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.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Key West it's a good idea to determine when it's a good idea to plant calliopsis.

Planting Calendar for Calliopsis

Frost tolerance for calliopsis:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's not a good idea to plant calliopsis until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant calliopsis in Key West 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 calliopsis and expect a good harvest is probably November. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your calliopsis may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your calliopsis indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Key West it never frosts. It might get as low as 45°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Key West is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since it never frosts in Key West you do not have to be ready to protect your calliopsis if you have one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Key West

Here is the info for USDA Zone 11b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	45°F
Highest Expected Low	50°F

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

Plants to Grow in Key West

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Key West.