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.

In Champaign you can estimate when it's a good idea to plant saxifraga by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Saxifraga

Frost tolerance for saxifraga:	Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Saxifraga do ok in moderate cold which tells us that you can start planting them slightly earlier than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant saxifraga in Champaign 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 saxifraga and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your saxifraga may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your saxifraga indoors.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost when the weather gets warmer is on April 15 in Champaign. You can expect an average low temperature of -15°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Champaign is not always accurate the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Champaign there is a last frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to protect your saxifraga if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Champaign

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 Champaign

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