One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Santa Monica you can figure out when it's a good idea to plant armeria by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Armeria

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

Since armeria are very cold tolerant you can plant them earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant armeria in Santa Monica 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 armeria and expect a good harvest is probably October. If you wait any later than that and your armeria may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your armeria indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Santa Monica the average date of last frost happens on January 31. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 35°F.

Always keep in mind that USDA zone info for Santa Monica is an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Santa Monica it frosts late in the year after January 31 be ready to cover your armeria in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Santa Monica

Here is the info for USDA Zone 10b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	January 31
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	35°F
Highest Expected Low	40°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 35°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 40°F.

Plants to Grow in Santa Monica

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Santa Monica.