When to Plant Anchusa in Palo Alto, CA

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.

The first chance to plant anchusa in Palo Alto should be estimated by using the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Anchusa

Frost tolerance for anchusa: Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant: Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Anchusa are very cold tolerant which tells us that you can plant them much earlier than other frost tender plants.

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

The earliest that you can plant anchusa in Palo Alto is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant anchusa and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your anchusa may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your anchusa indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Palo Alto. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is not always accurate because it is based on the USDA zone info for Palo Alto and it will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Palo Alto there is a last frost after February 15 be ready to cover your anchusa in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Palo Alto

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)December 15
Lowest Expected Low25°F
Highest Expected Low30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Palo Alto

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Palo Alto.