December 15
Lowest Expected Low20°F
Highest Expected Low25°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 25°F.

Plants to Grow in Buckeye

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