One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. 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 Chicago it's possible to figure out when it's a good idea to plant sedum.

Planting Calendar for Sedum

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

Sedum do well in cold which means that you can get them planted much earlier than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant sedum 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 sedum and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your sedum may not have a chance to really do well. If you are starting your sedum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Chicago may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since half of the time in Chicago you get a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your sedum if you have 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.