The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us figure out your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

It's a good idea to determine when it's the best time to plant hamelia by using the USDA zone info for River Forest.

Planting Calendar for Hamelia

Frost tolerance for hamelia:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost.

Since hamelia do not do well in cold weather you need to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant hamelia in River Forest is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant hamelia and expect a good harvest is probably August. Any later than that and your hamelia may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your hamelia indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In River Forest the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for River Forest may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Since half of the time in River Forest last frost occurs after April 15 be ready to protect your hamelia if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for River Forest

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 River Forest

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