Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Berkeley you can estimate when it's possible to plant firebush by reviewing the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Firebush

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

Since firebush require warm weather it's important to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant firebush in Berkeley is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant firebush and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your firebush may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your firebush indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Berkeley. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Always keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Berkeley and it will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Berkeley it frosts late in the year after April 15 so always be ready to cover your firebush in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Berkeley

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Berkeley

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