One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the 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.

One way of figuring out when to plant armeria is to use the USDA zone info for Normal.

Planting Calendar for Armeria

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

Since armeria are very cold tolerant you can plant them a lot earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant armeria in Normal 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 armeria and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your armeria may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your armeria indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

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

Since the USDA zone info for Normal may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since half of the time in Normal you get a frost after April 15 be ready to cover your armeria in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Normal

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 Normal

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