The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us estimate your gardening schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of estimating when you can plant aubretia is to refer to the USDA zone info for Chicago.

Planting Calendar for Aubretia

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

You can plant aubretia earlier in the year because they do well in cold.

The earliest that you can plant aubretia in Chicago is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

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

Last Frost Date

In Chicago the average date of last frost happens on April 15. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Chicago may not be accurate from year to year and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Chicago last frost occurs after April 15 so always be ready to protect your aubretia in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Chicago

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Chicago

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