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

One way of getting a good idea when to plant tropical water plants is to examine the USDA zone info for Tampa.

Planting Calendar for Tropical Water Plants

Frost tolerance for tropical water plants:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

You can not plant tropical water plants until after the last frost has passed because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant tropical water plants in Tampa is March. However, you really should wait until April 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 September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your tropical water plants may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your tropical water plants indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Tampa the average date of last frost happens on February 15. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Tampa may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Tampa you get a frost after February 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your tropical water plants in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Tampa

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 Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°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 Tampa

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