When to Plant Xerianthemum in Lake Forest, IL

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

The first chance to plant xerianthemum in Lake Forest should be figured out by reviewing the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Xerianthemum

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

Xerianthemum are barely cold tolerant which means that you can start planting them slightly earlier than more sensitive plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant xerianthemum
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant xerianthemum
Probably not a good time to plant xerianthemum

The earliest that you can plant xerianthemum in Lake Forest 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 xerianthemum and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your xerianthemum may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your xerianthemum indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Lake Forest the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -15°F during the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Lake Forest and it can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in Lake Forest you get surprised by a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your xerianthemum if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Lake Forest

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 Lake Forest

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Lake Forest.